State Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Kauaian Development Co.

613 P.2d 1315, 62 Haw. 188, 1980 Haw. LEXIS 168
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 1, 1980
DocketNO. 5911
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 613 P.2d 1315 (State Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Kauaian Development Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Kauaian Development Co., 613 P.2d 1315, 62 Haw. 188, 1980 Haw. LEXIS 168 (haw 1980).

Opinion

*189 OPINION OF THE COURT BY

KOBAYASHI, J.

This is an appeal by State Savings & Loan Association (State) from a judgment entered after a trial on remand pursuant to our opinion in State Savings & Loan Association v. Kauaian Development Co., 50 Haw. 540, 445 P.2d 109 (1968). Based on the record, we treat the instant appeal as an appeal primarily from the tried court’s order denying State’s motion for a new trial.

In our prior opinion, we reached conclusions of law based upon facts as they appeared from the record at that time. We said that there were five issues between the present parties (exclusive of mechanics lien claimants), which we disposed of as follows:

1. Was a condominium established? We held that the documents showed that Master Lease 1 (ML1) had been submitted to the horizontal property regime and remained in effect.
2. What was the significance of the establishment of a horizontal property regime? We held that the individual units created by the horizontal property regime Declaration were susceptible to conveyance.
3. What interests did the contracts with purchasers convey? We held that the contracts created interests in the units which were superior to those of a subsequent mortgage who receive the mortgage with knowledge thereof. With respect to the facts, we said that a majority of the contracts were executed before State received its mortgage, and that State knew of their existence.
a. Under this issue we discussed the contention that ML1 was extinguished by merger (of lease and fee *190 title) or surrender. We held that no merger had taken place, which conclusion was based on the documents as a matter of law. We also held that there was insufficient evidence to support the trial court’s finding of a surrender.
4. Were the purchasers’ interests subordinated to the mortgage by virtue of the condominium deeds and leases or the Sheraton agreement? We held that this issue had to be remanded for the trial court’s determination.
5. Were any of the affirmative defenses of estoppel, waiver, forfeiture of the foreclosure right or deprivation of due process established? We held that none of the affirmative defenses was supported by the facts and that due process was not denied by the trial court’s failure to make specific findings.

State and the condominium unit owners (appellees) treated the proceedings on remand as limited to specific issues. Based on a pretrial conference agreement of the parties, the trial court entered a written pretrial order containing the following issues:

1. As of the date of execution of the mortgage, what interests, estate or estates, did the individual condominium or apartment unit purchasers have in the mortgaged property?
2. What interests, estate or estates, did purchasers subsequent to the execution of the mortgage acquire?
3. Did these purchasers subordinate their interests, whatever they might be, to the mortgage?

At the pretrial conference, appellees moved that the issues also include:

(a) Should the foreclosure sale be set aside?
(b) Should the proceeds of the foreclosure sale and/or resale of the property be deemed to be held in trust by State for the apartment owners?
(c) The nature and extent of the damages to the purchasers.
(d) The nature of the purchasers’ interest in and the amount of the proceeds of the foreclosure sale.

*191 The motion was denied and these issues were not mentioned at the outset of the trial; neither were the issues set by pretrial order modified and/or enlarged during trial.

In its Conclusions of Law the trial court, however, dealt not only with the issues framed at the pretrial conference but also with the issues proposed by appellees on their motion. State contends that there was no testimony, argument or briefing on the additional issues.

The Findings of Fact of the court below, in part premised on our Opinion in the prior appeal, are in substance as follows:

1. The Supreme Court determined that a leasehold condominium regime was established. Finding No. 4.
2. The Supreme Court determined that binding contracts were entered into which created in the defendant condominium apartment owners a property right superior to State, who had knowledge of the existence of the contracts. Finding No. 5.
3. The Supreme Court found that ML1, as amended by Master Lease 2 (ML2), continued as an estate distinct from the fee and that “the defendant condominium apartment owners had a valid leasehold condominium interest in their respective condominium apartments.” Finding No. 6.
4. The condominium apartment owners did not subordinate their interests in their respective leasehold condominium apartments to the State Savings/Kauaian Development Company, Inc. (KDCI) mortgage. Finding No. 7.
5. The owners of certain apartment units, listed in Findings Nos. 8 and 15, had entered into binding contracts to purchase such units prior to the recordation of the State Savings/KDCI mortgage on January 17, 1964, and State had actual knowledge of such contracts. Findings Nos. 8, 9 and 15.
6. At the time it entered into the mortgage, State knew that there were nine apartments (Units IB, 214, 215, 003, 1C, 201, 216, 301 and 302) owned by KDCI free and *192 clear, which apartments were subsequently transferred to other parties. Finding No. 10.
7. The Kawasaki Trust was the purchaser of 11 apartment units under contracts made on October 30, 1963 which were superior to the mortgage. KDCI subsequently refunded the down payments and took back the property. The units were later transferred to KDCI to Kauaian Land Company, Inc. (KLCI), then to Blue Sea, Inc:, then to Blue Sea Trust. Finding No. 12.
8. The contracts to purchase Units 111, 6B, 211, 213, 110 and IB were finalized after January 17, 1964. Finding No. 13.
9. Prior to entering into the mortgage with KDCI, State acknowledged that “all 77 apartments have been sold on contracts . . . these 77 apartments have actually been purchased.” Finding No. 14.

The Conclusions of Law formulated by the trial court are as follows:

1. On the evidence adduced and the findings of facts, the Court concludes that the condominium unit owners did not subordinate their interest in their respective apartments to the State Savings mortgage dated January 17, 1964.
2.

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

Related

Hungate v. Law Office of David B. Rosen
391 P.3d 1 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2017)
Wright v. Home Depot U.S.A., Inc.
142 P.3d 265 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2006)
Ass'n of Owners of Kukui Plaza v. City of Honolulu
742 P.2d 974 (Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 1987)
Kojima v. Uyeda
628 P.2d 208 (Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 1981)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
613 P.2d 1315, 62 Haw. 188, 1980 Haw. LEXIS 168, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-savings-loan-assn-v-kauaian-development-co-haw-1980.