Occidental Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Venco Partnership

293 N.W.2d 843, 206 Neb. 469, 1980 Neb. LEXIS 877
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJune 17, 1980
Docket42741
StatusPublished
Cited by64 cases

This text of 293 N.W.2d 843 (Occidental Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Venco Partnership) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Occidental Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Venco Partnership, 293 N.W.2d 843, 206 Neb. 469, 1980 Neb. LEXIS 877 (Neb. 1980).

Opinions

Krivosha, C. J.

The instant appeal presents the court with its first opportunity to consider the validity and enforceability of what is commonly referred to as a “due on sale” clause frequently found in a real estate mortgage. The trial court concluded that the “due on sale” clause was both valid and enforceable and, accordingly, ordered foreclosure of the mortgage containing the questioned clause. We have reviewed the files and records and the law applicable to such matters and conclude that the trial court was correct in its conclusions. Accordingly, therefore, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

While “due on sale” clauses take a number of forms, essentially they are, in form, similar to the clause involved in the instant case, which provided “ [I]n the event of a sale of said premises without the written approval of said [lender], then the whole indebtedness hereby secured shall, at the option of said [lender], immediately become due and collectible without further notice, and this mortgage may then be foreclosed to recover the amount due on said note or obligation . . . .” Another variation on this theme is what is commonly referred to as a “due on encumbrance” clause, which is essentially [471]*471the same as a “due on sale” clause, except that the triggering mechanism is the placing of a subsequent lien or encumbrance upon the mortgaged property. We concern ourselves here only with the “due on sale” clause.

While this is our first opportunity to examine the validity of “due on sale” clauses, many other courts have already made such an examination and reached varying results. The clause has also been the subject of numerous articles. Relevant opinions and articles are collected in an appendix to this opinion.

Most of the cases which have considered this issue have started their analysis by concluding without much discussion that the “due on sale” clause is a restraint on alienation. They have then either upheld the clause or struck it down depending on whether they thought that, under the particular facts, the restraint was reasonable. Likewise, appellants herein urge this court to find that the “due on sale” clause is an unreasonable restraint on alienation, absent the mortgagee pleading and proving that the security is impaired; while the appellees urge us to find that the clause is a reasonable restraint on alienation. We believe that the error committed by most jurisdictions in deciding this matter is their willingness to assume that a “due on sale” clause is a restraint on alienation and that the only issue is reasonableness. In our view, the “due on sale” clause is not a restraint on alienation as that concept is legally defined.

Both parties seem to concede that the language in the questioned clause is not, in a technical sense, a direct restraint on alienation but appellants maintain that the clause has the practical effect of a restraint on alienation and, therefore, should be struck down unless necessary to protect the lender’s security.

An examination of the law pertaining to restraints [472]*472on alienation makes it clear that a “due on sale” clause is not a restraint on alienation and cannot be so considered for any purpose, theoretical or practical.'

The Restatement of Property § 404 (1944) defines a restraint on alienation as follows:

(1) A restraint on alienation, as that phrase is used in this Restatement, is an attempt by an otherwise effective conveyance or contract to cause a later conveyance
(a) to be void; or
(b) to impose contractual liability on the one who makes the later conveyance when such liability results from a breach of an agreement not to convey; or
(c) to terminate or subject to termination all or a part of the property interest conveyed.
(2) If a restraint on alienation is of the type described in Subsection (1), Clause (a), it is a disabling restraint.
(3) If a restraint on alienation is of the type described in Subsection (1), Clause (b), it is a promissory restraint.
(4) If a restraint on alienation is of the type described in Subsection (1), Clause (c), it is a forfeiture restraint.

One need simply read the various subparts of § 404 to conclude that a “due on sale” clause does not, in any manner, bring about any of the effects noted there and cannot, therefore, be a direct restraint on alienation.

The questioned clause in no manner precludes the owner-mortgagor from conveying his property. The owner is free to convey without legal restraint and the conveyance does not cause a forfeiture of the title, but only an acceleration of the debt.

It is true that the possibility of acceleration may impede the ability of an owner to sell his property as [473]*473he wishes; nonetheless, not every impediment to a sale is a restraint on alienation, let alone contrary to public policy. It is a fact that zoning restrictions, building restrictions, or public improvements may impede the sale and substantially affect the ability of an owner to realize a maximum price. Yet no one suggests that such restrictions or covenants, as a class, are invalid simply because they affect the ease with which one may dispose of one’s property. We are somewhat at a loss to understand how or why so many courts have been willing to describe a “due on sale” clause as a restraint on alienation and we are unwilling to do so. Therefore, we begin our analysis by holding that “due on sale” clauses are not direct restraints on alienation within the meaning of the law.

Appellants next argue that, if a “due on sale” clause is not a direct restraint on alienation and, therefore, void, it is, at least, an unreasonable indirect restraint on alienation which should be declared invalid and unenforceable as a matter of public policy unless a mortgagee pleads and proves that his security is in jeopardy. That argument may be due, in part, to some overly broad language in our decision in Cast v. National Bank of Commerce T. & S. Assn., 186 Neb. 385, 391, 183 N.W.2d 485, 490 (1971), wherein we said:

A majority of this court, including the writer, has come to the conclusion that the law is the same on direct and indirect restraints on alienation. The authorities are not in accord on the question. While much has been written on the subject, we adopt the following as a proper statement of the law: “As used in this treatise, the expression ‘restraint on alienation’ refers not merely to the restriction of the legal power of alienation, but also to the restriction of alienability as a practical matter. Any provision in a deed, will, con[474]*474tract, or other legal instrument which, if valid, would tend to impair the marketability of property, is a restraint on alienation.” Simes and Smith, The Law of Future Interests (2d Ed.), § 1111, p. 4. ‘‘In brief, the law is concerned primarily with practical alien-ability, not with a theoretical power of alienation.” Simes and Smith, The Law of Future Interests (2d Ed.), § 1115, p. 8.

Whatever an indirect restraint on alienation as envisioned by us in Cast may be, a ‘‘due on sale” clause in a mortgage does not fall within that category. We perhaps were overly generous in our statement in Cast that “ [a] ny provision . . .

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Bluebook (online)
293 N.W.2d 843, 206 Neb. 469, 1980 Neb. LEXIS 877, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/occidental-savings-loan-assn-v-venco-partnership-neb-1980.