New Orleans Federal Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Lee

449 So. 2d 1099, 1984 La. App. LEXIS 8652
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 9, 1984
DocketNo. 83-CA-666
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 449 So. 2d 1099 (New Orleans Federal Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Lee) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
New Orleans Federal Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Lee, 449 So. 2d 1099, 1984 La. App. LEXIS 8652 (La. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

BOUTALL, Judge.

This appeal arises from a controversy between the pledgee of a collateral mortgage and the holder of a judicial mortgage over the sheriff’s sale of real estate. From a judgment declaring the sheriff’s sale of the property a nullity and granting a permanent injunction to the plaintiff, the defendant appeals. We reverse.

The parties before this court are as follows: New Orleans Federal Savings & Loan Association (as plaintiff substituted for Northshore Development, Inc.), pledgee of a collateral mortgage and collateral mortgage note secured by real estate in [1101]*1101Jefferson Parish owned by Southern Investors Property Management; Harry Lee, Sheriff and Ex-Officio Tax Collector for Jefferson Parish, defendant; A. Mason Barnes, III, defendant and plaintiff in re-convention, holder of a judicial mortgage duly recorded against the property; and Northshore Development, Inc., the original plaintiff made defendant in reconvention, a close-held corporation owned by the same principals as those of Southern Investors Property Management, Inc.

A detailed recital of the facts is necessary to an understanding of the case. The dispute arose originally over the failure of the parties to execute an agreement between Southern Investors Property Management (“Southern”) and A. Mason Barnes, III (“Barnes”) for a purchase-exchange of certain lots in the Kenner Project Subdivision. When Barnes sued Southern for specific performance (“A. Mason Barnes, III v. Southern Investors Property Management, Inc.”, 24th J.D.C. 242-942), which was denied, he was awarded judgment of $6,000 for fill he had placed on the Southern lots in anticipation of the exchange.1 That judgment was recorded on May 11, 1981. Barnes initiated execution by fieri facias in July, 1981 against fourteen lots owned by Southern, and the property was adjudicated to Barnes as highest bidder at a sheriffs sale on March 3, 19822 for $56,000, an amount deemed sufficient to pay all superior mortgages. Gulf South had informed the Sheriffs office that its collateral mortgage appearing on the mortgage certificate had been paid.

The case before us was filed on March 5, 1982 by Northshore Development, Inc. (“Northshore”), against Harry Lee, the Sheriff of Jefferson Parish, and Barnes seeking to nullify the sale and applying for a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order. The restraining order was granted that day. Shortly thereafter New Orleans Federal Savings and Loan Association (“New Orleans Federal”) was substituted as plaintiff by amended petition. Five days later, Barnes filed an answer and exceptions and reconvened against North-shore, seeking to dissolve the temporary restraining order and praying for damages and attorney’s fees for its wrongful issuance. The trial court granted a permanent injunction on March 24, 1982 following a hearing on the rule. Upon appeal, the Fifth Circuit reversed and remanded for a trial of the merits.3 Trial was held on April 27, 1983 and May 20, 1983. On June 8, 1983 the trial court signed a decree ordering a permanent injunction against the Sheriff and Barnes, declaring the sheriff’s sale a nullity, dismissing the exceptions and reconventional demand of Barnes against Northshore at Barnes’ cost, and assessing all costs of the proceedings against Barnes. Barnes appealed.

The issues before this court are whether the collateral mortgage held by New Orleans Federal primed Barnes’ judicial mortgage and whether the trial court incorrectly denied damages, attorney’s fees, and costs to Barnes for wrongful issuance of the temporary restraining order.

The pertinent transactions regarding the mortgages are as follows:

August 9, 1979 Collateral mortgage for $150,000 by Southern to Gulf South Bank (“Gulf South”) on property owned by Southern; mortgage note payable to “Bearer” pledged to Gulf South same day.
February 5, 1980 Hand note for $100,000 payable to Gulf South executed by Southern and identified with pledge agreement of August 9, 1979.
May 11,1981 Judgment against Southern in “A Mason Barnes, III vs. Southern Investors Property Management, Inc., 24th J.D.C. 242-942” recorded.
[1102]*1102May 20, 1981 (recorded May 27, 1981) $300,000 construction loan by New Orleans Federal to Southern with mortgage on other lots owned by Southern.
May 20, 1981 Balance on Southern’s loan at Gulf South paid by check of attorney for New Orleans Federal’s collateral pledge agreement and hand note for $100,000 stamped “Paid,” surrendered at homestead’s request to president of Southern who later delivered to attorney for homestead.

The primary issue before us is whether the collateral mortgage of New Orleans Federal ranked from the date of its first issuance, or from the date of New Orleans Federal’s loan to Southern and payment of its balance on the earlier hand note.

The appellant’s position is that the collateral mortgage was reissued on May 20, 1981, having been cancelled by payment of the hand note. Without an underlying debt, the mortgage that is accessory to it fails. The transaction between New Orleans Federal and Gulf South was payment only. Gulf South did not transfer or assign its rights either orally or in writing to New Orleans Federal but simply marked the hand note and collateral pledge agreement “paid.” The transaction between New Orleans Federal and Southern was a loan to Southern for construction and to pay out the debt to Gulf South. Accordingly, the judicial mortgage of May 11, 1981 primed the mortgage of May 20, 1981.

The appellee homestead argues that the collateral mortgage note was viable on May 20, 1981, and its lien attached as of August 9, 1979, priming the judicial mortgage. It was repledged on May 20, having been purchased by and transferred to the homestead.

The trial judge gave oral reasons from the bench for determining that the homestead prevailed, as follows:

“... The reason why is because the collateral mortgage was recorded prior to the judicial mortgage that [Barnes] had ..., and that this Court finds that there was a basis in fact for the debt to support the collateral mortgage.”

He stated further that the collateral mortgage recorded in August, 1979 had not lost its efficacy.

A collateral mortgage is a special form of conventional mortgage. A clear explanation of its character is set out in First Guaranty Bank v. Alford, 366 So.2d 1299 (La.1978), as follows, at 1302:

"... unlike the other two forms of conventional mortgages, a collateral mortgage is not a ‘pure’ mortgage; rather, it is the result of judicial recognition that one can pledge a note secured by a mortgage and use this pledge to secure yet another debt.
“A collateral mortgage indirectly secures a debt via a pledge. A collateral mortgage consists of at least three documents, and takes several steps to complete. First, there is a promissory note, usually called a collateral mortgage note or a ‘ne varietur’ note. The collateral mortgage note is secured by a mortgage, the so-called collateral mortgage. The mortgage provides the creditor with security in the enforcement of the collateral mortgage note.

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