Perry v. Petillo

68 Pa. D. & C. 255, 1949 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 176
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
DecidedJune 10, 1949
Docketno. 5705
StatusPublished

This text of 68 Pa. D. & C. 255 (Perry v. Petillo) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Perry v. Petillo, 68 Pa. D. & C. 255, 1949 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 176 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1949).

Opinion

Sloane, J.,

— A bill, an answer containing new matter, and an answer to the new matter, were filed in this case. There is little disagreement on facts, and the material averments of the pleadings of both sides may be summarized thus:

The parties are the three children of one Ersillia de Marco, who died May 17, 1940, and the spouses of two of them. Plaintiffs are Mary Perry, daughter of decedent, her husband, Peter, and John Petillo, a son of decedent. Defendants are Frank Petillo, a son, and his wife, Mary.

At the time of her death, Ersillia de Marco was the owner of the two adjoining properties, 7160 and 7162 Torresdale Avenue, Philadelphia, with certain garages attached to the properties. By her will she devised 7160 to her daughter Mary Perry in fee. She gave a life estate in 7162 to her son Frank Petillo (subject to the condition that the premises should not be used for a beauty parlor), and the remainder in fee to her daughter, Mary Perry, and another son, plaintiff John Petillo, in equal shares. Should Mary Perry fail to survive the life tenant the share devised to her goes instead to her children, in equal shares. Should John Petillo fair to survive the life tenant, the share devised to him goes to Mary Perry, if living, and if not, to her children.

[257]*257On February 3, 1937, Ersillia de Marco created a blanket mortgage covering the two properties, to Tradesmens National Bank and Trust Company, trustee, as mortgagee, in the principal sum of $6,000. The interest rate was six percent and semi-annual payments of $150 each were required in reduction of principal; the maturity date for the payment of the balance of principal was February 3, 1942. In her will Mrs. de Marco made the following provision concerning this mortgage:

“ITEM 10. There is a blanket mortgage now secured upon all of my aforementioned real estate, the principal amount of which I am reducing from time to time. I hereby direct that the unpaid balance of the said mortgage debt or principal sum as of the date of my decease shall be deemed and considered to be a debt or lien against my real estate in the following manner; one-third (%) thereof shall apply against premises 7160 Torresdale Avenue and the double garage on Wellington Street, and two-thirds (%) thereof shall apply against premises 7162 Torresdale Avenue and the four single garages on Wellington Street; and therefore two-thirds (%) of the interest with respect to the said mortgage debt or principal sum, as of the date of my decease and thereafter, shall be chargeable against and paid by my said beloved son, FRANK PETILLO, in connection with the life estate heretofore bequeathed unto him pertaining to said premises 7162 Torresdale Avenue and the said four single garages." (Italics supplied.)

On October 9, 1940, the mortgage created by decedent-testatrix being in default, an extension agreement was entered into between the mortgagee, Tradesmens National Bank and Trust Company, trustee, on the one side, and Mary Perry, her husband, Peter, and Frank Petillo, on the other side. In the agreement Mary and Peter Perry and Frank Petillo personally [258]*258assumed responsibility for payment of interest and principal of the mortgage which had by then been reduced to $4,275. They were to pay the interest and continue reducing principal by $150 semi-annually, with the entire balance of principal falling due February 3, 1942. There was no apportionment of lien or liability as to the bank-mortgagee, or as between the parties themselves, in the extension agreement.

From the time of the extension agreement to September 5, 1944, Frank Petillo and Mary Perry paid the installments on account of interest and reduction of principal in the proportion of two thirds by Frank Petillo and one third by Mary Perry. On September 5,1944, an assignment of the mortgage was made from Tradesmens as mortgagee to defendant Mary Petillo, wife of Frank, as assignee, on payment of the balance then due, $3,075. There is a difference in averment between the parties as to who actually supplied the money to pay off the mortgage. Plaintiffs state that Frank Petillo paid and took an assignment to his appointee, Mary Petillo; defendants say Mary Petillo bought the mortgage with her own money.

Defendants did not inform plaintiffs of the assignment and Mary Perry continued to make semi-annual payments on account of her share of interest and principal reduction as before. She gave them to Frank Petillo under the impression that he was adding his own share and turning them over to the original mortgagee. Upon learning of the assignment to Mary Petillo, plaintiff Mary Perry, on April 2, 1948, made a tender of the principal due on her one-third share, $516.38, as well as the interest thereon to that date, $20.66, and in return demanded that the entire mortgage be satisfied of record or assigned to her, which defendants refused to do.

Plaintiffs say they fear a collusive foreclosure by defendants without notice to them, for the purpose [259]*259of wiping out their remainder interests in 7162 Torresdale Avenue.

Plaintiffs ask for relief as follows: (1) That upon payment of the one-third share of principal and' interest due upon the mortgage by Mary Perry to assignee-defendant Mary Petillo, the mortgage be satisfied of record or assigned to Mary Perry or her appointee; (2) that the obligation of Mary Perry to pay interest as to her share shall cease as of April 2, 1948, when she made her tender to pay off the remaining one third of principal with the interest thereon to that date, and (3) general relief.

Defendants aver that the mortgage was purchased by Mary Petillo with her own money as an investment; further that the extension agreement had expired and the mortgage had reached maturity so that it was subject to call at any time and that plaintiffs did nothing about helping to pay it off. Defendants deny they have any intention of foreclosing without notice to plaintiffs, and aver they are ready and willing to accept whatever money is due them. Defendants do not ask dismissal of the bill but an equitable adjustment of the proper sums due.

Defendants add new matter to their answer, raising some collateral disputes as to the use made of the two properties, but agreement as to these matters was reached by the parties at the trial, and disposition of them by the court is not required.

Findings of Fact

1. Ersillia de Marco died May 17, 1940, ieaving to survive her three children, Mary Perry, John Petillo and Frank Petillo. Mary Perry is married to Peter Perry,'and Frank Petillo to Mary Petillo. Mary Perry, Peter Perry and John Petillo are plaintiffs in this case; Frank Petillo and Mary Petillo are defendants.

[260]*2602. At the time of her death Ersillia de Marco was sole owner of premises 7160 and 7162 Torresdale Avenue, Philadelphia.

3.. On February 3, 1937, Ersillia de Marco created a blanket mortgage covering both properties, to Tradesmens National Bank and Trust Company, trustee, mortgagee, in the principal sum of $6,000, at six percent interest, principal to be reduced semi-annually by $150, and the balance to become due five years after date of execution.

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Bluebook (online)
68 Pa. D. & C. 255, 1949 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 176, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/perry-v-petillo-pactcomplphilad-1949.