Provident Nat. Bank v. THUNDERBIRD ASS'N

364 So. 2d 790
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedNovember 8, 1978
DocketJJ-273
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 364 So. 2d 790 (Provident Nat. Bank v. THUNDERBIRD ASS'N) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Provident Nat. Bank v. THUNDERBIRD ASS'N, 364 So. 2d 790 (Fla. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

364 So.2d 790 (1978)

PROVIDENT NATIONAL BANK, a National Banking Association, Appellant,
v.
THUNDERBIRD ASSOCIATES, a General Partnership, Southern General Corporation, a Corporation, and Southern Industrial Corporation, a Corporation, Appellees.

No. JJ-273.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.

November 8, 1978.

*791 Mary Patricia C. Fawsett of Akerman, Senterfitt & Eidson, Orlando, Frederic W. Clark of Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll, Philadelphia, Pa., for appellant.

*792 Arnold H. Slott of Glickstein, Crenshaw, Glickstein, Fay & Block, Jacksonville, for appellees.

BOYER, Judge.

We here consider an issue contended by all the parties to be novel and without precedent in Florida or elsewhere. Although several points are argued in the excellent and exhaustive briefs, the essential issue upon which the case turns is whether a deficiency judgment following a mortgage foreclosure may exceed the difference between the amount adjudged and secured by the final judgment of foreclosure and the amount for which the mortgaged property was sold at the foreclosure sale.

On April 28, 1975 Provident National Bank (Provident) filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of Duval County naming as defendants Thunderbird Associates, a general partnership (Thunderbird); Southern General Corporation (Southern General) and Southern Industrial Corporation (Southern Industrial). The complaint alleged, inter alia, that Thunderbird was the owner of a certain motel property in Duval County which was encumbered by a first mortgage held by First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Jacksonville (First Federal) and a second mortgage held by Provident; that Southern General was the original mortgagor designated in said second mortgage held by Provident; that Southern Industrial "may have or claim to have some interest in the property" by virtue of a certain additional mortgage alleged in the complaint to be inferior to Provident's second mortgage; that both the first and second mortgages and the notes secured thereby were in default; that substantial sums had been paid by Provident to cure defaults under the first mortgage held by First Federal and that "such sum together with all additional sums paid to cure defaults on said first mortgage and interest at the rate of fifteen per cent (15%) per annum are secured by plaintiff's second mortgage." The complaint prayed for the appointment of a receiver, an accounting and that if the sums found to be owing be not paid then Provident's second mortgage be foreclosed and the property be sold under the direction of the Court and that "out of the proceeds of said sale, the amounts due the plaintiff may be paid, so far as the same will suffice, and that, if a deficiency occur, the plaintiff be granted a decree therefor against such of the defendants as may be found liable or responsible for the mortgage debt."

In due course a final judgment was entered finding the plaintiff Provident to be entitled to $1,000,000.00 principal, interest to the date of the judgment, certain sums paid to First Federal to cure defaults under the first mortgage, interest on the latter amount, attorney's fees and costs; for a total sum of $1,429,493.66. The final judgment further provided that "[i]f the total sum with interest at the rate prescribed by law and all costs of this action accruing subsequent to this judgment are not paid within three days from this date" the property be sold by the Clerk "to the highest bidder" in accordance with F.S. 45.031.

Numbered paragraph four of the final judgment provided:

"Plaintiff, Provident National Bank, shall advance all subsequent costs of this action, including such fees and costs as this Court may subsequently award to the receiver, and plaintiff shall be reimbursed for them by the Clerk of this Court, if plaintiff is not the purchaser of the property at the sale. If plaintiff is the purchaser of the property, the Clerk of this Court shall credit plaintiff's bid with the total sum, together with interest and costs accruing subsequent to this judgment, or such part of said amount as may be necessary to pay the bid in full."

Provident was the only bidder at the foreclosure sale and bid the exact amount found to be owing by the final judgment, $1,429,493.66.

Following the foreclosure sale Provident filed a "motion for summary final judgment of deficiency". After various motions, including a motion to add Red Carpet Inns, Inc. as an additional party defendant, *793 a pleading entitled "amended complaint" was filed in the same proceeding (the foreclosure proceeding) wherein Provident was designated as plaintiff and Thunderbird and Red Carpet as defendants. Both defendants filed a "limited consent" consenting to the granting of Provident's motion to add Red Carpet as a party and to amend its pleadings. In Count I of said "amended complaint" Provident alleged, inter alia, the foreclosure of the mortgage; the amount bid by Provident at the foreclosure sale; that the fair market value of the property on the date of foreclosure "was substantially less than the amount of the final judgment rendered in this cause in favor of plaintiff, and was insufficient to satisfy the debt, in whole or in part, heretofore adjudged by this court to be due and owing from defendant Thunderbird Associates to Plaintiff"; that plaintiff had incurred various fees, costs and expenses subsequent to entry of the final judgment of foreclosure "in this cause of action in order to collect the debt owed by defendant Thunderbird Associates to plaintiff" and that plaintiff was obligated to pay its attorneys reasonable fees for their services. The prayer of said first count demanded a deficiency decree against Thunderbird "for the sums remaining due, owing and unpaid to plaintiff pursuant to the final judgment previously entered in this cause, plus costs and reasonable attorney's fees incurred by plaintiff pursuant to the terms of the second mortgage * * * ". The second count incorporated the allegations of the pertinent recitations in the first count and further alleged that Red Carpet had executed and delivered to Provident a guaranty agreement by which it unconditionally guaranteed to Provident the payment of principal, interest and other sums pursuant to the terms of the second mortgage note and to indemnify Provident for all costs, expenses and reasonable attorney's fees incurred in the collection or enforcement of said second mortgage note. It further alleged that in reliance on said guaranty Provident had advanced monies to or for the account of Thunderbird which Thunderbird had failed and refused to pay. The prayer of the second count demanded judgment against Red Carpet "for principal and interest and other sums due pursuant to the said second mortgage note and the second mortgage * * * for damages, costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, interest as allowed by law, and such other relief as the court deems proper."[1]

In due course Thunderbird and Red Carpet filed answers and the case was set for trial before the court.

At the trial the parties stipulated that on the date of the foreclosure sale the property had a fair market value of $4,242,000.00 and that there was owing on the first mortgage in favor of First Federal a sum in excess of $3,000,000.00 and that accordingly the difference between the fair market value and the balance owing on the first mortgage was considerably less than the amount of the successful bid at the foreclosure sale which was made by Provident.

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Bluebook (online)
364 So. 2d 790, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/provident-nat-bank-v-thunderbird-assn-fladistctapp-1978.