Lillegard v. Hutchinson

269 N.W. 43, 67 N.D. 44, 1936 N.D. LEXIS 148
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 24, 1936
DocketFile No. 6433.
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 269 N.W. 43 (Lillegard v. Hutchinson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lillegard v. Hutchinson, 269 N.W. 43, 67 N.D. 44, 1936 N.D. LEXIS 148 (N.D. 1936).

Opinion

Burr, J.

Petitioner seeks to review the action of the District Court in entertaining an application for an extension of time of redemption. The respondents in no way dispute the allegations set forth in this petition.

Judgment in an action for the foreclosure of a mechanic’s, lien was *46 entered in the district court. On May 1Y, 1935 tlio property involved was sold by tire sheriff, as directed in the decree of foreclosure, and the holder of the certificate of sale was entitled to a sheriff's deed on May 18, 1936.

The owners of the property applied to the judge of the district court for an extension of the time of redemption, and on May 16, 1936 the court issued an order directed to the sheriff restraining him from issuing a deed until further order of the court, reciting that the owners had applied for an order to show cause why additional time of redemption should not be granted, the return day being May 25, 1936. The order to the sheriff was served upon the holder of the certificate on May 18, 1936, but the owners failed to serve upon the holder of the certificate their petition for extension of time of redemption.

On the return clay this petitioner made a special appearance to object to the jurisdiction of the court on the ground that no notice of petition for extension of time had ever been served upon him, and on that day the district court issued another order, directed to the holder of the certificate, requiring him “to show cause on the 6th day of June, 1936, why the period of redemption from said foreclosure and sale should not be extended'' and at this time continued his restraining order in effect.

On June 6, 1936 this petitioner, who is the holder of the certificate, made a special appearance objecting to the jurisdiction of the court to hear and determine the application of the owners on the ground that said application for extension of time of redemption was not made before the year of redemption had expired. The court overruled this special appearance and determined to hear the matter on its merits, and decide what further time of redemption, if any, should be allowed.

The petitioner herein applies for a writ of certiorari to review the action of the district court. It is his claim that the court exceeded its jurisdiction in issuing the order of May 25 as by that time title had vested in him.

Chapter 242 of the Session Laws of 1935 provides: “Where any . lien upon real estate has been foreclosed and the period of redemption has not yet expired, . . . the period of redemption may be extended for such additional time as the court may deem just *47 and equitable, but in no event beyond July 1, 193 Y; . . . Provided that . . . person in possession of said property . . . shall, prior to the expiration of the period of redemption . . . apply to the district court having jurisdiction of the matter, on not loss than ten days’ written notice to the . . . lienee . . . for an order determining the reasonable value of the income of said property, . . . and directing . . . such . . . lienor ... to pay all or a reasonable part of such income ... in such manner as shall be fixed and determined and ordered by the court; . . . and the court shall thereupon hear said application . . . and provided that upon the service of notice or demand aforesaid, that the running of the period of redemption shall be tolled until the court shall make its order upon such application. . . Section 6 of the Act.

The statute requires the application for extension of time of redemption to be made “prior to the expiration of the period of redemption” — in this case prior to May 18, 1936. This application must be made “on not less than ten days’ written notice to the . . . lienee.” “The running of the period of redemption” is tolled “upon the service of notice or demand aforesaid . . .” — and not till then.

Prior to the expiration of the period of redemption a request was made to the district court for an extension of the period of redemption. After the period of redemption had expired, this application was served upon the petitioner herein. The order to the sheriff was served, however, before the period of redemption expired. It becomes important to determine whether serving the petition and giving notice of application prior to the expiration of the period of redemption is an essential requirement.

While this statute is in derogation of the common law, we are not required to give it a strict construction. The Civil Code “establishes the law of this state respecting the subject to which it relates; and its provisions are to be liberally construed with a view to effect its objects and to promote justice.” Comp. Laws, § 7312. See also Anderson v. Hill, 191 Minn. 414, 254 N. W. 585. However, as pointed out in State ex rel. Lehr v. Weiler, 66 N. D. 460, 266 N. W. 718, 719, no rule of liberal construction would justify us in ignoring the specific provisions of the statute. “The most extended application of the rule of liberal construction has never gone so far as to disregard plain, un *48 equivocal requirements of a statute.” Baxter v. Shanley-Furness Co. 193 Cal. 558, 560, 226 P. 391, 392.

Where the language is plain and admits of no more than one meaning, the duty of interpretation does not arise, and the rules which are to aid doubtful meanings need no discussion. Hamilton v. Rathbone. 175 U. S. 414, 44 L. ed. 219, 20 S. Ct. 155.

The statute is plain in its terms. If the owners of the property seek to toll the running of the period of redemption, they must apply to the District Court prior to the expiration of the period of redemption and give not less than ten days’ written notice to the lienee. When this is done the period of redemption is tolled, even though the “ten days’ written notice to the lienee” fixes a date after the year of redemption would ordinarily expire.

There is more in the “application” than merely filing a petition with the district court. Service upon the party interested is part of the application. A comparison of our statute with the “Mortgage Moratorium Act of Minnesota” indicates that ours is a copy thereof, and in Anderson v. Hill, 191 Minn. 414, 254 N. W. 585, supra, it is pointed out that it is the filing and the service of the petition “before the end of the redemption period” which stays the running of the period of redemption. See also Rebold v. Citizens’ State Bank, 194 Minn. 73, 259 N. W. 684. This procedure was not followed in the case at bar. The Supreme Court of Minnesota had occasion later to announce the specific requirements of an “application.” In Potters & Co. v. Jefferson County Bank, 195 Minn. 497, 263 N. W. 453, 454, the court says: “Where the application is actually presented to the court, the court entertains it and issues an order to show cause, and the application and order are served upon the opposite party . . . the application is made and is effective. . . .”

Upon the special appearance to object to the jurisdiction of the court to hear and determine the matter the court retained the petition and issued a second order on May 25, 1936. It was then that the petition and order were served upon the holder of the certificate of sale.

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Bluebook (online)
269 N.W. 43, 67 N.D. 44, 1936 N.D. LEXIS 148, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lillegard-v-hutchinson-nd-1936.