Savory v. First Union National Bank of Delaware

954 So. 2d 930, 2007 Miss. LEXIS 126, 2007 WL 611619
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 1, 2007
DocketNo. 2003-CA-02773-SCT
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 954 So. 2d 930 (Savory v. First Union National Bank of Delaware) 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
Savory v. First Union National Bank of Delaware, 954 So. 2d 930, 2007 Miss. LEXIS 126, 2007 WL 611619 (Mich. 2007).

Opinion

SMITH, Chief Justice, for the Court.

¶ 1. This case comes to this Court on appeal from the Circuit Court of Leflore County by the plaintiff, Brenda Savory. Savory claims that she was defrauded by First Union National Bank of Delaware (hereinafter “First Union”) and mortgage brokers John Emory and Joni Goss, doing business as Mississippi Mortgage Corporation (“Mississippi Mortgage”), while she was obtaining a loan with First Union. Specifically, the alleged fraud involves the falsification of documents, which Savory argues exaggerated her net worth and bolstered her credit worthiness. On appeal, Savory asserts that First Union was either actively involved in this fraudulent scheme, should have detected the fraud, or that the actions of Emory and Mississippi Mortgage should have been imputed to First Union because they were agents of First Union.

¶ 2. We hold that the trial court erred in giving Jury Instructions 26 and SO, as they likely confused and misled the jury as to the correct principle of law. Accordingly, we reverse and remand.

FACTS

¶ 3. In 2000, Savory contacted Orin Parrish, to inquire about a house that was listed for sale. Parrish told Savory that the selling price of the house would not be less than $40,000. Savory subsequently contacted Emory, a loan officer with Wholesale Mortgage, about financing options for the house. Emory took Savory’s loan application over the phone and entered information that she provided on a standard Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Form 1003. He also obtained employment and rent verifications, verification of Savory’s deposit account and assets, a borrower’s authorization and an appraisal of the property to be financed. These documents were submitted to Equicredit, one of Wholesale Mortgage’s lending sources. After Equicredit notified Emory that Savory’s application had been denied, he transferred her loan application packet to Joni Goss with Mississippi Mortgage.

¶4. At all times relevant to Savory’s Complaint, Mississippi Mortgage had applied to be but had not yet been placed on First Union’s list of approved brokers. Darrell Carroll, who was the Underwriting Manager for First Union’s Broker Division at the time of the events in question, testified that Mississippi Mortgage was allowed to submit Savory’s loan application packet on a trial basis while approval of the Broker Agreement between First Union and Mississippi Mortgage was being considered. Carroll testified that, based on representations that the selling price of the house was $53,000 and that Savory would be paying a required ten percent down payment of $9,658, First Union approved Savory’s application. First Union loaned $47,7000 on property that actually cost $40,000. On October 6, 2000, the closing on the loan was held at Bobby Fisher, Jr.’s law office. Savory received a cash payment of $1,350 at the loan closing, which is not reflected on the Settlement Statement or other signed loan documents provided to First Union. Savory moved in to the house in November of 2000 but never made any of the scheduled $470.55 monthly mortgage payments to First Union.

¶ 5. On March 2, 2001, Savory filed a complaint against First Union, Emory; [932]*932Mississippi Mortgage; Bobby Fisher, Jr.; Fisher Law Offices and other defendants, charging them with negligence, misrepresentation, fraud, breach of contract and various other claims. On October 3, 2002, a Leflore County jury found that First Union was not liable to Savory. However, the jury awarded Savory $30,000 in actual damages and $20,000 in punitive damages as a result of the fraud by Emory and Mississippi Mortgage. On November 1, 2002, the Circuit Court entered final judgment on the jury’s verdict. Savory’s motion for a directed verdict against First Union on the issue of liability was denied. Aggrieved by this decision, Savory asserts seven issues on appeal.

I. Whether the Lower Court Erred in Refusing to Rule First Union Was Liable to Brenda Savory as a Matter of Law for its Admitted Preparation of an Admitted Fraudulent Loan Document Applicable to Brenda Savory’s Loan from First Union.
II. Whether the Lower Court Erred in Refusing to Rule That Mississippi Mortgage Was First Union’s Agent as a Matter of Undisputed Fact and Law.
III. Whether the Lower Court Erred in Refusing to Rule That Mississippi Mortgage Acted Within the Scope of its Employment as Agent for First Union as a Matter of Undisputed Fact and Law.
IV. Whether the Lower Court Erred in Allowing the Jury to Decide Whether Emory/Mississippi Mortgage Acted as an “Independent Contractor” or “Agent.”
V. Whether the Lower Court Erred in Excluding from Evidence the Broker’s Agreement, Which Both Parties Testified Was Applicable to Savory’s Loan from First Union.
VI. Whether Jury Instructions 26 and 30 Were Accurate Statements of Law.
VII. Whether the Lower Court Erred in Denying Savory’s Motion for J.N.O.V.

As the determination of Issues IV and VI control the outcome of this appeal, we address only those issues.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶ 6. This Court will not set aside a jury verdict unless it is against the overwhelming weight of the evidence and credibility testimony. SW. Miss. Reg’l Med. Ctr. v. Lawrence, et al., 684 So.2d 1257, 1267 (Miss.1996). This Court reviews jury instructions as a whole. Splain v. Hines, 609 So.2d 1234, 1239 (Miss.1992). Defects in particular instructions do not require reversal when the instructions, taken as a whole, fairly express the primary rules of law. Id.

DISCUSSION

I. Whether the Lower Court Erred in Allowing the Jury to Decide Whether Emory/Mississippi Mortgage Acted as an “Independent Contractor” or “Agent.”

¶ 7. Savory asserts that the fraud committed by the mortgage brokers was at First Union’s express direction because the brokers were controlled by First Union. Savory submits that the trial court should have instructed the jury that First Union was vicariously liable for the wrongful conduct of its agents; therefore the court erred in submitting to the jury the issue of whether the mortgage brokers were agents or independent contractors. First Union counters that the mortgage brokers were not agents of First Union. First Union argues that the brokers were actually independent contractors or agents of Savory.

[933]*933¶ 8. This Court has held that a question of whether an agency relationship exists, or whether a party is an independent contractor, is a question of fact to be resolved by the jury. Kight v. Sheppard Bldg. Supply, Inc., 537 So.2d 1355, 1358 (Miss.1989). One legal authority states “when the facts pertaining to the existence or non-existence of an agency are conflicting, or conflicting inferences may be drawn from the evidence, the question presented is one of fact for the jury, ... and even though the evidence is not full or satisfactory, it is the better practice to submit the question to the trier of fact.” 3 Am.Jur.2d Agency § 372 (1986).

¶ 9. In Elder v. Sears, Roebuck & Co.,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
954 So. 2d 930, 2007 Miss. LEXIS 126, 2007 WL 611619, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/savory-v-first-union-national-bank-of-delaware-miss-2007.