Slomovic v. Petryk

341 So. 2d 208, 21 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 669, 1976 Fla. App. LEXIS 15828
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedDecember 17, 1976
DocketNo. 76-527
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 341 So. 2d 208 (Slomovic v. Petryk) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Slomovic v. Petryk, 341 So. 2d 208, 21 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 669, 1976 Fla. App. LEXIS 15828 (Fla. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinion

MASON, ERNEST E. (Retired), Associate Judge.

This is an appeal from a final judgment rendered by the Circuit Court of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit in and for Broward County. The judgment was entered in a suit at law upon a promissory note. The note was executed by the appellant, Slomo-vic, as maker, with the appellee, Petryk, as payee. The note was given as evidence of an amount due by appellant on account of the balance of the purchase price of certain land bought by appellant from appellee. Simultaneously with the execution of the note appellant gave to the appellee a mortgage deed to secure the payment of the note. The mortgage recites that it is a purchase money second mortgage given to secure the exact note sued upon in this suit and that it is to become void upon payment in full of the principal and interest of said note.

The note as executed by appellant, and as set forth verbatim in the mortgage securing it, is for $21,000.00 as principal, dated February 23rd, 1973, and payable beginning March 23rd, 1973, in installments of $200.00 each for twenty-three months “with the balance due within (2) years at 8% interest”. It provides that it may be prepaid in whole or in part at anytime without penalty. Appellant regularly paid the first twenty-three monthly installments as they accrued and appellee credited her with said payments, applying part of each monthly payment to interest due on the then balance and the remainder of such to principal. This is evidenced by appellee’s loan amortization schedule placed by him in evidence at the trial below. But at the end of the two year period from the date of execution of the note appellee demanded of appellant the remaining principal balance due on February 23rd, 1975, in the sum of $19,513.91. This amount was calculated as the amount due after crediting as against the principal and accrued interest the $200.00 monthly payments theretofore paid by appellant. Appellant refused to pay this balloon balance as demanded, claiming that under the provisions of Section 697.05, F.S. (1975), she had the right to pay this balance in monthly installments of $200.00. Thereupon, appel-lee elected to sue on the note without foreclosing the mortgage securing the same as aforesaid.

Appellant answered the complaint raising the affirmative defense that the note was given to secure a balloon mortgage executed simultaneously with the note, that both instruments were parts of one and the same transaction, and that she was not in default, claiming that because the mortgage was a balloon mortgage she was entitled to pay the balloon balance in monthly installments of $200.00. She claimed by her answer that the appellee is estopped from bringing this action because of her alleged right to pay such balance in such installments. She relies upon the provisions of F.S. 697.05 (1975), to sustain her position.

Section 697.05, F.S. (1975) provides that any conveyance given for the purpose of [210]*210securing money is deemed a mortgage and that every such mortgage in which the final payment or the balance due and payable upon maturity is greater than twice the amount of the regular monthly or periodic payment of the said mortgage is a balloon mortgage. The statute further directs that the fact that such instrument is a balloon mortgage shall be printed or clearly stamped on it. Failure of the mortgagee or creditor to comply with such requirement shall automatically extend the maturity date of the mortgage in the following manner:

“The final payment of the balance due and payable is to be divided by the regular monthly or periodic payment and the quotient so secured is to be the number of months or periods the maturity date of the mortgage is extended. The mortgagor shall continue to make such monthly or periodic payments until the principal of the mortgage is paid. All such payments shall be credited to the principal only.” F.S. 697.05(3) (1975).

The statute further provides that any mortgagee or creditor violating the provisions of the same shall forfeit the entire interest charged, contracted to be charged or reserved under any such mortgage written in violation of such provisions, and that only the principal sum of such mortgage can be enforced in any court in this state, either at law or in equity. Further, that “any interest, collection charge or attorney fee that has been paid or reserved or contracted for, either directly or indirectly, shall be forfeited to the person or mortgagor presently obligated under such mortgage.” (Emphasis supplied).

It is clear from an examination of the mortgage securing the note sued upon herein that such mortgage is a balloon mortgage within the statutory definition above referred to, and that the legend required by the statute was not placed upon the mortgage. The record herein further affirms that the appellee refused to permit the appellant to pay the balloon balance in monthly installments as required by the statute but on the contrary demanded its payment in full upon the maturity date of the mortgage and note.

As stated above, appellee elected to sue on the note without foreclosing the mortgage, claiming that he had the right of election of remedies. The court below held that he had such right and entered judgment for the balloon balance of $19,513.91 as principal plus interest from February 23rd, 1975, the maturity date of the balloon balance, to the date of judgment at the rate prescribed in the note. Such interest amounted to $1,479.85. The court also awarded an attorney’s fee to appellee in the sum of $2500.00. Subsequent to the entry of such judgment, execution was issued and the Sheriff levied upon and advertised for sale the exact property covered by the mortgage. Whereupon, appellant filed notice of appeal and secured supersedeas upon the giving of appeal bond in an amount fixed by the court.

The issue to be decided by us is whether the provisions of F.S. 697.05 (1975) apply to this lawsuit or whether the appellee had the right of election to sue upon the note only, thereby seeking a general judgment against the appellant without resort to foreclosure proceedings, and thus avoid the consequences of the requirements of that statute.

It is the appellant’s position that inasmuch as the note sued upon was secured by a balloon mortgage given simultaneously with the execution of the note the appellee is bound by the provisions of the Balloon Mortgage Statute (F.S. 697.05 (1975)) and cannot avoid the penalties of the statute by separating the note from the mortgage and suing upon it only.

Appellee maintains that he has an election of remedies and may avoid the penalties of the statute by electing to sue on the note only. He cites as authority for his position the general principle of law that where a party has several remedies he may elect one and abandon the others. But he also cites as authority for his claimed right to sue only on the note in this suit a provision of the Uniform Commercial Code dealing with secured transactions (F.S. 679.-501(1)(1975)) which provides cumulative [211]*211remedies in the event of default by the debtor. This statute provides that when a debtor is in default under a security agreement, a secured party may reduce his claim to judgment, foreclose or otherwise enforce the security interest by any available judicial procedure. It further provides that the rights and remedies enumerated in it are cumulative.

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Bluebook (online)
341 So. 2d 208, 21 U.C.C. Rep. Serv. (West) 669, 1976 Fla. App. LEXIS 15828, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/slomovic-v-petryk-fladistctapp-1976.