Spurgin v. Adamson

62 Iowa 661
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJanuary 29, 1883
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 62 Iowa 661 (Spurgin v. Adamson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Spurgin v. Adamson, 62 Iowa 661 (iowa 1883).

Opinion

Beck, J.

I. The facts, as shown by the evidence and the admissions of the pleadings, are as follows:

1. November 30, 1872, Nathan Adamson and his wife, Amy J., executed a mortgage upon the S. -i¿-, S. W. Sec. 12, Twp. 75, R. 22 W. 5 P. M., to W. II. Schooley, upon which a decree of foreclosure was rendered, March 6,1877, for $354.60, and the land was sold thereon in separate paroles to Hugh R. Creighton, the east “forty,” less three acres, for $300, and the west “forty,” less three acres, for $87.50. The west “ forty” was the homestead of Nathan Adamson and wife. The sheriff’s certificates issued upon the sale of these lands were assigned to Joseph Adamson, and two deeds, one for each “ forty,” were executed to him by the sheriff May 4, 1878.

2. Plaintiff in this case, on the 13th day of January, 1877, recovered two judgments against Nathan Adámson for the aggregate amount of $312.55, upon which the east “forty” (less three acres) was sold, and a deed was made to plaintiff therefor, March 7, 1878.

3. Plaintiff was not made a party to the foreclosure proceedings of the Schooley mortgage, and by. this action he seeks to redeem, under his equity of redemption, the east “forty,” and to recover the rents and profits of the land, which has been in possession of defendants, and asks that an accounting be had therefor.

4. On the 8th day of December, 1873, Nathan Adamson [663]*663and wife executed a mortgage, covering all of the above described land, to Farr, to secure $700, which was transferred to the defendant, Joseph Adamson.

5. Joseph Adamson acquired the sheriff’s deeds under the Schooley foreclosure, and the assignment of the Farr mortgage, as a trustee for the intervenor, Amy J. Adamson, and holds the same for her use and benefit.

6. The evidence shows that Joseph. Adamson executed' a mortgage, for money borrowed, to the Hartford Life & Annuity Insurance Company upon the lands, which was used in payment for the transfer of the Farr mortgage, assigned, as just stated, to him.

The decree of the district court provides that the Adam-sons may redeem from the sheriff’s sale made to plaintiff, within a time specified, by paying the amount bid by him, with interest at ten per centum per annum from the date of the sale, and, if they fail to make such redemption, the plaintiff may redeem all the lands sold upon the foreclosure of the Schooley mortgage, upon paying the amount bid, namely, $387.50, with ten per centum per annum interest from the day of sale. The decree further provides that, in case the Adamsons fail to pay the mortgage to the Hartford Life & Annuity Insurance Company, the plaintiff shall retain from the money to be paid by him to redeem the land a sum equal to the amount of that mortgage and the interest thereon, and shall thereupon become personally liable therefor to the Insurance Company. The decree declares that plaintiff, upon redemption from the Schooley mortgage, shall become vested with all the rights and interest, acquired under the sheriff’s deeds by the Adamsons.

II. It is insisted that the only right of redemption held by i. bedemp-mortgage5111 by junior lien-holder not made a party, plaintiff was that conferred by the statute, and that, as the time within which that right may be exercised under the statute had expired before . this suit was brought, he is not entitled to redeem from the mortgage. It cannot be doubted that he lost the [664]*664statutory right to redeem, and we do not understand that be claimed it.

But the plaintiff, as the bolder of a lien upon the property, has, in equity, a right to redeem until that right is cut off by foreclosure. As this was not done, and he was not made a party to the action to foreclose, he retains this equitable right. Defendants insists that this equitable right of redemption is merged in the statutory right, and limited, as to the time of its exercise, by the provisions of the statute. .There is nothing to be found in the statute taking away the equity of redemption and substituting therefor the statutory redemption. Code, § 3321, provides that sales of land under foreclosures of mortgages are subject to redemption as in cases of sales upon general executions. Under this statute, an in-cumbrancer, or one holding an interest in the land, which, under the statute, would give him the right to redeem, may exercise that right within the time prescribed by the statute, although he was a party to the foreclosure action, and his equity of redemption was cut off by the decree of foreclosure. The equity of redemption ceases to exist after the expiration of the time fixed by the decree of foreclosure, or the rules of chancery applicable thereto. The statute, under our view, confers a right upon the junior incumbrancer not given by chancery. By its terms it does not limit the right of redemption before existing under, the rules of equity. That right is, therefore, not taken away by it. It was not the purpose • of the statute, in conferring this right of redemption, to take away another and different right recognized by equity. The equity of redemption exists independent of statute, and will be enforced by the courts of chancery until it is taken away by express legislative enactment.

