Gryzynger v. Warren (In re Gryzynger)

29 B.R. 992, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17319
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Wisconsin
DecidedApril 29, 1983
DocketNo. 83-C-156
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 29 B.R. 992 (Gryzynger v. Warren (In re Gryzynger)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gryzynger v. Warren (In re Gryzynger), 29 B.R. 992, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17319 (W.D. Wis. 1983).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

JOHN C. SHABAZ, District Judge.

In this appeal from the Bankruptcy Court of the Western District of Wisconsin, Judge Robert Martin presiding, the debtor, Lorraine Gryzynger, seeks reversal of the decision of Judge Martin concerning a land contract entered into between Gryzynger and one Donald Warren.

It appears that Gryzynger (hereinafter, the plaintiff) was the owner of an apartment building which was encumbered by a mortgage. In September, 1981, a judgment [993]*993of foreclosure was entered on the mortgage and plaintiff was given six months to redeem the property. She sought to redeem the property by sale to another party within the redemption period. In October, 1981, she accepted the offer to purchase of Donald Warren (hereinafter, the defendant). The agreement provided that plaintiff would take a land contract at $42,000 “due and payable within 30 days of closing with a 30 day extension if needed.” The closing took place on November 4, 1981, and the land contract provided as follows:

The entire purchase price shall be due and payable on or before December, 1981, provided however, if for any reason Purchaser cannot obtain an FHA mortgage within that time period, the entire purchase price shall be paid on or before January —, 1982. Further provided, that Purchaser shall be required to pay all necessary expenses incurred for the repair, maintenance or leasing of the Property.

The contract further provided for no down-payment and 0% interest. It also disclosed the existence of two liens, one of which was subject to a judgment of foreclosure, which were to be satisfied by the seller. The contract further provided that, if defendant remained in default for 60 days, plaintiff could pursue her legal remedies.

It appears that defendant failed to obtain financing so the land contract was not performed. However, defendant remained in possession of the property at least until the filing of a complaint in Dane County Circuit Court. Defendant had not personally applied for FHA financing. He had apparently attempted to arrange a sale of the land contract to third parties who would qualify for such financing, and finally offered to close the contract on March 22, the offer being made on March 19, on or about the same day plaintiff filed a complaint against defendant in Dane County Circuit Court, seeking, among other things, ejectment and damages. Plaintiff refused the offer and, in order to forestall a foreclosure sale on March 23,1982, plaintiff filed bankruptcy on March 22, 1982. The land contract case in Circuit Court was removed to Bankruptcy Court.

On cross motions for summary judgment in the adversary proceeding, Judge Martin entered judgment for the defendant on plaintiff’s first and fourth claims. The Judge viewed the first claim as one for ejectment and determination of title; the fourth as one for damages for misrepresentation and bad faith. In that defendant had subsequently surrendered the premises, the ejectment claim was deemed moot. As for the question of determination of title, Judge Martin stated as follows:

We must note that there has been no foreclosure sought in this adversary proceeding and therefore no issue which might arise solely in relation to the foreclosure of the land contract between Gryzynger and Warren or the current status of title to the property are considered herein.

Plaintiff moved for reconsideration of the Court’s decision with regard to the above quoted statement. A hearing was held on the motion, at which time the motion was denied. Judge Martin stated that he was confident that his decision was res judicata as to any dispute or cloud on the title of the plaintiff to the property in question.

MEMORANDUM

On appeal, plaintiff argues that the Bankruptcy Court’s decision was in error in dismissing her first and fourth claims.

Insofar as the first claim was an action for ejectment, the decision was entirely correct. It is evident that the action is moot once the property is surrendered to the plaintiff in such an action. In Carmichael v. Argard, 52 Wis. 607, 9 N.W. 470 (1881), the Court stated that an action for ejectment cannot be maintained against a party not in possession and considered the proposition so obvious that authority need not be cited.

Similarly, to the extent that the fourth claim is grounded on the tort of bad faith growing out of a breach of contract, the Bankruptcy Court’s dismissal of the [994]*994claim was correct. The tort has been recognized in Wisconsin under three circumstances: a violation by an insurance company of its duty to the insured to settle the claim of á third party and avoid excess liability which would have to be paid by the insured. Hilker v. Western Automobile Insurance Co., 204 Wis. 1, 231 N.W. 257, 235 N.W. 413 (1931); a violation by an insurance company of its duty of good faith to a claimant under a worker’s compensation policy. Coleman v. American Universal Insurance Co., 86 Wis.2d 615, 273 N.W.2d 220 (1979); and a violation by an insurance company of its duty to its insured to pay the reasonable claims submitted by the insured, Anderson v. Continental Insurance Co., 85 Wis.2d 675, 271 N.W.2d 368 (1978).

It is the third type of claim mentioned above which most resembles plaintiff’s claim here. Plaintiff asserts a violation of defendant’s good faith obligation undertaken by contract. It is clear that the tort has been recognized only in cases alleging breach of insurance contracts. The Court believes this is so, not because insurance bad faith cases are the only ones to reach the Supreme Court, but because the existence of the tort in Wisconsin depends upon the kind of relationship present in the context of insurance. In another case which refused to extend the tort to the insurance company’s obligation to third party claimants, the Court stated:

The heart of the tort recognized in Anderson is the fiduciary relationship between the insurer and the insured and the insurer’s breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing implicit in every contract.

Kranzush v. Badger State Mutual Casualty Co., 103 Wis.2d 56, 307 N.W.2d 256, 261 (1981). This Court notes the conjunctive nature of the statement above. Even if plaintiff’s complaint sufficiently pleads a breach of duty of good faith which is implicit in every contract, she cannot plead the fiduciary relationship between the insurer and an insured.

Nor is plaintiff helped by the language of Justice Abrahamson’s concurring opinion in Kranzush, 307 N.W.2d 271-276. It is asserted there that dependence on the existence of the fiduciary relationship begs the question and that the real answer should turn on a public policy analysis. Aside from questions concerning the propriety of this Court drastically expanding tort liability in Wisconsin on public policy grounds, the Court declines to do so because the policy question should be decided against plaintiff’s position. To recognize a tort of bad faith under the circumstances of this case would be to invite a bad faith claim in every breach of contract case. In Anderson

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Bluebook (online)
29 B.R. 992, 1983 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17319, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gryzynger-v-warren-in-re-gryzynger-wiwd-1983.