Gassaway v. Federal Land Bank of New Orleans (In Re Gassaway)

28 B.R. 842
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Mississippi
DecidedApril 1, 1983
Docket19-10640
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 28 B.R. 842 (Gassaway v. Federal Land Bank of New Orleans (In Re Gassaway)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gassaway v. Federal Land Bank of New Orleans (In Re Gassaway), 28 B.R. 842 (Miss. 1983).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

EUGENE J. RAPHAEL, Bankruptcy Judge.

On February 26, 1982, debtor, John G. Gassaway, filed his voluntary chapter 11 *844 petition herein. On April 26, 1982, debtor filed his motion to convert the subject proceeding from chapter 11 to chapter 7 of the 1978 Bankruptcy Code. On May 24, 1982, this court entered its order converting said proceedings from chapter 11 to chapter 7 and appointing Jacob C. Pongetti as trustee. By letter dated July 26,1982, and filed on July 27,1982, Jacob C. Pongetti, trustee, abandoned debtor’s 129-acre tract of land located in Sections 9 and 10, Township 19 North, Range 15 East, in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, and debtor’s 24.7-acre tract of land located in Section 9, Township 19 North, Range 15 East, in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, which included the 27-acre homestead parcel hereinafter mentioned as well as certain other property not involved in this adversary proceeding. By order dated and entered on August 2, 1982, this court, on motion of The Bank of North Mississippi, approved by said trustee, approved the abandonment of said 129-acre tract and said 24.7-acre tract. In so doing, this court deleted certain language proposed by movant, The Bank of North Mississippi, which ostensibly would have made such abandonment to said bank. The final form of said order entered on August 2, 1982, simply abandons said property without designating anyone to whom such abandonment is made. By letter dated October 14,1982, and filed on October 15, 1982, said trustee again abandoned said 129-acre tract and said 24.7-acre tract.

On November 30, 1982, debtor plaintiff, John G. Gassaway, filed his complaint denominated “Motion for Temporary Restraining Order, Permanent and Preliminary Injunction and Order Setting Aside Fraudulent Lien” in this adversary proceeding. In addition to prayers for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction with respect to the “homeplace” of the debtor, said complaint included prayers for an order “voiding the Lien and Trustee’s Deed held by The Bank of North Mississippi”.

On November 80,1982, this court entered its order granting a temporary restraining order and fixing the date for hearing on the application for preliminary injunction for December 9, 1982. By order entered on December 10, 1982, the court granted in-junctive relief pendente lite against defendant The Bank of North Mississippi, but lifted and cancelled the temporary restraining order as to defendants Federal Land Bank of New Orleans and Merchants and Farmers Bank of Kosciusko. The court denied the application for preliminary injunctive relief against defendants Federal Land Bank of New Orleans and Merchants and Farmers Bank of Kosciusko.

On December 17, 1982, defendant Merchants and Farmers Bank of Kosciusko filed its separate answer, and on December 23, 1982, defendant Federal Land Bank of New Orleans filed its separate answer.

On December 30, 1982, defendant The Bank of North Mississippi filed its answer, affirmative defenses and counterclaim. By said counterclaim The Bank of North Mississippi sought damages against plaintiff and cross-defendant, John G. Gassaway, and prayed that the preliminary injunction be dissolved. It is noteworthy at this point that said counterclaim did not pray for the lifting or termination of the automatic stay provided by 11 U.S.C. section 362.

On January 5, 1983, plaintiff and cross-defendant, John G. Gassaway, filed his answer to the affirmative defenses and counterclaim filed by The Bank of North Mississippi.

By orders dated January 5, 1983, and entered on January 20, 1983, plaintiff’s aforementioned complaint denominated “Motion for Temporary Restraining Order, Permanent and Preliminary Injunction and Order Setting Aside Fraudulent Lien” was dismissed with prejudice insofar as the same related to defendant Federal Land Bank of New Orleans and defendant Merchants and Farmers Bank of Kosciusko. At the conclusion of the adversary proceeding conducted on January 5, 1983, as to plaintiff’s said complaint and as to the counterclaim interposed by defendant The Bank of North Mississippi, this court ordered that the injunction previously ordered as to defendant The Bank of North Mississippi “is *845 to continue m full force and effect until such time as the court renders its decision herein”. The court reserved its ruling as to the merits of the proceeding as between plaintiff and defendant The Bank of North Mississippi.

On October 23, 1981, plaintiff, John G. Gassaway and his . wife, Joann Gassaway, were required by defendant The Bank of North Mississippi to execute a renewal promissory note, consolidating several prior unpaid loans, in the aggregate amount of $111,076.02. No new money was advanced in connection with said renewal loan. In addition to collateral provided earlier to The Bank of North Mississippi in connection with the unpaid loans, said bank required plaintiff and his wife to provide additional collateral in connection with the October 23, 1981, loan renewal. Although plaintiff and his wife later took the position that they were unaware of the fact that the loan papers described their 27-acre homestead parcel on which their mobile home was situated, the deed of trust executed by plaintiff and his wife described the entirety of plaintiff’s farm, which said description included the said 27-acre homestead parcel. The lien, however, was subordinate to other liens on the same property. The facts were undisputed that said 27-acre parcel constituted a homestead. Indeed, a bank officer testified to the effect that Mrs. Gassaway’s signature was required for the very reason that the bank considered such parcel to constitute the homestead of plaintiff and his wife. It is likewise undisputed that said bank did not treat such loan transaction as one requiring disclosure to plaintiff or his wife of the right to rescind same under the Federal Truth in Lending Act or Federal Reserve System Regulation Z. Said bank made no verbal or written disclosure to plaintiff or to his wife suggesting that they had the right of rescission as to the lien being created in the property used as their principal dwelling.

On October 5,1982, after causing foreclosure proceedings to be conducted pursuant to the deed of trust executed by plaintiff and his wife on October 23,1981, defendant The Bank of North Mississippi purchased the real estate described in said deed of trust at a foreclosure sale for a purchase price of $5,000.00.

Subsequently, the Merchants and Farmers Bank of Kosciusko, which held a first position deed of trust on said mobile home and 27-acre homestead, began foreclosure proceedings on its first deed of trust. After such foreclosure proceedings were commenced, but before any foreclosure sale could be had, The Bank of North Mississippi purchased and received an assignment of the promissory note and first deed of trust on said homestead parcel held by the Merchants and Farmers Bank of Kosciusko. Shortly thereafter, without there having been any foreclosure sale under the assigned first deed of trust previously held by the Merchants and Farmers Bank of Kosciusko, this adversary proceeding was instituted by the filing of the aforementioned complaint.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
28 B.R. 842, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gassaway-v-federal-land-bank-of-new-orleans-in-re-gassaway-msnb-1983.