Gardner v. Johns

28 N.E.2d 691, 64 Ohio App. 229, 30 Ohio Law. Abs. 345, 18 Ohio Op. 80, 1939 Ohio App. LEXIS 382
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 22, 1939
Docket1400
StatusPublished

This text of 28 N.E.2d 691 (Gardner v. Johns) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gardner v. Johns, 28 N.E.2d 691, 64 Ohio App. 229, 30 Ohio Law. Abs. 345, 18 Ohio Op. 80, 1939 Ohio App. LEXIS 382 (Ohio Ct. App. 1939).

Opinion

OPINION

BY THE COURT:

This is a suit to foreclose a mortgage and for personal 'judgment instituted by L. M. Gardner against Ida L. Johns, Clarence Helfrich and The Crestline Building & Loan Association as defendants.

On July 16, 1930, Ida L. Johns, a widow, was the owner and in possession of Outlot No. 172 in- the Village of Crestline, Ohio, which was a family residence property, and on this date said Ida L. Johns borrowed of The Crestline *346 Building & Loan Association $1400 and executed and delivered her promissory note to said association .therefor, and at the same time and as a part of the same transaction and to secure the payment thereof executed and delivered to said association her first mortgage on said Outlot No. 172. This mortgage was filed for record with the recorder of Crawford County, Ohio,' on July 18, 1930.

On the 3rd day of November, 1930, Ida L. Johns, for value received executed and delivered to the plaintiff L. M. ■Gardner her promissory note of that date for the sum of $2586.68 and to secure the payment thereof then executed and delivered to the said Gardner her mortgage deed of and on said Out-lot No. 172, theretofore mortgaged to said Crestline Building &- Loan Association as hereinbefore mentioned. This mortgage was filed for record in the office of the recorder of Crawford County, Ohio on February 22; 1931.

•On the 25th day of November, 1931, "the said Ida.L. Johns by warranty deed conveyed said Outlot No. 172 to Clarence Helfrich. This deed provides, among other things, “The premises hereby conveyed are warranted to be ■clear, free and unincumbered and we will forever defend the same against the lawful claims of all persons whomsoever, assumes a mortgage held by The Crestline Building & Loan Association.”

On the 27th day of November,- 1931, Clarence ■ Helfrich by warranty deed conveyed these same premises, Outlot No. 172, to The Crestline Building & Loan Association. This deed contained a stipulation as follows: “The premises hereby conveyed are warranted to be free, clear- and unincumbered and we will forever defend the same against the-lawful claims of all persons whomsoever. Said grantee assumes all taxes- and liens-.against said property.

In his. petition the plaintiff, L. M.■Gardner,- alleged the foregoing, facts, the non-payment of, the said .note to Ida L. Johns to him, the amount due thereon, and that the condition of his said mortgage had been, broken, and prayed for personal judgment against Ida L. Johns as maker of said note, and Clarence Helfrich and The Crestline Building & Loan Association as assumers of the payment thereof for the amount due thereon, and for foreclosure of .his said mortgage.

Clarence Helfrich filed his answer to the petition, which was in effect a general • denial.

The Crestline Building & Loan Association filed its second amended answer in which it denied that it is indebted to the plaintiff; denied that it assumed the mortgage lien mentioned and described in his petition; denied that It ever agreed' to pay any • sum of money to the plaintiff, under or. upon any mortgage; denied that the defend-' ant Clarence Helfrich -ever agreed, to pay any sum of money to plaintiff under any mortgage; and alleged that it never intended to assume payment of any mortgage lien, and averred that Clarence Helfrich who was acting for and on behalf of said loan company, at no time ever intended to assume payment of any mortgage indebtedness, or assume the payment of the amount called - for by the- mortgage mentioned in the petition of the plaintiff; and averred that said loan company had no right, power or authority under the law of the State of Ohio, or by its charter, to-enter into any contract for the assumption of mortgage, and that the assumption of any mortgage lien, or any agreement to pay the amount called for by mortgage lien’ was and is beyond its corporate! powers.

Pending determination of the issues raised by the pleadings, on May 27, 1935, plaintiff took' judgment against' Ida- L. Johns by default for the full' amount prayed’ for by plaintiff in his petition and by and with the' consent of counsel for defendants Clarence Helfrich and The Crestline Building &■ Loan Association, decree of foreclosure and order of sale running- in favor of said plaintiff Gardner was issued, directed to the sheriff, the entry thereof providing that said cause was continued as to all other matters.

The real e,state was appraised several times, advertised several times for sale, *347 "with- no bidders, and' ultimately the . premises were sold on February 15, 1936, 'to the plaintiff Gardner for $300 after having been appraised at $450.

The-case'was thereafter submitted to the' common pleas court on its merits, 'whereupon the court found upon the issues joined against-the-plaintiff Gardner and-for-the defendants Clarence ;Helfrich and The Crestline Building & ■Loan- Association, and entered judgment accordingly. - ■ -

Motion for new trial was thereafter Overruled, and the sheriff was ordered ■to distribute the' $300-árisíng from -the sale Of the real estate, and it is from ■'this judgment in favor of defendants Clarence Helfrich and The' Crestline Building & Loan Association and overruling the motion for new trial, that this appeal is perfected.

It is contended by the plaintiff-appellant that the judgment appealed from is contrary to law in that upon the undisputed facts of the case the judgment should have been in favor of the plaintiff instead of against him,' and asks that in this appeal'proceeding final judgment be entered in favor of plaintiff and against the defendants Clarence Helfrich and The Crestline Building & Loan Association.

An examination of the above quoted, clause in the deed from Ida L. Johns to 1 Clarence Helfrich shows that Helfrich assumed the mortgage held by : The Crestline Building & Loan Association and did not assume the mortgage of the plaintiff. As Helfrich ■ did not assume the mortgage of plaintiff he is not liable to plaintiff for the payment of same and the judgment of the common pleas court was' not erroneous in holding that he was not liable to plaintiff.

An inspection .of the above quoted clause in the deed from Helfrich to The Crestline Building & Loan Association, of the premises upon which plaintiff held his mortgage discloses that the grantee therein, the defendant The Crestline Building & Loan Association, apparently as a part of the consideration for the purchase of said premises by it from Helfrich .assumed all-taxes and liens -against said property. The plaintiff’s mortgage was an existing lien on Said premises and- notwithstanding the fact -that Helfrich, the grantor in said deed, had not assumed and was not liable for the payment- of said mortgage, the defendant The Crestline Building & Loan Association by its said assumption-became liable therefor unless the assumption thereof was beyond its corporate- power: Walset v Farmers Trust Co., 126 Oh St 369.

We will therefore consider whether such assumption on the part of The Crestline Building '& Loan Association was an ultra vires act which would preclude it from liability in the premises.

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Bluebook (online)
28 N.E.2d 691, 64 Ohio App. 229, 30 Ohio Law. Abs. 345, 18 Ohio Op. 80, 1939 Ohio App. LEXIS 382, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gardner-v-johns-ohioctapp-1939.