Loudoun County Board of Supervisors v. Vanguard Ltd. Partnership

35 Va. Cir. 254, 1994 Va. Cir. LEXIS 138
CourtLoudoun County Circuit Court
DecidedDecember 1, 1994
DocketCase No. (Chancery) 15824
StatusPublished

This text of 35 Va. Cir. 254 (Loudoun County Board of Supervisors v. Vanguard Ltd. Partnership) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Loudoun County Circuit Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors v. Vanguard Ltd. Partnership, 35 Va. Cir. 254, 1994 Va. Cir. LEXIS 138 (Va. Super. Ct. 1994).

Opinion

By Judge Thomas D. Horne

This case is before the Court on the Demurrer and Plea in Bar of the Cross-Claim Defendants, Deborah J. Wilson and Lynnford Wilson, Sr., as trustee and beneficiary, respectively, of the Lynnford S. Wilson, Sr., and Grace J. Wilson Revocable Trust. They assert that the Cross-Claim filed against them by Huthwaite Holdings L.C.C. fails to state a cause of action for which relief can be granted and should be dismissed. Other Cross-Defendants are the Vanguard Limited Partnership, Bruce and Anne Drenning, and George Martin, Trustee.

The Complainant Board of Supervisors of Loudoun County is the Counter-Defendant named in Counterclaim and Cross-Claim filed by Huthwaite. The County of Loudoun initiated the instant chancery cause pursuant to § 58.1-3965 et seq. of the Code of Virginia for the purpose of subjecting real estate to the payment of delinquent taxes. Incidental to such a proceeding, the Court, or the Commissioner to whom this case is referred, mus): ascertain the existing liens against the real property as well as their amounts and priorities. § 8.01-97, Code of Virginia; See, Lile’s Equity Pleading and Practice, § 417 et seq. Thus, a request for a determination as to the validity of liens which may affect the subject property, as well as their amounts and priorities, meets the germaneness requirement of Rule 2:14, Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

[255]*255In its Cross-Bill, Huthwaite asks not only that the Court make a determination as to the extent of its security interest in the subject parcel, but in two other parcels as well, which together make up what is now an approved 55 lot subdivision. It suggests that the subdivision of toe property into lots whose boundaries do not follow those of toe original three parcels impairs its collateral and, accordingly, should be invalidated.

The Court finds that, as pleaded, toe demurrer to toe claim that toe subdivision of toe three parcels into 55 separate lots is invalid as to Hutowaite should be sustained. Therefore, a ruling as to toe Trust’s special pleas of res judicata and toe statute of limitations will be deferred.

While counsel for toe Wilson Trust acknowledge in their pipers toe limitations on judicial review when considering a demurrer, they go outside toe facts as pleaded in toe pipers filed in their defense. See, Rosillo v. Winters, 235 Va. 268, 367 S.E.2d 717 (1988). The Court will consider only those facts which have been pleaded and those facts which can be reasonably inferred or implied from such facts.

Huthwaite contends that toe subdivision is invalid because their collateral has been impaired. However, they acquired their interest after toe subdivision had been approved and toe record plat signed by toe trustee for toe noteholder. While it suggests that toe record plat was not signed by toe noteholder, toe pleadings suggest no reason to deviate from the statutory mandate that the plat need only be signed by toe owner, proprietor, and trustee. § 15.1-477, Code of Virginia.

The security interests of Huthwaite in toe subdivided parcels were derived from two sources. One of these, consisting of a first trust on one of toe original three parcels and a non-recourse indemnity mortgage on another, was acquired through toe assignment of toe note of toe owner by toe Resolution Trust Company, after toe original lender went into receivership. The other consists of a note assigned by toe development subsidiary of toe original lender to Huthwaite, which was secured by a trust on all three parcels junior to toe purchase money trust of its parent, toe indemnity mortgage, and a purchase money trust for toe benefit of toe Wilsons.

