First Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Furnish

367 N.E.2d 596, 174 Ind. App. 265, 1977 Ind. App. LEXIS 964
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 19, 1977
DocketNo. 2-476A162
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 367 N.E.2d 596 (First Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Furnish) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
First Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Furnish, 367 N.E.2d 596, 174 Ind. App. 265, 1977 Ind. App. LEXIS 964 (Ind. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinion

CASE SUMMARY

Buchanan, J.

Plaintiff-appellant First Savings & Loan [266]*266Association of Central Indiana (First Savings), as a mortgage lienholder, appeals from the granting of Summary Judgment in favor of Appellees, Alfred E. and D. Louise Furnish (Furnish) quieting title in Furnish as tax sale purchaser, claiming the judgment was contrary to the evidence and pre-sale notice by publication was in violation of the Due Process Clauses of the United States and Indiana Constitutions.1

We affirm.

FACTS

The facts and evidence most favorable to the judgment of the trial court are:

On August 12,1968, Donmar Realty Corporation (Donmar) executed a mortgage on land it owned in Grant County, Indiana, in favor of Twin City State Bank (Twin City), which then recorded the mortgage in the Recorder’s office of Grant County and subsequently assigned it to First Savings of Madison County, Indiana, on September 13,1968. First Savings recorded the assignment in Grant County on October 2, 1968.2

Some time after the assignment, Donmar, the mortgagor, defaulted in its principal payments and also became delinquent in payment of real estate taxes. As a result the land, on August 14, 1972, was sold at a tax sale to Furnish after notice of the impending sale was sent to Donmar, the owner, by certified mail.3 Notice was also posted on the Grant County Courthouse and, pursuant to statute,4 published in a newspaper of local circulation in [267]*267Grant County for three consecutive weeks.5 No notice was sent to First Savings.

The record indicates First Savings did not have actual knowledge of the real estate tax delinquency before the tax sale took place, but it is undisputed it had knowledge thereof during the period of redemption. In fact, on November 27, 1972, about three and one-half months after the sale, First Savings filed in the Grant Circuit Court an action to foreclose the mortgage naming Donmar (the original owner), Twin City (original mortgagee), and Furnish (tax sale buyer) as Defendants.

First Savings did not attempt to redeem the land pursuant to the right given lienholders by the statute then in effect,6 and title was conveyed7 to Furnish on August 6, 1974.

After the action was venued to Miami County, Indiana, on March 9, 1973, and, following the subsequent failure by First [268]*268Savings to redeem, Furnish filed, on December 24, 1974, a counterclaim against First Savings to quiet title to the real estate. On October 8,1975, First Savings filed a Consolidated Motion for Declaratory Judgment8 against the counterclaim of Furnish. Furnish responded by an oral Motion for Summary Judgment9 and the trial court granted Furnish’s motion.

This appeal followed.

ISSUES

Two issues10 are presented for our disposition:

(1) Does First Savings have standing to raise lack of due process (constructive notice only) under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution and the 12th Amendment to the Indiana Constitution?
(2) Does failure to give a mortgagee actual notice of a tax sale constitute a denial of due process?

PARTIES’ CONTENTIONS —First Savings argues it has standing to assert lack of due process because it has suffered harm and, further, that the landmark decision in Mullane v. Hanover Bank & Trust Co.11 requires that a mortgagee whose lien is recorded must be given actual notice prior to the sale of the mortgaged land for tax delinquency.

Furnish responds that First Savings lacks standing to raise the constitutional issue as First Savings had actual knowledge of the sale within the redemption period and therefore was not harmed. Alternatively, Furnish argues that the statute pertaining to notice12 is reasonably calculated to apprise any interested party of the pendency of the sale, thus satisfying the requirements of due process.

[269]*269DECISION

Issue one

CONCLUSION — First Savings has standing to raise the constitutional question of lack of due process.

A threshold question is raised by Furnish’s assertion that First Savings has no right to raise the constitutional question inasmuch as it was not harmed because the property could have been redeemed during the period of redemption.

It is true that standing to raise a constitutional question is determined by the existence of harm which occurred because of the operation of the statute or act which is asserted as unconstitutional. Board of Commissioners of Howard County v. Kokomo City Plan Commission (1975), 263 Ind. 282, 330 N.E.2d 92; Lamb v. State (1975), 263 Ind. 137, 325 N.E.2d 180; State v. Clark (1966), 247 Ind. 490, 217 N.E.2d 588; Wells v. State (1976), 170 Ind. App. 29, 351 N.E.2d 43.

Harm is demonstrated, says First Savings, and we agree, because by redeeming after the sale a greater sum of money would have to be paid, consisting of penalties and interest.13

That such payments of penalties and interest constitute harm is consistent with the case law on this subject. Johnson v. United States, 422 F. Supp. 958 (S.D. Ind. 1976); Cottongim v. Congleton (1964), 245 Ind. 387, 199 N.E.2d 96; Pennington v. Stewart (1937), 212 Ind. 553, 10 N.E.2d 619. And further, a determination of the constitutional question is necessary to a complete determination of the rights of the parties. Shigley v. Whitlock, supra; Garcia v. Slabaugh, supra; Saloom v. Holder, supra note 13.

Issue Two

CONCLUSION —Due process does not require that a mortgagee be given actual notice of a tax sale.

[270]*270The precise question is whether due process entitles a mortgagee to actual notice of a tax sale rather than constructive notice (publication).

The trial court concluded, properly, that Indiana statutes relating to the sale of tax delinquent real estate contemplate a mortgagee only receiving constructive notice (posting and publication).

The general notice statute provides that notice be given by publication and posting without reference to whom it shall apply:

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FIRST S. & L. ASSN. OF CENT. INDIANA v. Furnish
367 N.E.2d 596 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1977)

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Bluebook (online)
367 N.E.2d 596, 174 Ind. App. 265, 1977 Ind. App. LEXIS 964, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/first-savings-loan-assn-v-furnish-indctapp-1977.