Rigler v. Fidelity Building & Loan Ass'n

269 N.W. 58, 67 N.D. 1, 1936 N.D. LEXIS 143
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 19, 1936
DocketFile No. 6424.
StatusPublished

This text of 269 N.W. 58 (Rigler v. Fidelity Building & Loan Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rigler v. Fidelity Building & Loan Ass'n, 269 N.W. 58, 67 N.D. 1, 1936 N.D. LEXIS 143 (N.D. 1936).

Opinion

*2 Jansonius, Dist. J.

Most of the facts in this case have been stipulated, and are as follows:

On September 5th, 1929, the plaintiff, S. P. Bigler, and his wife, Leah Jane Bigler; B. M. Bigler, and his wife, Birdie Bigler, borrowed $11,500.00 from the defendant, which was evidenced by a promissory note dated September 5th, 1929, payable to the order of defendant in monthly payments, and Avhich note was secured by a mortgage on Lot (6), Block (7), Original Plat of Mandan, Morton County, North Dakota. The loan was further secured by forty (40) Class “A” Installment Shapes belonging to S. P. Bigler, of defendant corporation, which was at that time of the value of $80.00, and upon which plaintiff made monthly payments, and which with the accrued dividends on July 1st, 1933, had a book value of $430.65.

Plaintiff and his co-signers became in arrears in the repayment of said loan in February, 1932, and continued to be in default both in the payment of the loan, and in the payment of taxes on the premises, and insurance premium.

Beginning about May, 1932, plaintiff and the defendant carried on negotiations through correspondence and personal interviews for the purpose of bringing said loan payments and taxes up to date. No satisfactory plan was evolved, and plaintiff on several occasions offered to convey to defendant the property covered by the mortgage, and after several months of such negotiations the defendant agreed to accept a warranty deed to the premises.

A deed Avas accordingly given, dated May 26th, 1933, and was filed for record in Morton County on June 1st, 1933. This was followed by a satisfaction of the mortgage which is dated May 25th, 1933, and sent to the Mandan Abstract Company with the deed above referred to on May 29th, 1933, to be recorded.

On July 5th, 1933, after the deed and satisfaction had been recorded, and abstract continued, the original note, assignment of rents, and recorded satisfaction of mortgage were returned to plaintiff.

The defendant did not return to plaintiff the 40 class A Installment Shares for the reason that the defendant contended that the value thereof, to-wit, $430.65, was applied on the aforesaid indebtedness due defendant from plaintiff.

*3 This action is brought to recover the value of these shares. The plaintiff contends that the stock is his property; that it became such upon the execution and delivery of the deed, and maintains that in conveying the title to the premises covered by the mortgage securing the debt, the stock was released and the plaintiff entitled to recover the value thereof.

In addition to the stipulation of facts, oral testimony was taken bearing on the question of demand for the payment of the money involved here, and also to bring the correspondence and other exhibits before the court.

The testimony disclosed that while the negotiations for refinancing or selling the property was discussed, the amount mentioned due defendant on the mortgage was computed after deducting the book value’ of the shares involved in this action. This testimony is corroborated by the correspondence between the parties.

On December 7th, 1932, in a letter from defendant to plaintiff, he says in part:

“I will appreiate it very much if you will write me a letter stating the amount due you at this time.”

On December 29th, defendant replied as follows:

“In compliance with your request, we set forth below statement of balance due in your loan as of December 31st, 1932, as follows:
Loan No. 1096
Balance principal...............■............... $8,816.48
Interest to 12/31/32 .......................... 705.36
Balance funds advanced Dec. 8th, 1930 ............ 476.62
Interest on above...........................'. . . 97.22
Advanced for Insurance 12/17/32 ................ 150.64
Total ......................................$10,246.32
Surrender value A-5274 ........................ 430.65
Balance .................................... $9,815.67
In addition to the above, the taxes for the years 1930, 1931 and 1932 are unpaid. . . .”

The mortgage securing the indebtedness contains the following pro *4 vision :■ “As additional collateral security to the aforesaid note and to this mortgage, the said parties of the first part, for value received do hereby assign, transfer, deliver and pledge to the party of the second part all their right, title and interest in and to ■ — 40— installment shares of the capital stock of Fidelity Building and Loan Association and evidenced by certificate number —5274—. And the said parties of the first part do covenant and agree to pay all dues, fines and other charges on said shares as provided in the By-Laws of said Fidelity Building and Loan Association.”

The mortgage also contains the following provisions:

“It is further provided and agreed, That in case of foreclosure of any mortgage or lien of any'nature or kind upon the heroin described premises which shall be prior to this instrument, and the party of the second part shall become the owner of the certificate of sale under such foreclosure, then and in that event the party of the second part may at its option cancel upon the books of Fidelity Building and Loan Association the hereinbefore stated stock which is pledged as collateral security and apply the value thereof upon any obligation due or to become due from the parties of the first part to the party of the second part.”
“It is further provided and agreed, In case the parties of the first part shall sell and convey the herein described premises, that the Stock of said Fidelity Building and Loan Association which is hold by the party of the second part as collateral or a pledge to the loan for which this mortgage is given to secure, is also conveyed and assigned to said purchaser, unless the parties of the first part shall before the delivery of such conveyance have paid to the party of the second part the full amount due upon this mortgage. Said conveyance shall be deemed also to be an assignment of said collateral or pledge and the party of the second part is hereby empowered to treat the said stock, collateral or pledge as having been so conveyed without any written assignment thereof on said stock, and in such event the Secretary of said Fidelity Building and Loan Association is hereby empowered to transfer at any time the said stock on the books of said Fidelity Building and Loan Association to the name of said grantee or grantees.”

The appellant contends that the trial court appears to have been governed by the provisions of § 28 of chapter 94 of the Session Laws *5 of 1931, and that such law does not apply to this case. This section is as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
269 N.W. 58, 67 N.D. 1, 1936 N.D. LEXIS 143, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rigler-v-fidelity-building-loan-assn-nd-1936.