As pleaded, toe assignment of toe notes and toe security interests to Huthwaite do not confer upon it toe right to challenge toe subdivision of toe original three parcels. While the failure of toe trustee to carry out toe directives of toe original lender may be actionable, such an action would be personal to toe lender or its assignee, and not otherwise germane to the issues raised by toe County in their attempt to subject one of toe three parcels to sale for delinquent taxes.

[256]*256These parties and the instant subdivision are no strangers to this Court. See, Rackham v. Vanguard Limited Partnership, (Chancery No. 12673, Circuit Court of Loudoun County).

In Chancery No. 12673, the Court recounted how, in 1988, the Vanguard Limited Partnership sought to subdivide three parcels of land on the southside of State Route 694 in Loudoun County. This earlier case involved a challenge to the method by which the subdivision was approved. The Court found that the subdivision was valid and that the County had complied with all of the necessary and proper procedures in the adoption of the record plat.

The instant cross-claim involves issues of the means by which Vanguard acquired its interest in the property and what effect the default by Vanguard, intervention of the RTC, foreclosure by the Wilsons, and assignments to Huthwaite have had on the interests of Huthwaite and the Trust in the land sought to be sold to pay delinquent taxes.

Huthwaite, the Cross-Complainant in the instant proceedings, is the assignee of a note for $600,000.00 secured by a first trust on Parcel 8 of the three parcels (8, 9, and 10) which, in the aggregate, made up the land out of which the 55 acre subdivision was created. It also holds an indemnity mortgage of Parcel 9, as well as being the assignee of a note in the amount of $2,029,650.00, secured by a deed of trust on all three parcels. The “Non-Recourse Indemnity Mortgage” on Parcel 9 was recorded prior to a deed of trust securing payment of the note to the Wilsons, and upon which the Wilsons have foreclosed. In addition, the trustee has foreclosed under the Wilsons’ first trust of Parcel 10. Parcels 9 and 10 were acquired by the Wilson Trust through the foreclosure sale. The deficiency of Vanguard after the foreclosure has been reduced to judgment and constitutes a lien on Parcel 8.

Huthwaite contends, inter alia, that the act of subdividing three contiguous parcels into an approved 55 lot subdivision incorporating the three parcels is void. As the security instruments make reference to the three parcels and not to lots within the recorded subdivision, certain lots within the subdivision overlap the boundaries of the parcels. Thus, it suggests that its collateral has been impaired and it is entitled to a declaration that such impairment renders the subdivision invalid. Additionally, Huthwaite concludes that approval by the Board of Supervisors of the record plat without the approval of the secured party, renders the subdivision invalid.

[257]*257Huthwaite complains that the County has taxed the 55 acres as lots within a subdivision rather than as three parcels of farmland. Such taxation, it suggests, raises an issue ripe for declaratory relief in the instant proceeding. As the issue of taxation is tied to the determination of the validity of the subdivision, the pleadings as to such count are subject to demurrer.

Lastly, Huthwaite asks that the Court find that the Trust defenses to the “Indemnity Mortgage” are ineffective as to it, as a result of the assignment of the $600,000.00 note secured by a first trust on Parcel 8 and the Indemnity Mortgage on Parcel 9.

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Related

District of Columbia v. Murphy
314 U.S. 441 (Supreme Court, 1941)
Rosillo v. Winters
367 S.E.2d 717 (Supreme Court of Virginia, 1988)
Federal Deposit Ins. Corp. v. Newhart
713 F. Supp. 320 (W.D. Missouri, 1989)
RSR Properties, Inc. v. Federal Deposit Ins. Corp.
706 F. Supp. 524 (W.D. Texas, 1989)

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Bluebook (online)
35 Va. Cir. 254, 1994 Va. Cir. LEXIS 138, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/loudoun-county-board-of-supervisors-v-vanguard-ltd-partnership-vaccloudoun-1994.