State ex rel. Bryant v. Starwich

229 P. 12, 131 Wash. 101
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 6, 1924
DocketNo. 18563
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 229 P. 12 (State ex rel. Bryant v. Starwich) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Bryant v. Starwich, 229 P. 12, 131 Wash. 101 (Wash. 1924).

Opinion

Fullerton, J.

The Universal Savings & Loan Association made a loan to the relator Lucy J. Bryant, which she secured hy a mortgage upon certain real [102]*102property situated in the city of Seattle then owned by her. Afterwards the association foreclosed the mortgage, caused the property to be sold under the decree of foreclosure, and itself became the purchaser of the property at the sale for the amount of its decree, which then aggregated the sum of $552.46. It entered into possession of the property on the confirmation of the sale.

In due time, after the foreclosure and sale, the relator, as mortgagor, gave notice to the sheriff of her intention to redeem the property from the foreclosure sale. The sheriff, as required by statute, caused notice of the intention to redeem to be served upon the purchaser. The purchaser thereupon filed with the sheriff a sworn statement to the effect that it had expended upon the property in “operating, caring for, protecting, and insuring” the same, and in the payment of assessments and liens thereon, the sum of $884.88 in excess of the sum received as rentals from the property.

At the time fixed as the time for redemption, the relator appeared at the sheriff’s office and tendered to the sheriff the amount bid for the property, the amount of taxes and assessments the purchaser had paid on the property subsequent to the purchase, together with interest on such sums at the statutory rate, and demanded a certificate of redemption. The sheriff refused the tender, and refused to issue a certificate of 'redemption unless the applicant would pay, in addition to the amount tendered, the sum shown in the purchaser’s sworn statement to have been expended upon the property subsequent to its purchase. The relator thereupon began proceedings in mandamus in the superior court to compel the sheriff to accept the tender and issue to her a certificate of redemption, paying [103]*103into the registry of the court the amount tendered the sheriff. The purchaser resisted the proceedings, and a hearing was had thereon, resulting in an order dismissing the proceedings with costs. The present appeal is from this order.

The principal question involves a construction of the statutes relating to redemption of property sold under execution. The respondent, however, raises a preliminary question necessary to be noticed. The tender to the sheriff, while within the statutory period, was conditioned on the issuance of a certificate of redemption, and the money was not left with that officer. The mandatory proceedings were instituted after the period of redemption had expired, and the money paid into the registry of the court was, of course, likewise paid subsequent to that time. It is argued that this is insufficient to comply with the statute, that the money should have been tendered to the sheriff unconditionally, and that its payment into court was in effect the first unconditional tender, and came too late to be effective under the statute. But the statute provides (Bern. Comp. S'tat., § 599) [P. C. § 7914], that the sheriff shall issue to the redemptioner such a certificate, and this being the right of the redemptioner, he may lawfully make the tender conditional upon the issuance of the certificate. The allowance of the redemption by the sheriff is the principal matter, of which the certificate, at best, is only evidence. When the sheriff refuses to allow a redemption, he has no right to the money tendered, and neither the statute, nor the general rules of law, require that it be left with bim. The redemptioner’s rights, however, are fixed at that time. The subsequent proceedings are to compel the sheriff to recognize a right already accrued, and whether these are instituted after or before the right of re[104]*104demption expires does not affect the proceedings. What might he the effect of an nnnsnal delay, we need not consider, as the proceedings in this instance were timely.

The statute provides (Rem. Comp. Stat., § 584) [P. C. § 7907], that all real property sold under execution, decree or order of sale, with an exception not necessary here to notice, shall be subject to redemption. The proceedings relating thereto are prescribed by statutes found in the same compilation from § 594 to § 604, inclusive.' [P. C. §7909 et seg.] Section 594 defines the persons entitled to redeem. Section 595 [P. C. § 7910], prescribes the time for redemption, which it limits to one year after sale, and further provides that the redemptioner may redeem “ . . .on paying the amount of the bid, with interest thereon at the rate of eight per cent per annum to the time of redemption, together with the amount of any assessment or taxes which the purchaser or his successor in interest may have paid thereon after purchase, and like interest on such amount; . . . ”

Section 599, supra, prescribes the mode of redeeming. It provides that the person seeking to redeem shall give the sheriff at least five days’ written notice of his intention to apply to him for that purpose, and makes it the duty of the sheriff to notify the purchaser, or his attorney, “of the receipt of such notice.”

Section 600 [P. C. §7915], of the statute reads as follows :

“The purchaser, from the time of the sale until the redemption, and the redemptioner from the time of his redemption until another redemption, except as hereinafter provided, is entitled to receive from the tenant in possession the rents of the property sold, or the value of the use and occupation thereof. But when any rénts or profits have been received by such person or [105]*105persons thus entitled thereto, from the property thus sold, preceding the redemption thereof from him, the amount of such rents and profits, over and above the expenses paid for operating, caring for, protecting and insuring the property, shall be a credit upon the redemption money to be paid; and if the redemptioner or other person entitled to make such redemption, before the expiration of the time allowed for such redemption, files with the sheriff a demand in writing for a written and verified statement of the amounts of such rents and profits thus received, and expenses paid and incurred, the period for redemption is extended five (5) days after such sworn statement is given by such person thus receiving such rents and profits, or by his agent, to the person making such demand, or to the sheriff. It shall be the duty of the sheriff to serve a copy of such demand upon the person receiving such rents and profits, his agent or Ms attorney, if such service can be made in the county where the property is situate. If such person shall, for a period of ten days after such demand has been given to' the sheriff, fail or refuse to give such statement, such re-demptioner or other person entitled to redeem from such sale, makrng such demand, may bring an action within sixty days after making such demand, but not later, in any court of competent jurisdiction, to compel an accounting and disclosure of such rents, profits and expenses, and until fifteen days from and after the final determination of such action the right of redemption is extended to such redemptioner or other person making such demand who shall be entitled to redeem.

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Bluebook (online)
229 P. 12, 131 Wash. 101, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-bryant-v-starwich-wash-1924.