Rist v. Hartvigsen

19 N.W.2d 830, 70 S.D. 571, 1945 S.D. LEXIS 65
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 12, 1945
DocketFile No. 8767.
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 19 N.W.2d 830 (Rist v. Hartvigsen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rist v. Hartvigsen, 19 N.W.2d 830, 70 S.D. 571, 1945 S.D. LEXIS 65 (S.D. 1945).

Opinion

ROBERTS, J.

This is an action brought to set aside a foreclosure sale of a mortgage on real estate and the proceedings subsequent to the sale. It is alleged in the complaint that the First National Bank of Centerville was the record holder of a first mortgage dated December 31, 1934, on a quarter section of land in Turner County; that Quincy L. Wright held a second mortgage on the property dated October 1, 1935, and duly recorded; that the said Quincy L. Wright assigned the second mortgage to plaintiff; that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as receiver of the First National Bank of Centerville, upon default elected to foreclose its mortgage by action; that after entry of judgment and issuance of a special execution the sheriff caused to be published a notice of sale dated July 26, 1939; that the bank bid in the property at a public auction on September 5, 1939; and that a certificate of sale was on that day issued.

The complaint also alleges that the execution sale was invalid (1) because the published notice did not state whether or not the property was sold subject to redemption (2) *574 because the sheriff was not authorized to accept a bid from the First National Bank of Centerville after the appointment of a receiver to take charge of its assets, and (3) because the bid of the bank was grossly disproportionate to the actual value of the property. It is alleged that a sheriff’s deed was prematurely issued to Viderick Hartvigsen, assignee of the certificate of sale. The action is before this court on appeal from the judgment dismissing the comlaint.

SDC 33.2006 is a revision of Section 2674, Revised Code 1919. The section was amplified to set forth the contents of the notice of execution sale as follows:

“The notice of sale must state the title of the proceeding under which it is made; the decree, order, or execution, which is authority for the sale, must be named and referred to by the date thereof; the amount of the judgment or other lien upon which sale is to be made; the legal description of the property to be sold; the terms of the sale; whether or not the property is sold subject to redemption; the time and place of sale.”

The notice in question was published shortly after the effective date of the South Dakota Code of 1939, and counsel for the mortgagee bank overlooking these specific provisions did not recite in the notice of sale that the property to be sold would be subject to the right of redemption.

The terms of the statute must be substantially complied with if a valid sale thereunder is to be made. Cf. Schmidt v. Gunsalus, 50 S. D. 261, 209 N. W. 341. Notice is given for the purpose of securing bidders and preventing a sacrifice of the property. The general rule is that immaterial errors in such a notice do not affect its sufficiency where the purposes of securing bidders and preventing a sacrifice of the property are attained. Loomis v. Stoddard, 42 S. D. 272, 173 N. W. 859. The notice in the instant case states that “notice is hereby given that by virtue of a judgment of foreclosure and sale in the above-entitled action on the 26th day of July, 1939, and an execution issued upon the judgment” the sheriff will sell at public auction at a time and place mentioned in the notice the “mortgaged premises” to the highest bidder for cash. We think that no one reading the notice would have reasons to believe that the property was *575 n'ot subject to redemption. There is no allegation or proof that bidders were misled by the omission in the notice and it •cannot be reasonably contended as a matter of law that the ■omission in the notice would tend to mislead prospective bidders.

A national bank continues to exist as a legal entity, notwithstanding the appointment of a receiver to take charge of its assets and to administer them for the benefit of creditors. In Rosenblatt v. Johnston, 104 U. S. 462, 463, 26 L. Ed. 832, the court, referring to the liquidation of a national bank, said “Such property and assets, in legal contemplation, still belong to the bank, though in the hands of a receiver, to be administered under the law. The bank did not cease to exist on the appointment of a receiver. .Its corporate capacity continues until its affairs -are finally wound up and its assets distributed.” To like effect are Central National Bank v. Connecticut Mutual Life Ins. Co., 104 U. S. 54, 26 L. Ed 693; Scott v. Armstrong, 146 U. S. 499, 13 S .Ct. 148, 36 L. Ed. 1059; Chemical National Bank v. Hartford Deposit Company, 161 U. S. 16 S. Ct. 439, 40 L. Ed. 595; Rankin v. City National Bank, 208 U. S. 541, 28 S. Ct. 346, 52 L. Ed. 610. This being the status of the First National Bank of Centerville at the time of the execution sale, we think that there can be no doubt that the bank could become the purchaser at such sale.

The property was sold to the mortgagee bank for $4,800. The amount due was in excess of $8,000. Mere inadequacy of price is not sufficient to invalidate a sale, unless, perhaps, equitable relief may be had where the inadequacy is so gross as to shock the conscience of the court ^nd raise a presumption of fraud. Stacy v. Smith, 9 S. D. 137, 68 N. W. 198; Trenery v. American Mortgage Co., 11 S. D. 506, 78 N. W. 991. When it appears, however, that there were circumstances of undue advantage or inequitable conduct, inadequacy of price is material. Lipsey v. Crosser, 63 S. D. 185, 257 N. W. 125. The court found that the property at the time of sale “was of the reasonable, fair market value of $4,800.” The evidence is conflicting, but is ample if believed to support such finding. We cannot say that, the finding is not supported by the evidence. •

*576 Extensions of the period of redemption under moratorium statutes were obtained by mortgagors. The period of redemption was first extended by order of the Circuit Court of Turner County to March 1, 1941. A second extension was granted to March 1, 1943. Twenty days prior to the expiration of the extended period of redemption, sheriff’s deed to the premises was issued to defendant Viderick Hartvigsen, assignee of the certificate of sale. It appears from the record that mortgagors consented to the issuance of the deed. Quincy L. Wright, a party defendant in the foreclosure action, assigned the second mortgage to plaintiff on May 8, 1943.

A real estate mortgage is a lien and does not transfer title to the property mortgaged. Wood v. Conrad, 2 S. D. 334, 50 N. W. 95; Id., 2 S. D. 405, 50 N. W. 903; MacGregor v. Pierce, 17 S. D. 95 N. W. 281; Farr v. Semmler, 24 S. D. 290, 123 N. W. 835. Between the time of default and foreclosure of the mortgage the owner has .the same right to pay the mortgage debt and relieve his property from the lien as he had prior to the default. “The right of redemption after a sale on foreclosure * * * is distinct from the equity of redemption before the foreclosure sale. The former commences only when the latter ends. A valid foreclosure destroys the latter and creates the former.” 3 Wiltsie, Mortgage Foreclosure, 5th Ed., 1660, § 1060.

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Bluebook (online)
19 N.W.2d 830, 70 S.D. 571, 1945 S.D. LEXIS 65, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rist-v-hartvigsen-sd-1945.