Rielly v. Arnsmeier

265 N.W. 713, 220 Wis. 564, 1936 Wisc. LEXIS 285
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 3, 1936
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 265 N.W. 713 (Rielly v. Arnsmeier) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rielly v. Arnsmeier, 265 N.W. 713, 220 Wis. 564, 1936 Wisc. LEXIS 285 (Wis. 1936).

Opinion

Martin, J.

The plaintiff, hereinafter referred to as respondent, brought this action for the foreclosure of a certain real-estate mortgage in the principal sum of $1,800, which mortgage and the note secured thereby he purchased from one Amelia Ayers. The defendant, A. O. Arnsmeier, hereinafter referred to as the appellant, contends that his $5,500 mortgage, to which reference will be hereinafter made, and which covers the same piece of property, constituted a prior lien.

From the findings of fact made by the trial court, it appears that on January 23, 1915, Elizabeth Raster, William T. Raster, her son, and Orilla Raster, her daughter, owned the hundred twenty-acre farm covered by the mortgages in question, and that on said date they borrowed $5,500 and evidenced the debt by giving their three certain promissory notes as follows: One for $3,000 to Henry Arnsmeier, one for $1,000 to Henry McAloon, and one for $1,500 to Ann McMahon, said notes being secured by the $5,500 mortgage above mentioned. The mortgage was also signed by Viola Raster, wife of the said William T. Raster. It was recorded in the office of the register of deeds of La Fayette county on January 26, 1915. It ran for a period of five years.

On December 20, 1916, Elizabeth Raster, William T. Raster, and his wife, borrowed $1,800 from one Frank Rielly, to secure the payment of which they executed and delivered their certain promissory note and real-estate mortgage covering the same farm. This mortgage was recorded in the office of the register of deeds on January 2, 1917. The $1,800 so borrowed was used for the purpose of purchasing the interest of Orilla Raster in the farm in question. The [566]*566deed from Orilla to her mother and brother was made and recorded at the same time as the mortgage to Frank Rielly.

On January 23, 1920, being the date when the $5,500 mortgage became due and payable, Henry Arnsmeier, Henry McAloon, and Ann McMahon executed and delivered a release and satisfaction of said mortgage and canceled and sur-rended the three respective promissory notes secured thereby to the respective makers, which satisfaction was recorded in the office of the register of deeds on January 30, 1920. On January 23, 1920, the said William T. Raster, Viola, his wife, and Elizabeth Raster, his mother, made, executed, and delivered to said Henry Arnsmeier their certain note and mortgage in the sum of $5,500 covering the identical real ■estate, which mortgage was recorded on January 30, 1920.

On March 18, 1920, Frank Rielly executed and delivered an assignment of his $1,800 mortgage and note secured thereby to one Amelia Ayers, who paid therefor the full sum of $1,800. This was before the maturity of the note. On February 22, 1921, Amelia Ayers assigned said note and mortgage to the respondent, Frank Rielly, Jr., who paid therefor the full sum of $1,800.

On February 20, 1929, Henry Arnsmeier assigned to the appellant, A. O. Arnsmeier, the $5,500 mortgage in question. The assignment was recorded in the office of the register of deeds on the same date. This assignment was after the maturity of the note. It appears that Henry Arnsmeier never had any personal transactions with the Rasters, mortgagors. The mortgages and releases were transferred between Henry Arnsmeier and the Rasters by Mr. Conley, a loan broker.

The trial court specifically found:

“The evidence discloses that the payment of the amount due to the said McAloon and McMahon was accepted by them as a full and complete payment and each fully and com[567]*567pletely released and discharged said debt and it was their intention that same should be released and discharged. The evidence further discloses that the said Arnsmeier surrendered up his old note and executed a complete release and satisfaction of the mortgage and it was his intention at said time that the debt owed him was paid and satisfied.”

As a conclusion of law, the trial court found:

“That the said lien of the plaintiff, Frank Rielly, Jr., is a prior and superior lien to the lien of the defendant, A. O. Arnsmeier, on the property being foreclosed in this action; that the plaintiff is entitled to judgment as demanded in the complaint.”

Judgment of foreclosure and sale was accordingly entered.

Relative to the original loan, Henry Arnsmeier testified:

“It was a joint loan for the total sum of $5,500. ■ I made three thousand of the loan, and the remaining twenty-five hundred was furnished by the other two parties. I do not remember where the papers were signed. I left the money with Mr. Pat Conley as my agent to make the loan. I received my note and mortgage when that loan was made. When I released the first mortgage I received another mortgage on that transaction. The second mortgage was delivered to me either by mail or P. H. Conley gave it to me. No part of the principal of the mortgage loan was ever paid to me. Interest has been paid down to 1931. I paid off the other two mortgagees to the original loan the difference between my three thousand and the fifty-five hundred. The original notes and mortgage were paid off and surrendered. I made no examination of the records in the register of deeds office to determine whether or not there were any other liens against this property when I released the original mortgage. At the time I made the new transaction with the Rasters when I released the first mortgage and took back the second' one I did not have any consultation with the Rasters with reference to whether my mortgage was the only mortgage or not. I did not see them at that time. I never had any personal transactions with the Rasters with [568]*568reference to the loan on the second mortgage. All of the mortgages and releases were transferred between me and the Kasters by P. PI. Conley, who is now dead.”

Mr. William T. Raster testified, relative to the second $5,500 mortgage:

“Q. Did you receive any other consideration for the second mortgage of $5,500 than the original money that was paid you on the first mortgage ? A. You mean did I borrow any other money? No, the $5,500 was borrowed to pay off the first mortgage.
“Q. So you never received any money other than the $5,500,- — except the original amount ? A. That is all.”

Sec. 117.37, Stats. 1933, provides:

“A negotiable instrument is discharged: . . . (5) when the principal debtor becomes the holder of the instrument at or after maturity in his own right.”

We need not consider this case on any theory of the law of subrogation. Appellant’s counsel make this statement in their brief:

“We hold the case at bar is not one of subrogation at all, but purely one of renewal and extension of the debt, the transaction appearing of record and being duly known by the agent for all the parties involved in all the mortgages.”

In Rosendale State Bank v. Holland, 195 Wis. 131, 217 N. W. 645, the court said:

“It is the long and well settled doctrine in this state that a renewal by "the giving of a new note or the extension of time in which to- pay a pre-existing debt is not a discharge of the old and original obligation and the creation of a new obligation, but a mere carrying on of the prior obligation,

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Bluebook (online)
265 N.W. 713, 220 Wis. 564, 1936 Wisc. LEXIS 285, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rielly-v-arnsmeier-wis-1936.