State v. Holland

367 S.W.2d 791, 51 Tenn. App. 344, 1962 Tenn. App. LEXIS 113
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedAugust 8, 1962
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 367 S.W.2d 791 (State v. Holland) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Holland, 367 S.W.2d 791, 51 Tenn. App. 344, 1962 Tenn. App. LEXIS 113 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1962).

Opinions

McAMIS, P. J.

The State of Tennessee through D. W. Moulton, its Commissioner of Highways, filed the bill in this case to enjoin on equitable grounds an action at law instituted by defendant J. R. Coffman against City of Dayton to recover mortgage indebtedness due him on land previously condemned and appropriated for state highway purposes within the City of Dayton. The bill also named as defendants the mortgagors, H. B. Holland and wife. The State also filed a supplemental bill naming as a defendant Mr. 0. W. McKenzie who acted as counsel for Holland and wife in the original condemnation suit and later was employed by Coffman to bring the suit sought to be enjoined.

The case was heard before the Chancellor and an advisory jury. At the close of the State’s proof in chief the Chancellor, finding no proof of fraud or conspiracy to defraud the State as charged in the original and supplemental bills, sustained defendants’ motion to withdraw the issues from the jury and dismiss the bill. The Chancellor then declined to make a finding appropriate to the alternative relief sought by the bill in event the State failed to carry the burden of showing fraud and conspiracy.

[349]*349The State has appealed insisting a prima facie showing of fraud and conspiracy was made out but, if not, the award of $35,125.00 which the State had previously paid the mortgagors Holland and wife in the condemnation suit was on the assumption and belief that they owned the unencumbered title and that, if compelled to pay Coffman the amount due him on the mortgage debt,' the State should be subrogated to his rights under the mortgage. It is further insisted the Chancellor erred in not holding that Holland and wife were constructive trustees of the award to the extent of the mortgage debt.

Defendants, appellees, on the other hand insist that since the mortgage was of record in the Register’s Office of Rhea County, Coffman although admittedly aware of the suit, was under no legal duty to come forward and intervene in the original condemnation suit or advise the condemnors of his debt but was free to remain silent and thereafter sue in a separate action to recover his debt to the extent of the value of the property appropriated. They expressly rely upon sec. 23-1516 T.C.A. providing in part as follows:

“Parties bound.—All parties having any interest or rights in such lands may be made defendants and proceedings shall only cover and affect the interest of those who are actually made parties * *

We hold that, in the absence of fraud, the holder of a recorded mortgage may assume that his rights have been or will be taken into account and that his debt will be paid either out of the award or deducted from the amount thereof and subsequently paid by the condemnor and that mere failure to make known to the condemnor the existence of the mortgage does not amount to fraud either actual or constructive.

[350]*350The case is quite different from the line of cases cited in the State’s brief where an owner remains silent knowing that his land is the subject of litigation between rival claimants. In the case of a mortgage debt all the condemnor need do to perfect title is to withhold a sufficient amount from the award and later pay it to the mortgagee upon the execution of a proper release.

The case of Union Joint Land Bank v. Knox County, 20 Tenn.App. 273, 97 S.W.(2d) 842, is distinguishable on its facts. In that case the mortgagee, as here, was not made a party to the condemnation proceeding but was requested by an accommodation endorser on the note to see that the award for taking a portion of the land was applied on the debt and later was told that the landowner and condemnor were about to arrive at a compromise. When the compromise was later effected the County as condemnor dismissed its suit and paid the award to the owners. Thereafter, the Bank foreclosed and sought to hold the County liable for a deficiency claim on its debt although after acquiring the title by foreclosure it had resold the land for more than enough to avoid a loss. The Court found that the foreclosure was brought about with the secret intention of acquiring title and then holding the county and the accommodation endorser liable for a deficiency. As the Court commented the claim was completely devoid of equity. That case does not hold that a mortgagee is bound at his peril to intervene in the condemnation proceeding.

In this case the mortgagee knew that the condemnation suit was pending and that he had not been made a party. There is no proof, however, that he knew the jury would assess the damages on the false assumption [351]*351the State would get a title free of his encumbrance or, if not, that the mortgagors would be allowed to appropriate the money to their own use and not pay the mortgage debt.

A mortgage lien is a property right and, generally, the mortgagee may recover compensation directly from the condemnor, although the mortgagor has already been paid the full value of the land. See 18 Am. Jur. 869, Eminent Domain, Section 235.

Since the mortgage lien is a property right, especially in view of the statute, sec. 23-1516 T.C.A., above quoted, the mortgagee’s rights can not be affected unless he is made a party to the condemnation proceeding. The Chancellor correctly held Coffman not estopped or otherwise barred from enforcing his claim for compensation. The evidence falls short of a prima facie showing that he participated in a conspiracy or fraudulent scheme to defraud the State.

Upon the remand hereinafter directed, Coffman will be allowed to assert his claim under his cross bill.

We can not agree, however, that the State is without remedy as to Holland and wife. We have read with great care the testimony and the charge of the Court in the original condemnation suit against Holland and wife. There is no proof anywhere in that record that the property sought to be condemned was encumbered in any way. It must, therefore, be assumed that in arriving at the award of $35,125.00 the jury as stated by the foreman of the jury found the value of the property to be $33,-000.00, found $2,000.00 incidental damages and awarded $125.00 as moving expense.

[352]*352The defendants Holland and wife, of course, were well aware that their property was encumbered for more than $17,000.00. They also knew that the State through error, oversight or negligence of its representatives in examining or failing to examine the title was ignorant of the encumbrance. They also knew that the Court and jury were not aware of its existence. They remained silent when it was their duty in all good conscience and honesty to speak and accepted the money rightfully due the mortgagee knowing that he would have an action against the condemnor to recover a second time for the same property. Under these circumstances, to the extent of the mortgage debt they took the money charged with a constructive trust. A court of equity will not allow them to appropriate trust funds and be unjustly enriched in this manner.

Equity will raise a constructive trust when necessary to justify the ends of justice, to prevent a fraud or the commission of a wrong by any form of unconscionable conduct, artifice or concealment or when a person holds the legal title to property he ought not to hold and enjoy. Covert v. Nashville, etc. Ry. Co., 186 Tenn. 142, 208 S.W.(2d) 1008, 1 A.L.R.(2d) 154; Central Bus Lines v. Hamilton Nat. Bank, 34 Tenn.App. 480, 239 S.W.(2d) 583; Hoffner v. Hoffner, 32 Tenn.App.

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952 S.W.2d 433 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1997)
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382 S.W.2d 535 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1964)
State v. Holland
367 S.W.2d 791 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1962)

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Bluebook (online)
367 S.W.2d 791, 51 Tenn. App. 344, 1962 Tenn. App. LEXIS 113, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-holland-tennctapp-1962.