Kelley v. Schnebelen

545 S.W.2d 332, 1976 Mo. App. LEXIS 2322
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 2, 1976
Docket37153
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 545 S.W.2d 332 (Kelley v. Schnebelen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kelley v. Schnebelen, 545 S.W.2d 332, 1976 Mo. App. LEXIS 2322 (Mo. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinion

NORWIN D. HOUSER, Special Judge.

Bill in equity to enjoin the nonjudicial foreclosure of a first deed of trust and stop the sale of a shopping center in Bonne Terre advertised for April 18, 1975, and for other relief. Plaintiffs are Pine Lawn Bank and Trust Company and its nominee and agent (hereinafter “the bank”). The bank, owner of the property by purchase at a previous foreclosure sale under its second deed of trust, appeals from an order sustaining a motion to dismiss its petition. Respondents’ brief discloses that no super-sedeas appeal bond was filed by the bank; that defendants, owners and holders of the first deed of trust, readvertised and proceeded with a foreclosure sale, after this case was tried; that at that sale defendants purchased the property, and the bank failed to post a redemption bond. Passing over the question of mootness, we consider this appeal on its merits.

Appellants’ first point: “The court erred in dismissing plaintiffs’ petition for failure to state a cause of action because said petition did state a cause of action giving the court jurisdiction to grant relief requested.” At the hearing on the motion to dismiss, matters outside the pleadings were presented to and not excluded by the court. Consequently under Rule 55.27(a) the motion is to be treated as a motion for summary judgment and disposed of as provided in Rule 74.04.

From the allegations of the petition, admissions of counsel, documentation, answers to requests for admission, affidavits, deposition of D. W. Dodds, president of the bank, and the testimony adduced at the hearing on the motion to dismiss we find no genuine unresolved issue of fact, and that movant was entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law.

These are the unassailable facts: On April 24, 1973 J.M.C. Investments, Inc. (hereinafter “JMC”), owners and developers of the shopping center, entered into a management agreement with McHarevo Development Corporation (hereinafter “McHare-vo”) whereby McHarevo agreed to manage the center, collect rentals from lessees, pay taxes, supervise insurance, make monthly statements showing receipts and disbursements, and remit to JMC the balance shown to be due.

On May 29, 1973 Diversified Mortgage Investors (hereinafter “DMI”) and JMC signed and executed documents by which DMI agreed to lend JMC $1,300,000; JMC executed a note to DMI for $1,300,000 and gave DMI a first deed of trust on the shopping center property; JMC made a conditional assignment to DMI of its existing and future leases and rental contracts, giving DMI the right upon default by JMC in the payment of the note or its other contractual obligations to exercise all rights of the lessor, collect the rents and apply them to the payment of taxes, insurance and the note.

On May 30, 1973 JMC executed a note to the bank for $300,000 and gave the bank a second deed of trust on the property. This loan was conditioned on the execution by JMC and McHarevo of an amended management contract (drawn up by the bank’s attorneys and executed at the bank on June 4, 1973 by JMC and McHarevo) providing that from the total rentals collected by McHarevo the latter was directed to “pay all sums to the order of the first mortgagee, Diversified Mortgage Investors, under the terms of the mortgage * * * pay all real estate taxes when due; pay premiums on all required insurance policies, and remit *335 the balance, if any, to the bank. The amended management contract of June 4, 1973 was executed without the knowledge of DMI at the time.

On March 18, 1974 Jerome Rubenstein, attorney for DMI, notified all tenants in the shopping center that there had been a default in the note due DMI and that the tenants should make all future rental payments to DMI, in care of Mr. Rubenstein; that payment to any other person would subject them to double liability for the rentals.

On May 6, 1974 Mr. Rubenstein notified all tenants in the shopping center to send all future rental payments to the bank, checks payable to DMI.

Many of the tenants, confused by conflicting directions as to whom rental payments should be made, went on a “rent strike” and failed or refused to make rental payments.

In July, 1974 DMI commenced proceedings to foreclose its first deed of trust. On August 8 DMI and the bank entered into an agreement whereby, for a consideration of $32,500 (representing the interest on the outstanding balance of the $1,300,000 loaned to JMC), DMI canceled the advertisement and foreclosure sale scheduled for August 12, and agreed not to advertise the property for foreclosure for 90 days from July 27, 1974. As further consideration for the cancellation and extension the bank agreed to pay, if necessary, costs and expenses in connection with readvertisement of the foreclosure sale in an amount not to exceed $1,000.

Default having been made in the payments due the bank under its loan to JMC, the bank foreclosed its second deed of trust. The bank purchased the property at the foreclosure sale, held October 25, 1974.

On November 8, 1974 DMI and the bank entered into an agreement extending the October 8 agreement to January 27, 1975 for an additional consideration of $32,500, with the same provision for the payment of $1,000 expenses of readvertising.

On March 4, 1975 Mr. Rubenstein, acting for DMI, notified all tenants that there had been a default in the note due DMI and that the tenants should make “all future rental payments” to DMI, in care of Mr. Rubenstein.

In March, 1975 DMI commenced foreclosure proceedings, advertising a sale to be held April 18,1975. On April 15, three days before the sale, the bank brought this action to enjoin the foreclosure. A restraining order issued, the court requiring the bank to file a $2,500 bond to indemnify DMI against damages. On April 29 DMI filed a motion to dismiss the bank’s petition. On May 9 there was a hearing on the order to show cause why a temporary injunction should not be issued and on the motion to dismiss. On May 28 the motion to dismiss was sustained. It is from this order that the bank has appealed.

The bank seeks injunctive relief under the general rule that injunction is the proper remedy where a mortgagee exercises a power of sale by attempting to sell the property to satisfy an amount in excess of the actual debt, based upon the allegation that rentals from tenants (supposed to be applied to payment of the debt) were not so applied because of misappropriation of the funds. See in this connection State ex rel. Central States Life Ins. Co. v. McEIhinney, 232 Mo.App. 107, 90 S.W.2d 124 (1936); Glines v. Theo. R. Appel Realty Co., 201 Mo.App. 596, 213 S.W. 498 (1919); 59 C.J.S. Mortgages § 552. The factual question is whether the agent collecting the rents was the agent of the mortgagee.

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Bluebook (online)
545 S.W.2d 332, 1976 Mo. App. LEXIS 2322, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kelley-v-schnebelen-moctapp-1976.