Lawyers Title Insurance v. Elmwood Properties

187 S.E.2d 799, 258 S.C. 221, 1972 S.C. LEXIS 326
CourtSupreme Court of South Carolina
DecidedMarch 28, 1972
Docket19396
StatusPublished

This text of 187 S.E.2d 799 (Lawyers Title Insurance v. Elmwood Properties) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lawyers Title Insurance v. Elmwood Properties, 187 S.E.2d 799, 258 S.C. 221, 1972 S.C. LEXIS 326 (S.C. 1972).

Opinion

Lewis, Justice:

The issues to be decided arise out of an agreement between the parties with respect to conflicting mortgage liens over certain real property in Richland County.

The appellant, Elmwood Properties, was the owner and holder of a note secured by a duly recorded mortgage of certain real estate, dated July 13, 1955, from William M. Swindler, Sr., and James T. Swindler to Mutual Savings and Loan Company. The mortgage was in default and Elm-wood commenced an action to foreclose the mortgage in April 1965.

It appears that G. A. C. Commercial Corporation took a note from Farrow Hills Development Co., Inc., dated April 27, 1965, in the principal amount of $175,000.00, secured by a mortgage of a portion of the same real property described in the above mentioned Elmwood mortgage. Thereafter, on May 12, 1965, respondent, Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation, issued to G. A. C. its title insurance policy insuring priority of the G. A. C. mortgage.

Subsequently, G. A. C. commenced foreclosure of its mortgage and during that proceeding learned of the pending foreclosure by Elmwood and of the possibility that Elmwood might have a prior lien on the property covered by G. A. C. mortgage. This development brought about an agreement on June 20, 1966, between respondent, Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation (insurer of lien of the G. A. C. mortgage) and appellant Elmwood, with the individual appellants as [224]*224guarantors, in which respondent agreed, subject to several conditions, to purchase the Elmwood indebtedness and mortgage.

This litigation arises out of the alleged breach by Elm-wood of the June 20, 1966 agreement between the parties. It is necessary therefore that the material terms of that agreement be set forth. The obligations assumed by Elm-wood under the agreement were as follows:

(1) Elmwood warranted that its mortgage constituted a “valid, enforceable, first lien” on certain property described in the agreement, which was the same property described in the complaint in Elmwood’s foreclosure action. As previously pointed out, the G. A. C. mortgage covered a portion of the above property.

(2) Elmwood would diligently prosecute its foreclosure action and would use its best efforts to bring it to a successful conclusion as promptly as possible, “in all events no later than one year following the date of this agreement.” The term successful conclusion was specifically defined as “a final judgment confirming the essential allegations of Elmwood’s complaint (in its foreclosure action), granting the prayer therein for foreclosure of its said mortgage as a first lien and ordering the sale of the mortgaged property in satisfaction of the debt.”

(3) Elmwood agreed to subordinate the lien of its mortgage to the lien of the G. A. C. mortgage and, subsequently, on August 3, 1966, an instrument was executed subordinating the lien of Elmwood’s mortgage as agreed. The agreement also provided that, except in the foregoing respect, “Elmwood will not subordinate, satisfy, assign, pledge or hypothecate its mortgage or in any manner permit or cause the lien thereof to be affected.”

(4) That upon the successful conclusion, as defined, of Elmwood’s foreclosure action within one year from the date of the agreement, Elmwood would assign and transfer all of [225]*225its right, title and interest in the indebtedness secured by its mortgage and the judgment of foreclosure.

On the part of Lawyers Title, it was agreed that, upon the performance of the foregoing obligations by Elmwood, Lawyers Title would purchase the Elmwood mortgage, the indebtedness secured thereby and the judgment of foreclosure and pay therefor the amount of the then outstanding indebtedness, plus interest, and the sum of $1250 which it was agreed would represent the cost and attorney’s fees incurred and to be incurred by Elmwood in the prosecution of the foreclosure action. Of the purchase price, Lawyers Title, paid, upon execution of the agreement, the sum of $24,-131.00 and agreed to pay the balance upon the completion of the foreclosure action and transfer of the mortgage and foreclosure judgment by Elmwood within one year. It was agreed that the amount due under the Elmwood mortgage at that time was $48,262.00.

Elmwood further agreed to repay the foregoing down payment plus interest, if it did not perform its part of the agreement within the one year period. Collateral security was posted by the individual appellants to secure the repayment by Elmwood of the down payment, if Elmwood failed to perform its part of the agreement.

The record shows that Elmwood obtained an order of foreclosure dated May 23, 1967, providing for the sale of a portion of the property included in its mortgage. The portions of the property excluded from the sale were held by the court not to be subject to the Elmwood mortgage. Whether or not this judgment constituted a successful conclusion of the foreclosure proceeding by Elmwood is the basic issue to be decided in this appeal.

Subsequently, respondent, Lawyers Title, brought this action against Elmwood and the individual appellants, alleging that the appellants had breached the terms of the foregoing agreement in that the Elmwood mortgage was not a valid and enforceable first lien upon the property described [226]*226therein, as warranted by Elmwood; Elmwood had consented to the release of various parcels of the property covered by the agreement; and Elmwood failed to prosecute the foreclosure action to a successful conclusion within one year. Respondent sought a determination that (1) the agreement was a valid and enforceable contract; (2) that the release of the lien of the Elmwood mortgage in favor of the lien of the G. A. C. mortgage was valid and binding; damages for the breach of the agreement by Elmwood; and an injunction restraining further proceedings in the Elmwood foreclosure action.

The answer of appellants admitted the execution of the agreement of June 20, 1966; alleged that respondent had breached the terms thereof and not the appellants; and asked that the complaint be dismissed.

The issues were thereafter referred to the Master for Richland County who subsequently filed his report in which he held that (1) the agreement of June 20, 1966 and the release of the lien of the Elmwood mortgage in favor of the lien of the G. A. C. mortgage were valid and binding between the parties; appellants had breached the terms of the agreement of June 20, 1966; respondent had established damages in excess of $100,000.00, but that, under its foregoing agreement, the damages recoverable were stipulated as being $24,131.00 plus interest; respondent was entitled to recover ten percent of the above amount as attorney’s fees; and a permanent injunction should be issued against the sale of the property involved except certain designated portions thereof.

The report of the Master was subsequently affirmed and made the judgment of the court, from which appellants have prosecuted this appeal.

Appellants state the sole question to be decided as follows: Was the order for judgment of foreclosure and sale, dated May 23, 1967, a “successful conclusion” of Elmwood’s foreclosure action as defined in the agreement of June 20, 1966?

[227]*227The validity and binding effect of the agreement of June 20, 1966 is conceded.

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Bluebook (online)
187 S.E.2d 799, 258 S.C. 221, 1972 S.C. LEXIS 326, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lawyers-title-insurance-v-elmwood-properties-sc-1972.