M & P Investments v. Magnolia Trace Partnership

653 So. 2d 302, 1994 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 340, 1994 WL 368589
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Alabama
DecidedJuly 15, 1994
DocketAV93000441
StatusPublished

This text of 653 So. 2d 302 (M & P Investments v. Magnolia Trace Partnership) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
M & P Investments v. Magnolia Trace Partnership, 653 So. 2d 302, 1994 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 340, 1994 WL 368589 (Ala. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

RICHARD L. HOLMES, Retired Appellate Judge.

Magnolia Trace Partnership (Magnolia Trace) filed a complaint for declaratory relief. In this complaint Magnolia Trace requested that the trial court adjudge and declare that Magnolia Trace was entitled to the payment of approximately $20,900 in fees and expenses from M & P Investments (M & P) under the terms of an order of the bankruptcy court dated May 20, 1988.

Thereafter, Magnolia Trace filed a motion for summary judgment. In support of its motion, Magnolia Trace filed a narrative summary of the undisputed facts and the affidavits of James E. MeElroy and Jerome O’Brien, both of whom were general partners in Magnolia Trace. M & P filed in opposition to the motion for summary judgment a narrative summary and the affidavits of William Daniel Calhoun, the attorney for M & P, and Foster Brown, CPA, who did some work for M & P.

After a hearing the trial court issued an order, granting the motion for summary judgment in favor of Magnolia Trace and ordering M & P to pay $20,959.62 to Magnolia Trace. In its order the trial court found that M & P had failed to comply with the requirements of the bankruptcy court’s order of May 20,1988, and that under the terms of the order, the sum of $20,959.62 was due Magnolia Trace.

M & P appeals. This case is before this court pursuant to Ala.Code 1975, § 12-2-7(6).

The dispositive issue on appeal is whether the trial court erred in granting the motion for summary judgment in favor of Magnolia Trace.

Rule 56(c), A.R.Civ.P., provides that summary judgment is appropriate in situations where there exists no genuine issue of any material fact and the movant is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. The moving party has the burden of establishing that no genuine issue of material fact exists. Burks v. Pickwick Hotel, 607 So.2d 187 (Ala.1992). All reasonable uncertainties concerning the existence of a genuine issue of material fact must be resolved against the [304]*304movant. Sadie v. Martin, 468 So.2d 162 (Ala.1985).

Our review of the record reveals the following pertinent facts: Magnolia Trace was the holder of a mortgage on certain real property. M & P was the suecessor-in-title to Verna Elliott, who owned the property, subject to the mortgage held by Magnolia Trace. In 1988 Elliott was in default on the mortgage and eventually filed bankruptcy under Chapter 11. Magnolia Trace sought relief from the stay in bankruptcy to foreclose its mortgage. On May 20, 1988, the bankruptcy court issued an order, allowing the reinstatement of the mortgage, subject to the compliance with certain conditions.

The pertinent portion of the May 20, 1988, order is as follows:

“(o) the payments of indebtedness owing by [Elliott] to [Magnolia Trace] after November 1988, regardless of the language of any document to the contrary, shall be in the amount of $10,000.00 each beginning on March 30, 1989, and thereafter each successive six month period....
“(p) the indebtedness owing to [Magnolia Trace] by [Elliott] as of May 16,1988, is $230,003.29, including both principal and interest; and
“(q) so long as each and every matter and condition set forth above is performed and made by [Elliott], all attorney’s fees, expenses, and costs incurred by [Magnolia Trace] above $5,000.00 shall be waived; provided however, in the event that [Elliott] does not comply with one or more of the matters or conditions above, such other and additional fees, expenses, and costs which have been, and will be, incurred by [Magnolia Trace] shall not be waived by [Magnolia Trace].”

The record reveals that Magnolia Trace expended $25,959.62 in legal fees and expenses in its pursuit to collect the monies due under the mortgage it held on the real property owned by Elliott. Under the terms of the May 20, 1988, order, Magnolia Trace received only $5,000.00 of the $25,959.62 expended. The $10,000 payments required under paragraph (o) of the May 20, 1988, order were due on March 30 and September 30 of each year.

Subsequent to the May 20, 1988, order, M & P entered into an agreement with Elliott, under which M & P agreed to assume the mortgage indebtedness owed to Magnolia Trace. The partnership of M & P consisted of William Murphy and Lou Pailer.

During 1990 the books and records of M & P were kept by Murphy, and he was responsible for paying the bills for the partnership. On September 12, 1990, Murphy underwent exploratory surgery and developed complications. He remained in intensive care for about one week following the surgery. The surgery revealed that Murphy had cancer. It further appears from the record that Murphy was out of the country the latter part of September and early October of 1990.

As soon as he could, Murphy made arrangements for the partnership books to be taken to Poster Brown, CPA, who did work for the partnership. Brown began paying bills on behalf of the partnership. The check for $10,000 to Magnolia Trace for the September 30, 1990, payment was mailed on October 19,1990. Brown states in his affidavit that he contacted O’Brien, a partner with Magnolia Trace, to let him know that he had placed the $10,000 payment in the mail that day. However, Brown further states in his affidavit that O’Brien was not in his office and that he did not leave a message. This check was received by Magnolia Trace on October 25, 1990. It appears from the record that this check was not accepted by Magnolia Trace, as it had already declared the mortgage in default on or about October 24, 1990.

The record contains the affidavit of Calhoun, the attorney for M & P, with a letter dated November 1, 1990, attached. These documents reveal that on or about October 3, 1990, when Magnolia Trace had not received the $10,000 payment, Kay Smith, a representative of Magnolia Trace, contacted Calhoun to inquire about the payment. Calhoun investigated the matter to determine the reason for the late payment. On or about October 5, 1990, Calhoun informed O’Brien as to the reasons for the late payment. On or about October 11, 1990, Calhoun, once again, spoke with Smith. Calhoun stated that he [305]*305informed Smith of the situation and told her that measures were being taken to get the $10,000 payment to Magnolia Trace. Calhoun also stated that he told Smith that if she or O’Brien had any further questions, then they should contact him.

On October 12, 1990, O’Brien wrote a letter to M & P on behalf of Magnolia Trace. The letter stated:

“Please be advised that the payment due to Magnolia Trace Partnership under your mortgage is now several days past due.
“Please be further advised that unless the payment is received by noon on Friday, October 19, 1990, the holder of the mortgage will seek all remedies available to it under the law.
“The per diem interest on the current unpaid balance of $145,110.78 is $25.85 per day. Since the payment was due on September 30,1990, there is currently an additional $320.10 ($25.85 x 12 days) interest due. Please enclose this amount and an additional $25.85 per diem to your payment upon remittance.”

Copies of this letter were sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to both Murphy and Pailer.

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Related

Burks v. Pickwick Hotel
607 So. 2d 187 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1992)
Sadie v. Martin
468 So. 2d 162 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1985)

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Bluebook (online)
653 So. 2d 302, 1994 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 340, 1994 WL 368589, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/m-p-investments-v-magnolia-trace-partnership-alacivapp-1994.