Grand Federal Savings Bank v. Klingenberg

1991 OK CIV APP 123, 821 P.2d 1069, 63 O.B.A.J. 133, 1991 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 105, 1991 WL 287265
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 10, 1991
DocketNo. 74599
StatusPublished

This text of 1991 OK CIV APP 123 (Grand Federal Savings Bank v. Klingenberg) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Grand Federal Savings Bank v. Klingenberg, 1991 OK CIV APP 123, 821 P.2d 1069, 63 O.B.A.J. 133, 1991 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 105, 1991 WL 287265 (Okla. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

BRIGHTMIRE, Judge.

This action was commenced by a bank to obtain a judgment on two delinquent promissory notes and the foreclosure of two securing mortgages. Two defendant borrowers counterclaimed for damages sustained as a result of the bank’s alleged [1071]*1071conversion of the borrowers’ business assets, trespass upon their property, and interference with their business operations.

Judgment was entered on a jury verdict for the bank with respect to both its claim and the borrowers’ counterclaim.

The borrowers appeal from an order overruling their motion for new trial.

I

The borrowers’ first assignment of error is this: “Errors of the Court Regarding Instructions to the Jury.”

This contention is set forth in general terms, i.e., the “instructions were wholly insufficient and improper” because: (1) No instruction was given addressing “what is or is not reasonably commercial” which evidently had to do with instructions relating to the manner of the bank’s self-help seizure and sale of the borrowers’ business equipment and inventory; and (2) “no instruction ... set out fully the duty of the parties.”

The supporting argument is that the “court ‘must’ instruct generally on issues presented by pleadings and the proof [and] on its own motion, to properly instruct the jury as to all fundamental issues of the case.” Young v. First State Bank, 628 P.2d 707 (Okl.1981).

Although this is a correct principle of law, the problem here is that the first time the claim of fundamental error appears in the record is in the borrowers’ brief on appeal. It was not raised in their motion for new trial, nor even mentioned as an issue in their petition in error.

Under these circumstances such issue is not cognizably presented. Arkansas Louisiana Gas Co. v. Travis, 682 P.2d 225 (Okl.1984).

II

The borrowers next complain of some requested instructions the trial court declined to give to the jury.

Here again the borrowers failed to lay an adequate foundation for judicial review. In their one-page argument the borrowers refer only to “our Requested Instruction No. IX” but neither it nor any other requested instruction appears in the brief, the motion for new trial or, for that matter, in the record. Moreover, there is nothing in the record to show what, if any, requested instructions were tendered at trial by the borrowers. See Sadler v. T.J. Hughes Lumber Co., 537 P.2d 454 (Okl.App.1975).

There is nothing, therefore, for this court to review with regard to this proposition.

III

The borrowers’ third assignment of error is that the trial court erred in allowing the prosecution of two lawsuits upon the same subject matter.

The supporting argument is that prior to instituting this foreclosure action, the bank had filed a “seizure” action in Arkansas where it replevined certain personal property covered by a security agreement. And in this action, the borrowers say, the bank is seeking a money judgment on the same note-related indebtedness — a defense raised in their answer and asserted during trial and one which is authorized by 12 O.S.Supp.1990 § 2012(B)(8), prohibiting “[a]nother action pending between the same parties for the same claim.”

The short answer to this contention is twofold: (1) The replevin action had been dismissed by the time this lawsuit came to trial; and (2) the subject matter of the two claims is not the same — there being a fundamental legal and actual difference between a claim for possession of personal property and one seeking a money judgment on delinquent promissory notes. See Phillips v. Barker, 269 P.2d 337 (Okl.1954).

Hence, the trial court did not err in rejecting the borrowers’ “another action pending” defense.

IV

Finally the borrowers complain of reversible irregularities with respect to the [1072]*1072post-judgment sale of subject mortgaged property and its confirmation.1

The complaint is that following the first scheduled sale of the property a second “auction” sale was held based on a “reappraisal” of the property for an amount $100,000 less than the “original appraisal” which was made without notice to the borrowers, without leave of court, and without regard to the true value of the property.

The record bears out such unusual procedure. It shows an appraisal of subject property was filed February 12, 1990, signed by three appraisers on November 24, 1989, estimating the fair market value to be $205,000.2 This document is followed by another one without a file stamp entitled “Notice of Sheriffs Sale” signed by the sheriff on November 29, 1989, noticing that the property would be sold at public auction on January 2,1990, subject to taxes and an appraisal value of $205,000. These two papers are followed by a third which bears a file stamp date of February 12, 1990, entitled “Affidavit.” In it the three appraisers swear that subject property was viewed by them on November 24, 1989, and that their return “incorrectly indicated the value ... to be the sum of $209,000.00 [sic ],”3 and that the correct value which should have been stated is “the sum of $109,000.00”.

On the same day, February 12, 1990, there was filed: (1) An alias special execution and order of sale issued by the court clerk; (2) an alias appraisal of $109,000; (3) an alias notice setting a sheriff’s sale of the property on February 6, 1990;4 (4) a sheriff’s return showing the bank bought the property for the full amount of the second appraisal ($109,000); and (5) a motion to confirm the sale and a notice of hearing the motion set for February 26, 1990.

On February 26, 1990, the trial court entered an order overruling the borrowers’ objection to the sale and confirmation and confirmed the sale. The borrowers timely attacked the confirmation order in a motion for a new trial and when this was overruled they timely filed a supplemental petition in error seeking review of subject order.

We are of the opinion the borrowers’ objection to the confirmation should have been sustained and a new court-supervised appraisal ordered. See Johnson v. Bearden Plumbing & Heating Co., 180 Okl. 586, 71 P.2d 715 (1937). There the court pointed out that 12 O.S.1981 § 801 dealing with execution of judgment liens requires that “property once appraised must thereafter be offered for sale twice before a reappraisal can be ordered.”5 Johnson, 71 P.2d at 716.

The bank accepts this as the law but, again citing Johnson, says that § 801 “presupposes a valid subsisting judgment, a valid execution, and a valid appraisement.” Id. And here, the bank says the “initial appraisement being invalid, there was no need to recomply with 12 O.S.1981, § 801’s requirements.”

We cannot agree that the initial ap-praisement was invalid. The report of the [1073]*1073appraisers dated November 24, 1989, discloses that one of the appraisers handwrote the figure “$205,000” along with the figure “75.00” as the fee for each appraiser and all three appraisers signed the appraisal.6

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Related

Sadler v. TJ Hughes Lumber Company, Inc.
537 P.2d 454 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1975)
Arkansas Louisiana Gas Co. v. Travis
1984 OK 33 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1984)
Phillips v. Barker
1954 OK 111 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1954)
Young v. First State Bank, Watonga
1981 OK 53 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1981)
Johnson v. Bearden Plumbing & Heating Co.
1937 OK 495 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1937)

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Bluebook (online)
1991 OK CIV APP 123, 821 P.2d 1069, 63 O.B.A.J. 133, 1991 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 105, 1991 WL 287265, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/grand-federal-savings-bank-v-klingenberg-oklacivapp-1991.