Malvaney v. Yager

54 P.2d 135, 101 Mont. 331, 1936 Mont. LEXIS 11
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 29, 1936
DocketNo. 7,466.
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 54 P.2d 135 (Malvaney v. Yager) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Malvaney v. Yager, 54 P.2d 135, 101 Mont. 331, 1936 Mont. LEXIS 11 (Mo. 1936).

Opinion

MR. JUSTICE MATTHEWS

delivered the opinion of the court.

Approximately a year and a half prior to November 7, 1931, the plaintiff, Everett C. Malvaney, borrowed $1,000 from the defendant Ed. Yager, and, as security for its repayment, executed and delivered to Yager a mortgage on his farm consisting of 320 acres of land entirely inclosed by a fence, and having thereon a frame dwelling-house and outbuildings, including three granaries. In addition to the real estate mortgage, Malvaney also executed and delivered to his creditor a chattel mortgage on his farm machinery and stock.

On November 30, 1931, at the instance of Malvaney, the G-lobe & Rutgers Fire Insurance Company, through its local agent at Miles City, issued a policy on the dwelling-house only, insuring it against loss or damage by fire up to $1,500. Attached to the policy is the usual mortgage clause providing that loss or damage, if any, is to be paid to Yager “as interest may appear”; that, subject to the conditions set forth in the rider “as to the interest of the mortgagee only,” the policy shall not be invalidated by the negligence of the mortgagor, nor by foreclosure or other proceedings. The rider further provides that, if the mortgagor fails to, pay the premium, the mortgagee covenants and agrees to do so, and that “whenever this Company shall pay any mortgagee * * * for loss or damage under this policy and shall claim that as to the mortgagor * * * no liability therefor exists, the Company shall, to the extent of such payment, be thereupon legally subrogated to all of the rights of the party to whom such payment shall be made, under all security of every kind for the debt secured by such mort *335 gage.” The premium on the policy was $36, of which the mortgagor paid $10 on securing the policy.

On December 4, 1931, Yager declared the debt wholly due and payable, under an acceleration clause in the mortgage, for nonpayment of the semi-annual interest due November 7, 1931, and thereupon commenced foreclosure proceedings on both the real estate and chattel mortgages. Malvaney notified the local agent of the insurance company of the proceeding, and that for that reason he would not pay the balance of the premium; on demand, Yager made the payment.

On January 15, 1932, Yager secured a default judgment against Malvaney for $1,189.93, a decree of foreclosure of the mortgages, and an order of sale of the real estate; the order was executed by the sheriff on February 11, 1932, by a sale of the property to Yager for $1,107. A certificate of sale was issued to Yager and a deficiency judgment of $100 entered against Malvaney.

As Malvaney occupied the premises as a home for himself and family, he remained in possession. On October 23, 1932, the house was totally destroyed by fire. Malvaney notified the local agent of the insurance company and the claim was referred to its adjuster at Billings, who, on investigation, allowed the claim for the full amount and assured Malvaney that it would be paid within a week or two. This assurance was not justified by the subsequent- conduct of the company.

The period of redemption expired, and thereafter Malvaney commenced action against the insurance company, and, Yager having refused to join him, made Yager a party defendant, alleging that he is a necessary party by reason of the mortgage clause in the policy, but that his claim to any part of the insurance money has been extinguished, and he is not entitled thereto. The prayer of the complaint is for judgment against the insurance company, and that the claim of Yager, “if any he has, in the amount- recoverable under the policy, be determined,” but that he be “decreed” to have no interest, and, if *336 lie collects the amount pending suit, he be required to account for it and turn it over to the plaintiff.

After the commencement of the action Yager secured a sheriff’s deed and appeared by answer and cross-complaint. In his answer he admits all of the allegations of the complaint, except that his rights were extinguished and that he had no claim to the money to be recovered. In his cross-compláint he repeats the allegations of the complaint, sets up his foreclosure proceeding, his purchase of the property, Malvaney’s failure to redeem, the expiration of the period of redemption and the issuance to him of the sheriff’s deed, and alleges that ever since such issuance he has been “and now is the sole and exclusive owner” of the premises. He alleges that he would not have bid the $1,107 for the premises if it had not been for the dwelling-house on the premises “and the insurance on said dwelling-house being in full force and effect with loss, if any, payable to the said Ed. Yager as interest may appear”; that Malvaney has no interest in the amount to be recovered, and the full amount should be paid to Yager.

Plaintiff’s answer to the cross-complaint denies that Yager would not have purchased the premises at $1,107 if the house had not been thereon, and denies that Yager is the sole owner of the premises; alleges that the value of the premises is far greater than the Yager judgment; that “Yager has not offered and will not redeem the said land to the said * * * Malvaney in the event he should collect said insurance, but * * ® intends and seeks to hold the said land and the entire proceeds of the said insurance policy, which in equity and good conscience he should not- be and is not permitted to do.” As a further answer to the cross-complaint the plaintiff alleges that, from the time he filed his claim with the insurance company, he has been prevented and precluded by Yager from collecting the insurance; that Yager assumed complete control of the negotiations and wrongfully informed the company that Malvaney had ho interest in the policy or proceeds of the loss?; that Yager “has not used any diligence or made any effort to collect and *337 negligently permitted the claim to remain uncollected until forced into this action.” It is further alleged that the company made demand upon Yager for an assignment of his security who refused to make the assignment; that had this been done the loss would have been paid before the period of redemption had expired and the judgment paid in full, and plaintiff would have been in position to contest the company’s right to the security. It is alleged, on information and belief, that Yager permitted the period of redemption to expire without attempting to collect from the company, in order to avoid a check or draft made jointly to him and Malvaney, and for the purpose of securing title to the land and then dealing directly with the insurance company. It is further alleged that during the period of redemption the plaintiff was insolvent and unable to redeem without the insurance money, which fact was known to Yager and the company, and that Yager “has not offered or indicated any willingness to release the insurance or any part thereof, or offered to redeem said land to the plaintiff upon the payment of said judgment from the proceeds of said insurance, or otherwise or to do equity”; that Yager has no right to retain the property, of a value in excess of his judgment and the proceeds of the insurance, also in excess of his judgment, and “should be and is barred and stopped from claiming and asserting any claim to said insurance money or any part thereof. ’ ’

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
54 P.2d 135, 101 Mont. 331, 1936 Mont. LEXIS 11, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/malvaney-v-yager-mont-1936.