Keller v. Citizens Bank, Columbia

399 So. 2d 1332, 1981 Miss. LEXIS 2008
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedMay 13, 1981
DocketNo. 52432
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 399 So. 2d 1332 (Keller v. Citizens Bank, Columbia) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Keller v. Citizens Bank, Columbia, 399 So. 2d 1332, 1981 Miss. LEXIS 2008 (Mich. 1981).

Opinion

PATTERSON, Chief Justice,

for the Court:

This is an appeal from the Chancery Court of Marion County wherein Mrs. Dorothy Keller, hereinafter Keller, sought from Citizens Bank of Columbia, hereinafter Bank, (1) forfeiture of the principal and interest in a promissory note; (2) cancellation of the deed of trust securing it as well as antecedent deeds of trust renewed and extended by the note; and (3) damages of $50,000.00, together with court costs and attorneys’ fees.

From an adverse decree Keller appeals contending the trial court erred:

1. In finding Keller’s execution of a promissory note and deed of trust dated June 26,1978, constituted a waiver that the statute of limitations had barred a previous indebtedness of Keller and her former husband evidenced by a judgment of May 8, 1970, in the Circuit Court of Marion County.

2. In finding that Section 75-17-1 of the Mississippi Code Annotated (1972) as amended, which provides for interest according to the actuarial method, permits the compounding of interest.

3. In finding that none of the instruments contracted for usurious interest and in finding there was no evidence indicating any intent by Bank to exact usurious interest.

4. In finding “that the calculation of simple interest on the indebtedness evidenced by the judgment at 10% simple interest for the period of May 8, 1970, through May 8, 1975, and compound interest after May 8, 1975, to June 26, 1978.”

In 1978, Keller executed to the Bank a promissory note, deed of trust securing the note, truth-in-lending disclosure form, and a memorandum typed by Ben Rawls, the Bank’s president. Keller contends she executed these documents on May 31; Rawls contends they were signed on June 19 whereas the date appearing on the face of the loan documents is June 26, 1978. The date on the memorandum is June 19, 1978. These documents, except for the memorandum, were signed in blank. Rawls testified Keller requested that she be permitted to sign in blank because she was in a hurry; however, Keller testified that Rawls asked her to sign in blank because he didn’t have time to complete them.

The memorandum evidences the purpose of the above transaction:

“please use attached note and truth in lending form and deed of trust to renew and extend for a six month period the entire balances owing by me to your bank, evidenced by notes held by you signed by me, with credit life insurance to be written if possible.
At the end of six months all notes, whenever dated, to be renewed again on monthly payments.
6-19-78n
/s/ Dorothy Keller”

The purpose of the transaction was to consolidate into one note Keller’s debts to the Bank. This note did not itemize the consolidated debts, but simply designated the total amount due to be $18,975.25.

[1334]*1334Rawls testified the amount of the June 26 note was the sum of several component parts namely: (1) the renewal of an existing note held by the Bank on which there remained a balance of $361.00; (2) the inclusion of $6,965.80 paid by the Bank to Foxworth Bank for the assignment of a deed of trust executed by Keller to the assigning bank; (3) the balance, $2,305.75, of another promissory note owing by Keller to the Bank; (4) credit life insurance of $165.00; (5) recording fees of $6.00; and (6) $8,171.70, the amount computed by Bank’s president to be the unpaid balance of Keller and her former husband on a judgment of May 8, 1970. Two days after the note’s execution the total was discovered to be in error by $1000.00 and accordingly, the indebtedness was reduced in that amount.

The controversy centers on the amount of the consideration now owing the Bank by Keller emanating from the May 8, 1970, judgment which resulted from Keller and her former husband’s failure to pay a previous indebtedness to the Bank. The judgment for $4,343.02 with interest computed until the note of June 26, 1978, was included as a component part of the total indebtedness of $18,975.25 on the new note. Rawls testified that when he originally computed interest on the judgment for inclusion in the new note he compounded the interest, but when Keller’s attorney protested, the amount was adjusted to simple interest.

Keller testified she had no knowledge the 1970 judgment was being included in the new note. Rawls testified they did discuss the earlier judgment and a letter was introduced from Rawls to Keller dated June 21, 1978, five days before the promissory note of June 26, 1978. It states in part:

I have worked out the balance owing on the judgment, based on the note signed by you and your former husband, being $8,171.70 as of next Monday.
Your total balance owing to us, will then be $18,804.25.

Rawls explained this letter as follows:

A. This advises Mrs. Keller as to the balance owing on the judgement [sic] indebtedness as of the following Monday, which would, I assume, be June 26, 1978, as being $8,171.70. The purpose was to advise her that the calculations that were necessary to arrive at the balance and the total balance of the indebtedness had been completed and to give her the benefit of that information.
Q. And, that is dated some five days before the loan would become effective?
A. That is correct.

Keller denied receiving this letter. However, Rawls testified it was never returned to the Bank as undelivered. Keller admitted receiving another letter from Rawls of June 26, 1978, which mentioned the judgment. It follows:

“Dear Dorothy:
Your indebtedness to the bank (not including the note you endorsed) and your indebtedness previously owing to Fox-worth Bank, have now all been renewed into one note, with credit life insurance written, and with a six months maturity.
At the end of the six month period, we will renew the note, at your option, on a monthly payment schedule, and with payment of the amount of interest accrued and credit life insurance premium needed. That sum will be approximately $1,100.00.
Please furnish to us the current address, telephone number, place of employment, etc., for Lydie Llew (Bob) Keller, now in Georgia, in construction work so you advised. The indebtedness yet owing on the note signed by him and you, reduced to judgment in the Circuit Court of Marion County, Mississippi, has to be taken care of sooner or later.
Sincerely yours,
Ben Rawls”

Rawls explained this letter:

A. Mrs. Keller had requested, and we had volunteered as between she and Mr. Keller to assist her in having him make the payments. That is really the intent of that letter. That is what it eludes to. She was to bring [1335]*1335information as to his whereabouts, and we were to pursue it. Whatever we collected from Mr. Keller, would have been credited on the note that we had.

The lower court found, inter alia, the following:

1.That on June 19, 1978, the complainant, Dorothy Keller, requested Ben M.

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Bluebook (online)
399 So. 2d 1332, 1981 Miss. LEXIS 2008, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/keller-v-citizens-bank-columbia-miss-1981.