III. The plaintiff’s judgments were not liens upon that portion of the lands occupied as a homestead. The equity 2__._. Rykfudgment creditor. of redemption exists only in favor of those who hold hens upon, or some interest in, the mortgaged property. Plaintiff, having no such lien or interest, holds no equity of redemption. His right of re[665]*665demption under tbe statute bad expired before be instituted this proceeding. Tbe circuit court, therefore, erred in permitting plaintiff to redeem tbe homestead.

IY. Tbe Farr mortgage was a lien on tbe lands superior to plaintiff’s judgments. Plaintiff cannot and ought not to 3__._. terms of. bold the land upon bis judgment and s.ale, without redeeming from this mortgage. It is now held, under an assignment, by Joseph Adamson; plaintiff must redeem from it as well as tbe Schooley mortgage before lie can enforce bis judgments. Holliday v. Arthur, 25 Iowa, 19. To avoid another action, all the parties in interest being before tbe court in this case, the decree ought to provide for tbe exercise of this right of redemption, and the terms upon which the redemption should be made. A junior incumbran-cer, in making redemption from a senior mortgage, is required to pay the full amount of the mortgage debt. Johnson v. Hannon, 19 Iowa, 56; Knowles v. Rablin et al., 20 Id., 101. And a purchaser or junior mortgagee of a part of the mortgaged premises, in order to redeem, is required to pay the whole debt secured by a prior mortgage. Douglass et al. v. Bishop, 27 Iowa, 214; Knowles v. Rablin et al., supra; Street v. Beal & Hyatt, 16 Id., 68; Massie v. Wilson, Id., 390. Plaintiff, in order to redeem from the Farr mortgage, must pay the- whole mortgage debt secured by that mortgage.

Y. Plaintiff claims that the evidence shows that Joseph Ad-amson “paid off” the Farr mortgage. The evidence clearly i. mortgage: purSeof: demption.6" proves that Joseph Adamson borrowed from the Hartford Life & Annuity Insurance Company money which he applied to the purchase of the Farr mortgage.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Veninga v. Valley State Bank of Rock Valley
443 N.W.2d 721 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1989)
Moser v. Thorp Sales Corp.
256 N.W.2d 900 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1977)
First National Bank & Trust Co. v. MacGarvie
126 A.2d 880 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1956)
John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance v. Roeder
268 N.W. 64 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1936)
Bank of Luverne v. Turk
133 So. 52 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1930)
Osage Oil & Refining Co. v. Mulber Oil Co.
43 F.2d 306 (Tenth Circuit, 1930)
Kupper v. Schlegel
224 N.W. 813 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1929)
Froelich v. Swafford
144 N.W. 925 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1914)
Martin v. Adams Brick Co.
102 N.E. 831 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1913)
Horr v. Herrington
1908 OK 226 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1908)
Meredith v. Lochrie
102 N.W. 502 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1905)
Dolan v. Midland Blast Furnace Co.
100 N.W. 45 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1904)
Raymond v. Whitehouse
93 N.W. 292 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1903)
American Loan & Trust Co. v. Atlanta Electric Ry. Co.
99 F. 313 (U.S. Circuit Court for the Northern District of Georgia, 1899)
Wells v. Ordway
78 N.W. 806 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1899)
Long v. Mellet
63 N.W. 190 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1895)
Compton v. Jesup
68 F. 263 (Sixth Circuit, 1895)
Nelson v. Larsen
42 N.W. 574 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1889)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
62 Iowa 661, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/spurgin-v-adamson-iowa-1883.