Hosford v. Johnson

74 Ind. 479
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedMay 15, 1881
DocketNo. 7231
StatusPublished
Cited by49 cases

This text of 74 Ind. 479 (Hosford v. Johnson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hosford v. Johnson, 74 Ind. 479 (Ind. 1881).

Opinion

Newcomb, C.

The Atlas Insurance Company held a mortgage on certain real estate in Vigo county, and Johnson and Finch held a junior mortgage on the same property. The Atlas Company foreclosed its mortgage, but did not make Johnson and Finch defendants to the action, nor did the latter appear to it. A separate foreclosure suit was instituted by Johnson and Finch, and their mortgage was foreclosed. The appellant, Hosford, purchased the mortgaged premises at the sheriff’s sale on the senior mortgage, bidding therefor the full amount of the judgment and costs. On the same day, the property was also -sold on the foreclosure judgment of the appellees, they being the purchasers. After the year for the statutory redemption had expired, deeds were executed by the sheriff to the respective purchasers. Johnson and Finch then tendered to Hosford the amount of-principal and interest of the Atlas Company’s mortgage, as a redemption thereof. The tender was re fused, and they then filed their complaint to redeem, alleging the tender and refusal. Hosford demurred to the complaint, but his demurrer was overruled. He then answered in two paragraphs, and also filed a cross complaint, praying a fore[481]*481closure of the Atlas Company’s mortgage, as against Johnson and Finch. Demurrers were sustained to both paragraphs of the answer and to the cross complaint, and there was final judgment on demurrer in favor of the appellees, to the effect that they were entitled to redeem, on payment of the principal and interest of the senior mortgage ; that the amount found due should be paid into could, within fifteen days, and that, on such payment being made, the title of plaintiffs in said property be quieted, and that Hosford should be forever estopped from setting up any title thereto.

The principal contention between the parties is, whether Johnson and Finch, in order to redeem, were required to pay, in addition to the principal and interest of the senior mortgage, certain sums included in the foreclosure judgment for attorney’s fees and for insurance premiums paid by the Atlas Company. Hosford also claimed that they must pay the costs of the foreclosure proceeding, and that he ought to be reimbursed for the cost of a new rdof he put on the building on the mortgaged promises, after he took possession, and for certain expenses he had incurred in hiring a watchman to take care of said building.

The doctrine may be regarded as settled in this State, that the rights of a junior incumbrancer are in no wise affected by the foreclosure of a senior mortgage, unless he is made a party to the foreclosure proceeding. Proctor v. Baker, 15 Ind. 178; Murdock v. Ford, 17 Ind. 52; Holmes v. Bybee, 34 Ind. 262; Hasselman v. McKernan, 50 Ind. 441.

This being the case, the amount of redemption money to which Hosford was entitled depended on the terms of the mortgage, and not on the foreclosure judgment, nor on the amount he paid at the sheriff’s sale. Had he purchased the property for less than the amount due upon the mortgage, the junior incumbrancers could not redeem by paying the sum of his- purchase-money, with interest, but they would be re[482]*482quired to pay the whole mortgage debt. Collins v. Riggs, 14 Wal. 491.

The complaint stated the date, amount and rate of interest of the Atlas Company’s mortgage. This was admitted by the answer, but in the answer it was averred that the mortgage also provided that the mortgagor should keep the buildings on the premises insured in the sum of $5,000, for the benefit of the mortgagee, which he had. failed to do, and that the latter, in consequence of such failure, had paid $500 in premiums for such insurance, which was allowed and included in the foreclosure judgment. Also that the notes secured by the mortgage provided that in case of suit the maker would pay five per cent, attorney’s fees, and that in the foreclosure judgment such fees were included to the amount of $200. The appellees contend that, inasmuch as they were not parties to the action in which the attorney’s fees were recovered, and their rights as junior incumbrancers were not impaired or affected by the judgment in that case, such fees were not a valid claim against them. It is true that they were not liable to pay these attorney’s fees because of their allowance in the judgment rendered in favor of the Atlas Company, for that judgment had no force as against them; but they were required to pay every claim secured by the mortgage. By the terms of the mortgage, the attorney’s fees became a part of the mortgage debt in case suit should be brought by reason of the default of the mortgagor. They were a part of the damages the mortgagee was entitled to recover, and an incident of the principal debt. Smiley v. Meir, 47 Ind. 559; Josselyn v. Edwards, 57 Ind. 212. Whenever the senior mortgagee instituted an action to recover the debt secured by the mortgage, whether such action were upon the notes alone, or upon the notes and mortgage for a foreclosure, the right to recover the attorney’s fees accrued and became a part of the mortgage debt, and for this [483]*483reason we hold that the junior mortgagees were bound to include the amount of such fees in their offer to redeem.

As to the insurance premiums, the appellees argue that the agreement to keep the property insured was merely a personal covenant of the mortgagor ; that the mortgage did not in terms provide that if the mortgagee should pay such premiums, on the failure of the mortgagor to do so, the amount .so paid should be deemed a part of the mortgage debt. There is no copy of the mortgage in the record. The allegation of the answer on this point is as follows: “It was understood and agreed, and so stated in the mortgage, that :said Tuttle” (the mortgagor) “would keep said building/ insured, and would pay the premiums for such insurance..’’

In Jones on Mortgages, sec. 1,135, it is said: “Where it 'is part of the contract of the mortgagor, and a condition of the mortgage, that he shall keep the premises insured in .a certain sum for the benefit of the mortgagee, charges for premiums paid by him for such insurance, which the mortgagor has neglected to obtain, are allowed.” For authority the author refers to Harper v. Ely, 70 Ill. 581; Fowley v. Palmer, 5 Gray, 549; and Montague v. Boston, etc., R. R. Co., 124 Mass. 242.

In the Illinois case, it was held that a mortgagee in possession would be allowed, as against rents collected by him, the amount paid by him for insurance when the mortgage required the mortgagor to keep the building on the property insured; and the case in 124th Massachusetts was of the same character. In Fowley v. Palmer, supra, it is stated that it was a condition of the mortgage, that the mortgagor should keep the buildings insured for the benefit of the mortgagee, from which we infer that the mortgage was so framed as to make the premiums that might be paid by the mortgagee a part of the mortgage debt, in case the mortgagor failed to insure.

From the averment in the answer, we can not say that the [484]*484court below erred in holding that the insurance premiums: were not secured by the -mortgage. The appellees were not required to pay the costs of the foreclosure suit. Jones on Mortgages, sec. 1,084; Gage v. Brewster, 31 N. Y. 218; Moore v. Cord, 14 Wis. 213.

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Bluebook (online)
74 Ind. 479, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hosford-v-johnson-ind-1881.