Rea v. O'Bannon

158 So. 916, 171 Miss. 824, 1935 Miss. LEXIS 22
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 21, 1935
DocketNo. 31534.
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 158 So. 916 (Rea v. O'Bannon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rea v. O'Bannon, 158 So. 916, 171 Miss. 824, 1935 Miss. LEXIS 22 (Mich. 1935).

Opinion

*826 McGowen, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

W. O. Rea, receiver of the Building & Loan Association of Jackson, Mississippi, filed his declaration in the circuit court of Washington county against Miss Julia O’Bannon, wherein he sought judgment at law against the defendant therein for the balance due on a note, the principal of which was two thousand seven hundred fifty dollars, and the amount alleged to be then due was one thousand seven hundred fifty-six dollars and forty-three cents, with interest and attorney fees. The note, a copy of which was attached to the declaration, showed that it was to be paid in installments of not less than fifty-five dollars a month, and it was dated September 5, 1930; it also showed that it wa,s secured by a deed of trust. This suit at law was filed on May 19, 1934, returnable to the June, 1934, term of that court.

On June 16, 1934, Miss O’Bannon, the app ellee, filed what is termed a supplemental bill in the chancery court of that county seeking an injunction, without bond, against the prosecution of the suit at law against her, and, upon the fiat of the chancellor to the effect, the injunction was issued and served upon Rea, receiver, the appellant.

*827 The supplemental bill alleges that on January 6, 1934, Miss 0 ’Bannon filed an orginal bill in the chancery court seeking injunctive relief against the defendant’s proceeding to foreclose the deed of trust on real estate which was given by her as security for the note, and making it appear that injunction had issued upon the original bill, restraining the prosecution of the foreclosure in pais under the contract. The bill alleges the filing of the suit at law, and that, unless Rea is restrained from the prosecution thereof, judgment would be taken at the June term and execution upon said judgment levied against the property 'Covered by the deed of trust before the chancery court injunction, proceeding could be disposed of on its merits at the October, 1934, term of the chancery court, and that the prosecution of the suit at la,w is in violation of the injunction and of the Mississippi moratorium statute, and she would thereby be deprived of her equity in the real property described in the trust deed under her right to- repay the indebtedness. The bill further alleges that the- property is her homestead, and that she had an application pending with the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation for a loan with which to refinance all indebtedness owing by her to Rea, receiver, and that she believed she would obtain the loan. The supplemental bill further alleges that the property covered by the deed of trust is worth as much as five thousand five hundred dollars, and that, if Rea be restrained from the prosecution of the suit at law, there will be no impairment of his security or loss to- him thereby, that the case is one of extreme emergency, due to financial depression and inability to literally perform her said contract, and that no harm can be- done by holding the subject-matter in abeyance until the final hearing on the original chancery court proceeding, but that irreparable damage and injury will be done to her if the relief prayed for be not granted.

*828 The prayer of the hill was for process on the defendant, returnable at the October, 1934, term of the court. It further prayed for an injunction commanding the defendants, their attorneys, agents, and representatives, from further proceeding with the action at law on the promissory note until further order of the court, and that without bond, and that the injunction be made perpetual for the length of time provided by said moratorium statute.

Rea and the trustee in the deed of trust appeared and answered. They denied that it would necessarily follow that an execution would be levied on the identical property covered by the deed of trust; denied that Miss O’Bannon had made application for a loan as alleged, and averred that the property covered in the deed of trust was tenant property and not eligible for a loan; denied that the property was of the value alleged, and denied that Miss O’Bannion would suffer irreparable injury and damage; but alleged that they would suffer irreparable damage if forced to abandon the suit at law, and averred that she had not paid taxes or insurance on the property for two years, and that she had collected the rents therefrom during that period, and refused to pay anything on her indebtedness, and alleged that she was in arrears on the note in the sum of eight hundred thirty-four dollars and thirty-three cents; and alleged that the note shows an acceleration clause.

Attached to the declaration in the suit at law was an order of the chancellor having jurisdiction of the receivership-, dated April 14, 1934, directing the receiver to institute a suit on the note in the circuit court of Washington county to enforce the collection of the debt.

A few days after filing his answer to the supplemental bill, Rea filed a demurrer to the bill, containing three grounds: First, that he was the receiver appointed by the chancery co-urt of Hinds county, and that the supplemental bill did not allege that leave had been granted *829 by tbe chancery court of said county to Miss O’Bannon to institute her suit; second, that House Bill No. 270 (Laws 1934, chapter 247), approved April 4, 1934, known as the Moratorium Bill, did not apply to the suit, and did not authorize or permit the granting of an injunction under the facts alleged in the supplemental bill; and, third, that the complainant in the supplemental bill had filed no bond as “required by law to enjoin an action at law. ’ ’

Appellee filed a motion to strike the answer of Rea and the trustee from the files, because she alleged that the supplemental bill was filed under the Mississippi moratorium statute, and that by said act the defendant must first file in the case the original bill of complaint seeking a foreclosure of the trust deed involved, and that the answer cannot be filed and the cause set for hearing prior to thirty days after service, and that no such bill to foreclose had lieen filed, only an attempted answer and motion to dissolve the injunction..

By agreement of the parties, the motion to dissolve the injunction on demurrer and the motion to strike the answer were heard in vacation, and the chancellor entered a decree striking the answer from the file and overruled the demurrer. Appeal was granted Rea, receiver, to this court “for the purpose of settling the law herein involved. ’ ’

The facts alleged in the original bill do not show any ground of equitable relief, neither is there authority to grant an injunction against a proceeding at law prior to judgment conferred by chapter 247, Laws 1934, nor does said chapter 247 have any application to the facts of this case. This chapter was passed by the Legislature to grant relief to debtors in distress from inequitable foreclosure of mortgages on real estate and execution sales .of real estate and to provide the procedure of such relief and to allow the debtor to retain possession during *830 the extended period, and to limit the right to obtain a deficiency judgment.

The act declared that an emergencjr existed due to the financial and economic depression.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

N Amer Svngs Bank v. Nelson
103 F.4th 1088 (Fifth Circuit, 2024)
Vernon L. Gray
N.D. Mississippi, 2019
Competition Marine of MS, Inc. v. Whitney Bank
220 So. 3d 1019 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2017)
Fleisher v. Southern AgCredit
108 So. 3d 948 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2012)
Knight Properties, Inc. v. State Bank & Trust Co.
77 So. 3d 491 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2011)
Turner v. Terry
799 So. 2d 25 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2001)
Cornelius Turner v. Johnnie Terry, Jr.
Mississippi Supreme Court, 1998
West Point Corp. v. New North Miss. Fed. Sav.
506 So. 2d 241 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1986)
White v. McRae
380 So. 2d 1390 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1980)
Banes v. Thompson
352 So. 2d 812 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1977)
Lumberton State Bank v. Fortenberry
222 So. 2d 384 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1969)
Cooper v. Mississippi Land Company
220 So. 2d 302 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1969)
O'BRIANT v. Hull
208 So. 2d 784 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1968)
Ramon, Et Ux. v. Mitchell
86 So. 2d 315 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1956)
Reily v. Crymes
168 So. 267 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1936)
Rea v. Stinson
164 So. 588 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1935)
Wheeler v. Cleveland State Bank
164 So. 400 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1935)
Rea v. Turner
163 So. 539 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1935)
Sullivan v. Hughes
161 So. 316 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1935)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
158 So. 916, 171 Miss. 824, 1935 Miss. LEXIS 22, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rea-v-obannon-miss-1935.