Knight v. American Investment & Improvement Co.

132 P. 219, 73 Wash. 380, 1913 Wash. LEXIS 1609
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedMay 6, 1913
DocketNo. 10553
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 132 P. 219 (Knight v. American Investment & Improvement Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Knight v. American Investment & Improvement Co., 132 P. 219, 73 Wash. 380, 1913 Wash. LEXIS 1609 (Wash. 1913).

Opinions

Gose, J.

— On the 18th day of June, 1907, the plaintiffs, as first parties and the defendants, as second parties, entered into an agreement in writing, reciting that the plaintiffs had [381]*381brought an action, which was then pending, to foreclose two mortgages upon certain real estate which was specifically described ; that the mortgages were drawn for $15,999 and $3,-000 respectively; that other parties had brought actions affecting the defendants, the mortgagors, and the property covered by the mortgage, the pendency of which made the sale of property and the payment of the indebtedness impracticable. The agreement provides further that:

“Whereas, it is now desired (1) to stay proceedings in the foreclosure of the aforesaid mortgages, and (&) to stay and terminate all other litigation affecting said lands, and to deed Lakeside City to a trustee absolutely, with full power to sell said lands and apply the proceeds of the sale of said lands to the payment of said mortgages and other indebtedness in the manner prescribed in the deed of trust, and
“Whereas, in order to facilitate the sale of said lands by the trustee as aforesaid it is desired that Knight and Williams, the first parties, shall, in addition to staying proceedings for the foreclosure of said mortgages, agree to execute and deliver partial releases of said mortgages from time to time as herein more specifically stated.
“Now, therefore, in consideration of the premises it is agreed as follows:
“(1) That the first parties will stay proceedings in said foreclosure proceedings for the period of one year from this date.
“(2) That the first parties will release from the lien of said mortgages and each of them, as well as all other liens held by first parties, from time to time, within the period of one year, tracts or parcels of lands, upon payment to the first parties for the. amount so released as follows.”

After providing the terms upon which the releases shall be given, the agreement continues:

“(4) That for the considerations and agreements herein contained the second party shall, from this date until said mortgages, interest, costs and attorneys fees are fully paid, pay to the first parties, or their assigns, the sum of $550 for each and every month or fraction of a month that the aforesaid mortgages, interest, costs and attorneys fees, or any part thereof, remain unpaid. Provided, however, that the [382]*382total sum thus paid for the considerations herein expressed for the entire year during which proceedings are stayed shall not exceed the sum of $5,000. The sum so agreed to be paid shall bear interest at the rate of eight per cent per annum and shall be paid within the year during which proceedings are stayed, and before the full satisfaction of said mortgages, and if not so paid said obligation shall be construed to be a lien on the land described in the mortgage and platted as Lakeside City, and may be foreclosed in any manner provided by law, and said land may be sold and the proceeds thereof applied to the payment of said obligation, and in any suit or action which may be brought for the recovery of said payments there shall be included in any judgment which may be recovered a reasonable attorney’s fee.
“(5) That Lakeside City shall be conveyed to a reputable trustee within thirty days from this date, which trustee shall have power to sell said lands and shall be instructed to apply the proceeds of said sale or sales to the payment of said mortgages, interest, costs and attorney’s fees and other obligations of the second party as provided in the deed of trust.
“(6) It is understood that the American Investment & Improvement Company is now in the hands of a receiver, and if the court orders a sale of said lands, through the receiver, and such sale is made, this agreement shall be void.”

The mortgages referred to in the agreement were executed by the defendant corporation to the plaintiffs, were purchase money mortgages, and secured the payment of two notes drawn respectively for $15,999 and $3,000, and bear interest at the rate of six per cent per annum, the former from a date several months anterior to the date of the note, the latter from the date of the note. The defendant Lee did not sign either the note or the mortgages. The mortgage indebtedness was paid prior to the commencement of the action, without the aid of the sale and release clause in the contract. At the time the contract was made, the defendant corporation was in default in the payment of interest on the two mortgage notes some $3,000, was heavily indebted to other parties in such a manner as to embarrass it in the sale of the land, and its property was in the hands of a receiver, [383]*383but none of the property was sold through him. The plaintiffs seek to recover the $5,000 and interest stipulated in the contract, and to foreclose the lien which it purports to create. It is' alleged in the bill that the defendant Lee had acquired some interest in the mortgaged land before the date of the execution of the contract, which he would have lost through the mortgage foreclosure, and that he was the principal stockholder in the defendant corporation. The consideration for the contract is thus alleged in the bill:

“That thereupon, while the said defendants stood in great danger of losing said lands as aforesaid, the defendants agreed with the plaintiffs that if the plaintiffs would stay and suspend proceedings in said mortgage foreclosures for the period of one year, and would during the year within which proceedings were to be stayed, release from the lien of said mortgages the lands therein described in small tracts from time to time on the payment on said mortgages of the amounts agreed upon in said agreement, that the defendants would pay to the plaintiffs the sum of five thousand dollars ($5,000), with interest thereon from the date of such agreement until paid at the rate of eight per cent per annum.”

The defendants pleaded affirmatively, that the mortgage notes bore interest at the rate of six per cent per annum; that the mortgages had been paid and discharged of record; that the real consideration for the promise to pay the $5,-000 was the extension of the time of payment of the mortgage notes for one year; that the amount agreed to be paid was largely in excess of the lawful rate of interest; that at the time the contract was executed, the property of the defendant corporation was in the hands of a receiver; and that the contract was usurious. Both mortgages provide for a release of certain lands upon the payment of stipulated sums of money. There was a judgment and decree for the plaintiffs, which the defendants have brought here for review.

The consideration for the contract was two-fold: (1) Extension of time of payment of the mortgage notes for a period of one year from the date of the execution of the contract, [384]*384and (2) the agreement to release the property in parcels to conform to actual sales at fixed prices. The contract does not segregate these items. The amount which the appellants agreed to pay is almost treble the lawful rate of interest. We think the contract is usurious upon its face.

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Bluebook (online)
132 P. 219, 73 Wash. 380, 1913 Wash. LEXIS 1609, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/knight-v-american-investment-improvement-co-wash-1913.