Home Owners' Loan Corp. v. Robinson

285 N.W. 768, 231 Wis. 248, 1939 Wisc. LEXIS 172
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedMay 9, 1939
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 285 N.W. 768 (Home Owners' Loan Corp. v. Robinson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Home Owners' Loan Corp. v. Robinson, 285 N.W. 768, 231 Wis. 248, 1939 Wisc. LEXIS 172 (Wis. 1939).

Opinion

Nelson, J.

The plaintiff contends that the court erred, (1) in denying its motion for judgment, and (2) in ordering [250]*250that application be made to refer the matter to the mediation board of Waukesha county, because the statutes which require a hearing- before the mediation board before a judgment in foreclosure action can be entered, are not applicable to' the plaintiff, a federal loan agency.

The facts are not in dispute. The plaintiff is a federal corporation created by an act of the congress of the United States (effective June 13, 1933, ch. 64, art. I, sec. 4, 48 Stat. 128, 129, as amended, title 12, § 1463, USCA), enacted for the purpose of making loans to^ financially distressed homeowners, for a period oí three years after the date of its enactment. The act provided that after its purpose was accomplished, the corporation should be liquidated. The act further provided that loans made to> homeowners should be amortized by monthly payments sufficient in amount to- retire the interest and principal within a period of not to exceed fifteen years. The act specifically provided:

“The corporation may at any time grant an extension of time to any homeowner for the payment of any instalment of principal or interest owed by him to the corporation if, in the judgment of the corporation, the circumstances of the homeowner and the condition oí the security justify such extension.”

Prior to the enactment of the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation Act by the congress, the legislature, on February 23, 1933, enacted ch. 15, Laws of 1933, published February 24, 1933, which created secs. 281.20 to 281.23 of the statutes, for the purpose of providing “machinery for the adjustment, extension and compromise oí incumbrances on homes.” The legislature declared that such provisions were “made necessary by the existence of an economic emergency, SO' great that it constitutes a serious menace to the health, morality, comfort, prosperity and peace of the people of this state.” In sec. 281.21, it was provided that the act was “enacted as temporary emergency legislation, the provisions of which shall [251]*251apply only to obligations secured by mortgage, land contract, trust deed, or other security in the nature of a mortgage upon real estate which constitutes a home.” Sec. 281.22 defined “local board,” “home,” and “owner.” Sec. 281.23 created in each county a local mediation board and defined the powers of such boards. That act provided only for voluntary mediation upon the application of either party. Its obvious purpose was to bring the parties before the mediation board to the end that some agreed adjustment, extension, or compromise of the indebtedness on a home might possibly be effected. It gave to the mediation board an opportunity, after hearing the parties, to report its recommendations to the court in which the action was pending, to the end that the court might have full information before applying the moratorium statutes contained in ch. 278, Stats., which relates to' the foreclosure of mortgages. Sec. 281.23, sub. (7), of the mediation act provided:

“(7) The court, in exercising the discretion conferred upon it in chapter 278 of the statutes, shall take into consideration the refusal of either party to' submit to mediation or his failure to accept the recommendations of the local mediation board for the voluntary adjustment of the obligation.”

Thereafter, on June 9, 1933, four days before the federal Home Owners’ Loan Corporation Act became effective, the legislature enacted ch. 240, Laws of 1933, published June 12, 1933, which in part provided:

“278.107 Not applicable to federal loans. Sections 278.101 to 278.106 and also section 269.58 shall not apply to loans heretofore or which may hereafter be made, discounted, or rediscounted by the United States, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, the Federal Credit Administration, federal land banks, joint stock land banks, federal home loan banks, federal intermediate credit banks, regional agricultural credit corporations, or any other federal or g-Mim'-federal department, agency or institution, nor to the security given for such loans.”

[252]*252It is clear that that section was enacted for the purpose of encouraging all federal loan ag-encies to come into this state and to make loans to citizens of this .state who were in financial distress as a result of the depression and the emergency situations to which it had given rise. Ch. 240, Laws of 1933, was passed in the assembly by the unanimous vote of all members present and thereafter promptly passed by the senate. It clearly rendered our moratorium laws inapplicable tO' loans made by federal agencies. Thereafter, on July 25, 1933, the legislature, by the enactment of sec. 9, ch. 494, Laws of 1933, published August 4, 1933, amended said sec. 278.107 to read as follows:

“278.107 Not applicable to federal loans. Sections 278.101 to 278.106, 269.58, 281.20 to 281.22, 297.131 and 297.132 shall not apply to loans heretofore or which may hereafter be made, discounted, or rediscounted by the United States,' the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, the Federal Credit Administration, federal reserve banks, federal land banks, joint stock land banks, federal home loan banks, federal intermediate credit banks, regional agricultural credit corporations, or any other federal or quasi-iederal department, agency or institution, nor to1 the security given for such loans.”

By that amendment secs. “281.20 to 281.22,” and “297.131 and 297.132,” and “federal reserve banks” were specifically included. The bill was introduced by the committee on judiciary of the senate on July 22, 1933. It was enacted exactly as introduced. Immediately following the proposed section, the following explanation was contained in the original bill :

“Note: This amendment is requested by Gov. Schmede-man because the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis has expressed doubts about chapter 240 applying to federal reserve banks.”

Upon its introduction, the rules were suspended and the bill was passed by the senate on the very day it was introduced, and sent to' the assembly. The bill which also related to other subjects was amended and passed on July 25, 1933, [253]*253No amendment to sec. 278.107 was offered. Upon the return of the bill to the senate it was promptly concurred in by that body. It was thereafter approved by the governor.

On May 24, 1934, the plaintiff loaned to the defendants the sum of $5,000 secured by the mortgage sought to be foreclosed. The Home Owners’ Loan Corporation Act provided, as hereinbefore stated, that its purpose was to make loans to financially distressed homeowners for the period of three years after the date -of its enactment. The three-year period would not expire until 1936. Notwithstanding this fact, the legislature, in 1935, enacted ch. 319, Laws oí 1935, which repealed sec. 278.107, supra, and also repealed sec. 281.20 to 281.24, and enacted several new sections, similar in many respects to the repealed sections relating to mediation, but making a reference to the mediation board compulsory in foreclosure actions. Sec. 281.21 (1), as then enacted, provided :

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225 N.W.2d 644 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1975)

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Bluebook (online)
285 N.W. 768, 231 Wis. 248, 1939 Wisc. LEXIS 172, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/home-owners-loan-corp-v-robinson-wis-1939.