Security Investment Co. v. Meister

183 N.W. 183, 214 Mich. 337, 1921 Mich. LEXIS 663
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJune 6, 1921
DocketDocket No. 73
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 183 N.W. 183 (Security Investment Co. v. Meister) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Security Investment Co. v. Meister, 183 N.W. 183, 214 Mich. 337, 1921 Mich. LEXIS 663 (Mich. 1921).

Opinion

Fellows, J.

(after stating the facts). Plaintiff by its bill claims that the deeds to Lefton were without consideration and fraudulent and were made to place the title out of Meister and in one in the service for the purpose of vexing and annoying it and that it had no actual notice of their existence although conceding constructive notice from their record. Defendant Meister insists that they were given to secure money advanced and were in all regards free from fraud. As the debt secured by them has been paid, [341]*341if one existed, and Lefton no longer has or claims to have an interest in the lots and is not in any way affected by these proceedings, we have no occasion to consider any of these claims. The matters adjudicated by the court- below and now before us on appeal concern only the plaintiff and defendant Meister. While several questions are discussed we think the controlling ones are within a very small compass.

There is no claim that there is any irregularity in the proceedings before the circuit court commissioner or that he was 'without jurisdiction-. There is no claim that defendant had made any payments he was not given credit for. There is no- claim that he was not in default or that he did not receive the notice of forfeiture. There is no claim that he was lulled into insecurity by any act or promise of plaintiff, or that he failed to make any defense before the commissioner because of any promise or act of the plaintiff. Indeed, he appeared personally and by counsel in that proceeding. In short, this record will be searched in vain for facts which establish grounds for equitable relief from-the judgment rendered by the commissioner.

What defendant’s counsel do urge upon the court is that plaintiff’s notice of forfeiture was ineffectual because at the time it was given it had not paid the specific tax required by Act No. 91, Pub. Acts 1911 (1 Comp. Laws 1915, § 4268 et seq.), and particular stress is laid upon section 8 of the act (§ 4275). Their further contentions are that equity does not favor forfeitures, will not decree them, and will relieve from them. Much space is taken in the briefs of both counsel in the consideration of the question of the payment of the specific tax provided for in the act above cited, it being the claim of defendant’s counsel that under the section noted the contract may not be “enforced” without its payment, and that the notice of forfeiture was an attempt to “enforce” it, or at least was one of the [342]*342steps in its enforcement and could not be had without the payment of the tax. This presents an interesting question and the briefs demonstrate that both counsel have devoted much time and ability to its consideration. When properly before the court it will receive the consideration its importance requires. But this is not a proceeding to enforce the contract. This is a proceeding to enforce and give effect to the judgment rendered by the circuit court commissioner. Whether this question was urged before the commissioner this record does not reveal. That it was available to defendant then, if at all, cannot be questioned. Here it is urged in a collateral attack upon the judgment there rendered. If there urged and overruled manifestly defendant’s remedy was by an appeal, and it must be equally manifest that defendant could not there withhold a defense to that proceeding for the purpose of making it available in equity as a basis of collateral attack! It is not the province of the court of equity to examine the evidence adduced upon a trial at law and determine whether it supports the judgment. The circuit court commissioner had jurisdiction. If the judgment rendered by him was erroneous defendant’s remedy was by appeal.

This court has been quite liberal in relieving parties from forfeitures. See Lozon v. McKay, 203 Mich. 364; Hubbell v. Ohler, 213 Mich. 664. But plaintiff is not here asking that a forfeiture be decreed. What it is here asking is that effect be given a judgment in its favor against the defendant in a case where the defendant might have raised the question of the propriety of the forfeiture, and where even after judgment, and for 30 days thereafter, he had the right to redeem and be relieved from the forfeiture. Plaintiff is here asking the court to say that what has been done terminated the contract and defendant’s rights under it, and that any claims of defendant to the lots [343]*343are but a cloud upon its title. The language of this court in Pendill v. Union Mining Co., 64 Mich. 172, is quite applicable. It was there said:

“Counsel for defendant further insist that the object of the bill is to declare a forfeiture of an estate for non-performance of a condition subsequent, against the rule that, equity will never enforce a penalty or forfeiture. We do not think this is the proper view to be taken of the bill. The bill treats the lease as a void incumbrance, under which the defendant company, by its claims thereunder, clouds the complainant’s title. The court is not asked to declare the forfeiture, but to ascertain whether or not a completed forfeiture exists, and, if so, to remove the cloud. The bill does not ask the court to do the thing, but to ascertain whether it has been done, and, if so, to declare its effect upon the title to complainants’ property.”

In the case of Lambton Loan & Investment Co. v. Adams, 132 Mich. 350, this court pointed out that the vendor in a forfeited land contract had three remedies: (1) a suit in equity to foreclose the contract; (2) an action of ejectment; (3) proceedings under the statute. We also pointed out that if he took the statutory remedy he took it subject to the conditions imposed by the statute which at that time permitted payment of the amount found due within five days after the rendition of the judgment (3 Comp. Laws 1897, § 11177). And in Smith v. Nelson, 165 Mich. 438, we held that this statutory right to redeem was at an end five days after judgment in the circuit court on appeal and was not prolonged by an appeal to this court.

Section 11177, 3 Comp. Laws 1897, was carried into the judicature act without change (3 Comp. Laws 1915, § 13253). But the legislature of 1917 saw fit to extend the time for redemption where the proceedings were upon an executory land contract and amended the section so that it now reads so far as important here (Act No. 243, Pub. Acts 1917):

[344]*344“No writ of restitution shall be issued under the provisions of this chapter, until the expiration of five days, or in the case of a proceeding upon any executory contract for the purchase of real estate until the expiration of thirty days after the entry of judgment of restitution; and in case of an appeal within that time, no writ of restitution shall issue until such appeal be determined in the circuit court; * * * Any writ of restitution and return of service thereof may be recorded in the office of register of deeds for the county in which said lands or tenements are situated and when so recorded shall be notice to all persons of the termination of all rights of defendant in or to such lands or tenements.”

A consideration of these statutory provisions shows the legislative intent to protect defaulting vendees and to give them a final opportunity to pay and be reinstated in their contract rights after a hearing as to amount due and a fixing of that amount. Under our holdings the vendor who avails himself of this statutory proceeding takes it subject to this provision.

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Bluebook (online)
183 N.W. 183, 214 Mich. 337, 1921 Mich. LEXIS 663, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/security-investment-co-v-meister-mich-1921.