Helvetica Servicing, Inc. v. Pasquan

277 P.3d 198, 229 Ariz. 493, 630 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 4, 2012 WL 925566, 2012 Ariz. App. LEXIS 38
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedMarch 20, 2012
Docket1 CA-CV 10-0418
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 277 P.3d 198 (Helvetica Servicing, Inc. v. Pasquan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Helvetica Servicing, Inc. v. Pasquan, 277 P.3d 198, 229 Ariz. 493, 630 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 4, 2012 WL 925566, 2012 Ariz. App. LEXIS 38 (Ark. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION

DOWNIE, Judge.

¶ 1 This ease requires us to examine the scope of statutory anti-deficiency protection available to borrowers in the judicial foreclosure context. We hold that refinancing a purchase money loan does not destroy purchase money status and forfeit anti-deficiency protection to the extent proceeds from the refinancing transaction are disbursed in satisfaction of the underlying purchase money obligation. We further hold that loan proceeds used to construct a qualifying residence merit anti-deficiency protection under certain circumstances. However, sums disbursed in a loan transaction for non-purchase money purposes may be traced, segregated, and recovered in a deficiency action. Because the superior court did not apply these legal standards to the various loan transactions at issue in this case, we vacate the deficiency judgment entered against appellant Michael Pasquan and remand for further proceedings.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

¶ 2 Michael and Kelly Pasquan purchased a 4000-square-foot home in Paradise Valley (the “Property”) in May 2003. To satisfy the $935,000 purchase price, the Pasquans made a $335,000 cash payment and obtained a $600,000 loan from Hamilton Mortgage Company (“Hamilton Loan”). The Hamilton Loan was secured by a deed of trust recorded against the Property.

¶3 In December 2004, the Pasquans obtained a $1.6 million loan from Desert Hills Bank (“Desert Hills”). The Desert Hills loan proceeds paid off the Hamilton Loan and also funded the demolition of most of the existing residence and the construction of an 11,500-square-foot home in its place. The Desert Hills loan was secured by a new deed of trust recorded against the Property.

¶ 4 The Pasquans later borrowed an additional $100,000 from Desert Hills. No new deed of trust was recorded; the additional amount was secured by the existing deed of trust on the Property. Subsequently, the Pasquans obtained an additional $400,000 loan from Desert Hills that was secured by a second recorded deed of trust. According to a declaration submitted by Michael Pasquan in the superior court, all of the Desert Hills loan proceeds were used for construction expenses.

¶ 5 In September 2006, the Pasquans obtained a $3.4 million loan serviced by appel-lee Helvetica Servicing, Inc. (“Helvetica Loan”). 1 The Helvetica Loan was secured by a new deed of trust recorded against the Property. According to Michael Pasquan’s declaration, the Helvetica Loan proceeds were disbursed as follows:

Desert Hills Payoff $2,154,038
Stephen Pasquan Loan 2 $225,000
Closing Costs $9,674
Points/Interest $274,894
Interest/Reserves $206,033
Construction Credit Cards $172,575
Net Proceeds to the Pasquans $357,786.15

Pasquan avowed that roughly $228,000 of the funds he and his wife received at closing went toward interest payments on the Helve-tica Loan, with the remainder being used for “improvements, landscaping, maintenance, taxes, utilities and marketing fees for the house.”

*496 ¶ 6 The Pasquans defaulted on their loan payments, and Helvetica filed a judicial foreclosure action. The superior court granted partial summary judgment to Helvetica regarding its right to foreclose and the principal sum owed by the Pasquans— $3,657,793.30. The court reserved the question of whether Helvetica could obtain a deficiency judgment.

