United Bank of Bismarck v. Glatt

420 N.W.2d 743, 1988 N.D. LEXIS 47, 1988 WL 18921
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 7, 1988
DocketCiv. 870271
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 420 N.W.2d 743 (United Bank of Bismarck v. Glatt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United Bank of Bismarck v. Glatt, 420 N.W.2d 743, 1988 N.D. LEXIS 47, 1988 WL 18921 (N.D. 1988).

Opinion

LEVINE, Justice.

United Bank of Bismarck (United) appeals from a partial summary judgment dismissing its action against the defendants, James G. Glatt, Kent M. Johanneson, Richard D. Olson, 1 and Ruben C. Scherle. We reverse and remand.

Scherle Sales, Inc. (Scherle Sales) was a business located in Bismarck which was involved in the sale and construction of agricultural and commercial buildings. Ruben Scherle, and his wife Erna, were shareholders and officers of Scherle Sales. East Plaza Development is a partnership which was formed during November 1980 to develop real estate in Bismarck. Its original partners were the four defendants in this case, but in 1982 Johanneson and Olson assigned their partnership interests back to the partnership, leaving Glatt and Scherle as the only remaining partners. On November 25,1980, Scherle Sales entered into an agreement with East Plaza Development to construct Metro Business Park, an office condominium and real estate project in Bismarck.

During a three-year period from 1980, United loaned Scherle Sales $800,000. As collateral United ultimately obtained: (1) a short-term redemption mortgage on a condominium located in Bismarck; (2) an assignment of Scherle Sales’ accounts receivable; and (3) an assignment of Scherle Sales’ right to receive payment on a note from defendants Glatt, Scherle, Johanne-son, and Olson.

Scherle Sales defaulted on its obligation to United and subsequently, through its officers, Ruben and Ema Scherle, it executed a confession of judgment in favor of United in the amount of $733,611.80. At that time Ruben Scherle also executed an assignment to United of his one-half interest in any proceeds that the East Plaza Development partnership might recover in its lawsuit against the Bank of Kirkwood Plaza.

*745 Thereafter, United foreclosed its mortgage on the condominium. The condominium was sold at a sheriffs sale for $164,-930.76 and the proceeds were applied to partially satisfy United’s judgment against Scherle Sales. United then brought this action against the defendants to enforce its interest in the remaining collateral, consisting of the assigned note and accounts receivable of Scherle Sales.

The defendants moved for summary judgment, contending that United, by foreclosing the short-term mortgage, was prohibited under the anti-deficiency judgment provisions of Chapter 32-19.1, N.D.C.C., from foreclosing upon the remaining items of personal property collateral. The defendants asserted, in effect, that United’s foreclosure on the mortgage constituted a satisfaction and discharge of the debt, thereby precluding recovery on the remaining collateral. The trial court granted the motion for summary judgment, dismissing United’s complaint with prejudice. 2

United asserts on appeal that the trial court erred in concluding that a creditor who forecloses on a short-term redemption mortgage is thereby barred from enforcing its interest in other collateral. We agree with United’s assertion.

The anti-deficiency provision of the Short-term Mortgage Redemption Act is found in Section 32-19.1-07, N.D.C.C.:

“32-19.1-07. No deficiency judgment allowed. — When any mortgage has been foreclosed under this chapter, the mortgagee or any party claiming by, through, or under said mortgagee shall not be entitled to any judgment for deficiency.”

The statute bars one who forecloses under the chapter from obtaining a deficiency judgment. “Deficiency judgment” is defined in Black’s Law Dictionary:

“Deficiency judgment. In mortgage law, imposition of personal liability on mortgagor for unpaid balance of mortgage debt after foreclosure has failed to yield full amount of due debt. May also apply to debt due after repossession of personal property subject to security interest.”'

Thus, a deficiency judgment is an imposition of personal liability against the debtor for payment of the unpaid balance of a debt and is separate and distinct from enforcement of the debt against collateral given to secure the debt. See In re Pittsburgh-Duquesne Development Company, 482 F.2d 243 (3rd Cir.1973). We have previously stated that we will not extend the scope of anti-deficiency legislation beyond that which is clear from the statute. Bank of Kirkwood Plaza v. Mueller, 294 N.W.2d 640 (N.D.1980). Section 32-19.1-07, N.D. C.C., does not expressly preclude a lender from seeking recovery on a debt against personal property collateral after foreclosing a mortgage securing the same debt, and we will not construe that restriction into the statute.

Anti-deficiency statutes do not preclude a creditor from enforcing the debt against multiple items of collateral. See Metropolitan Federal Savings & Loan Association v. Adams, 356 N.W.2d 415 (Minn. App.1984). In Schiele v. First National Bank of Linton, 404 N.W.2d 479 (N.D. 1987), we underscored the value to both lenders and borrowers of utilizing multiple items of collateral:

“We recognize that a lender’s ability to utilize multiple items of collateral to secure an obligation is an important financial tool which benefits both the borrower and the lender. If that financial tool were unavailable, lenders would be less willing and less able to aid a borrower’s financial needs.” 404 N.W.2d at 484.

We concluded in Schiele that the anti-deficiency provisions under Chapter 32-19, N.D.C.C., did not preclude a lender from foreclosing against multiple items of real estate collateral, but we set forth the following procedure to be utilized when foreclosing against more than one item of real estate collateral:

*746 “We must weigh the interests of borrowers and lenders, as mortgagors and mortgagees, in keeping with the well-defined purpose of the anti-deficiency statutes. Accordingly, when a mortgagee chooses to foreclose against only one of several items of real estate collateral, we believe the appropriate balance requires that the fair value of the foreclosed item be determined by a jury before the remaining debt is enforced against the other items of real estate collateral.” 404 N.W.2d at 484-485.

Section 32-19.1-02, N.D.C.C., states that when not inconsistent with Chapter 32-19.1, N.D.C.C., the general statutory provisions governing foreclosure will apply in any foreclosure under that Chapter. Consequently, we believe the foregoing procedure under Schiele is equally applicable to this case. United’s foreclosure on the condominium does not preclude it from seeking recovery against its remaining items of personal property collateral.

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Bluebook (online)
420 N.W.2d 743, 1988 N.D. LEXIS 47, 1988 WL 18921, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-bank-of-bismarck-v-glatt-nd-1988.