Myer v. Kendall

76 So. 800, 142 La. 361, 1917 La. LEXIS 1686
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedOctober 29, 1917
DocketNo. 22429
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 76 So. 800 (Myer v. Kendall) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Myer v. Kendall, 76 So. 800, 142 La. 361, 1917 La. LEXIS 1686 (La. 1917).

Opinion

SOMMERYÍLLE, J.

On February 27,1912, Mrs. Mary O. Gunning sold to Mrs. Lucille B. Kendall, the defendant, lot 10 and east one-half of lot 9 of the Homesville subdivision of the city of Shreveport, with all the buildings and improvements thereon, for the price of $6,500, of which $900 was paid in cash, and for the balance the said Mrs. Kendall executed her two promissory notes payable to the order of the said Mrs. Gunning, one for $4,000, due at two years from date, and the other for the sum of $1,600, due at three years from date. Both notes bore interest at the rate of 8 per cent, per annum from date, payable annually; and they were secured by vendor’s privilege and special mortgage' on the property conveyed as per authentic act in the usual form. These two notes are involved in this case.

Mrs. Gunning indorsed and transferred the note for $4,000 to the plaintiff, Myer, before maturity, by authentic act. She indorsed and transferred the note of $1,600, to intervener, the First Savings Bank & Trust Company of Shreveport, before maturity, in pledge and as security for a mortgage note of $1,350 given by her to intervener.

The two notes fell due, but Mrs. Gunning was not notified, and they were not protested. She is not liable as indorser on the notes; and plaintiff and intervener do not attempt to hold her liable thereon. She, is not their common debtor, or a debtorNf Myer at all. Myer and" the bank look 'to the mortgaged property to be reimbursed, or to share ratably in the proceeds of the sale of the property. Mrs. Kendall is the common debtor of plaintiff and intervener.

In March, 1915, J. S. Myer, as holder of the $4,000 note, sued out executory process to foreclose the privilege and mortgage on said property, directing the sale of the same for cash to pay said note, and on terms of credit to pay the note for $1,600, which had not at that time matured. The latter note has since matured.

The property was sold at judicial sale on June 5, 1915, and was adjudicated to said J. S. Myer, plaintiff, for $5,200, which amount he paid into the hands of the sheriff.

In July, 1915, the First Savings Bank & Trust Company filed an intervention and third opposition in the executory proceedings, as the bona fide holder and pledgee of the note for $1,600, and prayed for judgment for its pro rata share of the proceeds of the fore* closure sale.

[363]*363In response to a prayer for oyer on the part of Myer, the bank produced .the note for $1,600, and a note of Mrs. Gunning for $1,350, for which the first named note was pledged.

The note for $1,350 bore the following notations :

“Attached as collateral security mortgage note Mrs. Mary J. Gunning for $1,500, date May 18, 1915, due one year, with 8 per cent, interest from date. Mortgage note Lucille B. Kendall for $1,600, dated February 27, 1912, due February 27, 1915, with 8 per cent, interest from February 27, 1914.”

It would thus appear that the bank held two> notes, one for $1,500, and the other for $1,600, the notes hereinbefore referred to, as security for- the note of Mrs. Gunning for $1,350.

The answer of Myer to the bank contains, inter alia, the following averments:

“That accordingly said plaintiffs have two items of collateral security to secure said alleged indebtedness of $1,350, and their demand to compel said J. S. Myer to prorate the proceeds of the sale of property wherein he will thereby receive less than his mortgage claim is premature, until said First Savings Bank & Trust Company has exhausted its rights and remedies against the collateral security of $1,500 which it alleges it holds.”
“Wherefore defendant prays that this exception of prematurity be maintained, and the demand of the First Savings Bank & Trust Company be rejected at its costs, and for all general relief.”

Defendant next filed an exception and plea of discussion, stating the facts more fully, and, among others, that the mortgage note of Mrs. Gunning for $1,500 is sufficient collateral security to pay said note for $1,350 due by Mrs. Gunning.

The said answer prays that the bank “be ordered to obtain and derive its payment out of the note of $1,500 of Mary J. Gunning,” and that its application to prorate be rejected.

The exceptions of prematurity and discussion were overruled by the court.

Myer then filed a petition for the “marshaling of assets,” and prayed that Mrs. Gunning and husband be made parties to the proceeding, and for judgment, as before, and ordering the bank to return said note for $1,600 to the said Mrs. Gunning.

Mrs. Gunning and her husband do not appear to have been cited; no default was taken or confirmed against her; she has not ¡appeared in the cause; she is not before the court; 'and judgment cannot be rendered which might affect her interest in any way.

This last plea was also overruled; and thereupon Myer filed his answer to the petition of intervention and third opposition of the bank, and prayed for the same relief.

The case was tried, and judgment was rendered in favor of intervener as prayed for, ordering a pro rata division of the net proceeds of the judicial sale in question.

J. S. Myer, defendant in intervention, has appealed.

The judgments on the exceptions and pleas were rendered by Judge Webb, and the judgment on the merits was rendered by Judge Bell, both of the district court.

Judge Bell based his decree on the doctrine announced by Judge Webb as follows:

“It is true that the courts of this state have applied the doctrine of marshaling of assets in several instances, but we do not understand that such a doctrine has ever been applied when counter to the provisions of the Code of Practice declaring, ‘Discussion cannot be opxrosed to the privileged creditor, or to one who has a special hypothecation’ [article 73]; or the Civil Code, declaring that ‘the plea of discussion cannot be opposed to the creditors, who have either a privilege or a special mortgage on the property found in the possession of a third person’ [article 3404].”

Judge Webb proceeded to review and differentiate the cases cited as contra by counsel for appellant.

[1] Under articles 70 to 73 of the Code of Practice, third possessors not personally bound to pay the debt may plead discussion, but the exception of discussion “cannot be opposed to the privileged creditor, or to one who has a special hypothecation.”

Under Civil Code, art. 3045 et seq.,’ discus[365]*365sion is a remedy in favor of sureties, who have not renounced the plea or who are not bound, in solido with the debtor. The benefit of discussion was formerly denied to the judicial surety, but more recent legislation has granted the privilege to “any surety on any appeal bond, or on the bond of any administrator, tutor, curator, executor, or syndic.” C. C. art. 3066.

Hence the exception or plea of discussion, limited and restricted as it is by codal provisions, has no application to this case.

[2] The marshaling of assets is another and different question governed entirely by principles of equity.

In the case of Campbell v. J. L. Campbell Co., 117 La. 402, 41 South.

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Bluebook (online)
76 So. 800, 142 La. 361, 1917 La. LEXIS 1686, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/myer-v-kendall-la-1917.