¶ 7 Helvetica purchased the Property with a $400,000 credit bid at a sheriffs sale. Thereafter, the parties briefed the applicability of Arizona’s anti-deficiency statutes. The superior court ruled in favor of Helvetica and entered a deficiency judgment against the Pasquans in the sum of $1,936,825.53, plus pre-judgment and post-judgment interest. Michael Pasquan timely appealed. 3

DISCUSSION

¶ 8 The overarching issue in this ease is whether the Helvetica Loan is a purchase money obligation. If it is, Helvetica may not obtain a deficiency judgment against Pas-quan. See Baker v. Gardner, 160 Ariz. 98, 107, 770 P.2d 766, 775 (1989) (supplemental opinion) (“By choosing judicial foreclosure, the creditor can obtain a deficiency judgment in all cases except those dealing with purchase money collateral on the residential property described in § 33-729(A).”). A deficiency judgment “is nothing more than the difference between the security and the debt.” 4 Valley Nat’l Bank of Ariz. v. Kohl-hase, 182 Ariz. 436, 440, 897 P.2d 738, 742 (App.1995) (quoting Baker, 160 Ariz. at 104 n. 7, 770 P.2d at 772 n. 7).

¶ 9 The Arizona legislature enacted statutes in 1971 to protect certain borrowers against deficiency judgments arising from purchase money mortgages and purchase money deeds of trust foreclosed judicially. Baker, 160 Ariz. at 101, 770 P.2d at 769. This legislation was intended to “protect[] consumers from financial ruin” and “eliminat[e] ... hardships resulting to consumers who, when purchasing a home, fail to realize the extent to which they are subjecting assets besides the home to legal process.” Id. (quoting Boyd & Balentine, Arizona’s Consumer Legislation: Winning The Battle but , 14 Ariz. L.Rev. 627, 654 (1972)). Anti-deficiency protection reflects a legislative policy decision to place the risk of inadequate security on lenders rather than borrowers. Id. at 103, 770 P.2d at 771. It is intended to discourage purchase money lenders from over-valuing real property by requiring them to look solely to the collateral for recovery in the event of foreclosure.

¶ 10 The statute at issue in this case, Arizona Revised Statute (“A.R.S.”) section 33-729(A), reads:

[I]f a mortgage is given to secure the payment of the balance of the purchase price, or to secure a loan to pay all or part of the purchase price, of a parcel of real property of two and one-half acres or less which is limited to and utilized for either a single one-family or single two-family dwelling, the lien of judgment in an action to foreclose such mortgage shall not extend to any other property of the judgment debtor, nor may general execution be issued against the judgment debtor to enforce such judgment, and if the proceeds of the mortgaged real property sold under special execution are insufficient to satisfy the judgment, the judgment may not otherwise be satisfied out of other property of the judgment debtor, notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary.

¶ 11 We review the interpretation and application of statutes de novo. Schwarz v. City of Glendale, 190 Ariz. 508, 510, 950 P.2d 167, 169 (App.1997) (citation omitted).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Aerial Funding v. Van Sickle
Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2020
Helvetica Servicing Inc v. Michael S Pasquan
470 P.3d 155 (Arizona Supreme Court, 2020)
Helvetica v. Pasquan
Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2019
Helvetica Servicing, Inc. v. Giraudo
389 P.3d 867 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2017)
First Financial Bank, N.A. v. Claassen
357 P.3d 1216 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2015)
Arizona Bank & Trust v. James R. Barrons Trust
351 P.3d 1099 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2015)
Midtown Medical Group, Inc. v. Farmers Insurance Group
334 P.3d 1252 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2014)
State v. Armitage.
319 P.3d 1044 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2014)
BMO Harris Bank N.A. v. Wildwood Creek Ranch, LLC
317 P.3d 641 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2014)
Parkway Bank & Trust Co. v. Zivkovic
304 P.3d 1109 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2013)
Independent Mortgage Co. v. Alaburda
281 P.3d 1049 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2012)
City of Sierra Vista v. Sierra Vista Wards System Voting Project
278 P.3d 297 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2012)
Pfeiffer v. Morgan Stanley Credit Corp.
922 F. Supp. 2d 828 (D. Arizona, 2012)
Hall v. READ DEVELOPMENT, INC.
274 P.3d 1211 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2012)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
277 P.3d 198, 229 Ariz. 493, 630 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 4, 2012 WL 925566, 2012 Ariz. App. LEXIS 38, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/helvetica-servicing-inc-v-pasquan-arizctapp-2012.