Longo v. Minchella

72 N.W.2d 113, 343 Mich. 373
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 3, 1955
DocketDocket 71, Calendar 46,431
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 72 N.W.2d 113 (Longo v. Minchella) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Longo v. Minchella, 72 N.W.2d 113, 343 Mich. 373 (Mich. 1955).

Opinion

Butzel, J.

On April 24,1952, Dominic Minchella and wife executed a “chattel mortgage” to one Secondino and wife to secure payment of an indebtedness of $10,591.68 and interest. The “goods, chattels and personal property” mortgaged were described as:

“A class ‘C’ license number 4495. Class ‘C’ located at 4203 Gladwin avenue, Detroit, Michigan, in the name of Dominic Minchella and all of the fixtures and good will, including stock of all sources.
“Subject to the laws of the State of Michigan rules and regulations of the Michigan liquor control commission.”

The Minchellas were lessees of the premises which they apparently were operating as a bar. *375 The record does not set forth their lease or any assignment of it to the mortgagees. A natural inference, however, would be that a mortgage of the good will of an established bar or tavern would include the leasehold, as the good will as a rule would embrace the particular location of the business. Evidently the parties so understood the transaction as is shown by the subsequent decree and orders. In all events the mortgage was most ineptly drawn.

The mortgagees assigned the mortgage to John Longo, plaintiff and appellee. Upon the filing of a bill by plaintiff to foreclose the mortgage an order was entered that defendants Minchella show cause why a receiver should not be appointed “to operate the mortgaged class C establishment” at the address set forth in the mortgage, and to conserve the assets. Defendants were restrained from transferring, selling or disposing of any of the property on the mortgaged premises until the further order of the court. In the order appointing Michael Latorella as the original temporary receiver the property was described as:

“A certain class C bar establishment with all inventory, stock, equipment, fixtures, furniture, lease, interest and Michigan liquor control commission class C license, etc., located at 4203 Gladwin avenue, Detroit, Michigan.”

It must have been understood at that time by the parties that the good will included the leasehold.

A petition for intervention, if any, does not appear in the record but on January 15, 1954, Anthony and Theresa Latorella were permitted to intervene in the case and they duly appeared by their then attorney, though thereafter a number of different attorneys appeared for them throughout this litigation. The Latorellas are hereinafter referred to as intervenors. The brief of appellee describes *376 Michael Latorella as related to intervenors and defendant Dominie Minchella as the brother of Theresa Latorella, an intervener. The record itself does not show this. On May 4, 1954, pursuant to stipulation of the parties including intervenors an order was entered replacing the original temporary receiver by Michael Berry. On May 10, 1954, an order entitled “Consent Foreclosure Decree” was entered. Its preamble states:

“This cause having been brought on to be heard on the bill of complaint filed therein, and the proofs having been taken in open court and upon stipulation of counsel, on behalf of their respective clients, and proofs having been taken to ascertain and determine the amount due to the plaintiff on the note and mortgage mentioned and set forth; in said bill of complaint, and due pr'oof of the regularities of the proceedings had in this cause having been stipulated to by the respective counsel, and after having heard the proofs as aforesaid and the argument of counsel, * * * .”

The property was again described as:

“A class Clicense No. 4495, class C located at 4203 Gladwin avenue, Detroit, Michigan, in the name of Dominic Minchella and all of the fixtures and good will including stock of all sorts, subject to the laws of the State of Michigan [and], rules and regulations of the Michigan liquor control commission.”

The decree was approved as to form and substance by the attorneys for all parties including intervenors. It was absolute and regularly entered. The attorneys for intervenors were members of the bar in good standing and not even the slightest criticism of their action is made nor is there any fraud, collusion, or improper conduct even hinted' at. The foreclosure decree should have disposed! of all questions which could have been raised. • '

*377 However, on July 15, 1954, over 60 days after entry of the decree intervenors by a new attorney filed a cross bill of complaint alleging that they had obtained a lease on the same premises on June 24, 1953, from Charles Vollens (not a party herein), long after the giving of the mortgage and before the foreclosure suit was commenced. They prayed that the receiver be ordered to surrender the premises to them and to pay them $500 a month rental for occupancy of the premises from the time of the institution of the foreclosure action until further order of the court. On July 31, 1954, plaintiff moved to dismiss the cross bill on the grounds that the consent decree finally determined the matter and was res judicata. On August 11, 1954, intervenors filed a claim of appeal from the foreclosure decree. Later petitions to set aside and modify the decree were filed. These motions as well as the cross bill were denied and dismissed. On December 27, 1954, the circuit judge entered an “Order Determining Bent” which we shall discuss later. Intervenors’ claim of appeal was later amended to include all orders entered in this case.

Neither the record nor briefs make clear- the status of intervenors’ lease in relation to that of defendant mortgagors to which the receiver succeeded under the terms of the consent decree. A further difficulty with this entire case as presented to us is that intervenors come to this Court with an incomplete record. At the oral argument in this Court only the attorney for intervenors appeared .and made statements in regard to transactions not shown by the record.

We are of the opinion that the cross bill of complaint was correctly dismissed and the. motions to .set aside and modify the decree were correctly de,nied. The consent foreclosure decree was a true ■consent decree. It was approved as to form and *378 substance by intervenors’ attorneys, was labeled as such and was considered and referred to as such by all parties. Most important it was apparently the result of “preliminary discussion or negotiations between attorneys looking to the compromise or surrender” of the rights of the parties as stated in Kirn v. loor, 266 Mich 335, 337. The record before us does not indicate otherwise. There is no claim made that intervenors’ consent to the entry of the decree was involuntarily given or was the result of fraud, misrepresentation or mistake. Therefore the parties cannot attack it or appeal from it. Sauer v. Rhoades, 338 Mich 679.

There exists, however, the “Order Determining Rent.” It orders the receiver to pay intervenors $150 per month:

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Bluebook (online)
72 N.W.2d 113, 343 Mich. 373, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/longo-v-minchella-mich-1955.