BROWN, Justice, Retired.
The trial court determined that appellee Westamerica Mortgage Company (Westam-erica) had a purchase money mortgage superior to appellants’ equitable title.
Appellants assert two issues:
1. There is no evidence to support the Court’s finding that Defendant’s mortgage was a purchase money mortgage.
2. Is Defendant’s Mortgage superior to Plaintiffs’ equitable title?
Westamerica states that the issues are:
1. Was the trial court correct in finding that the mortgage from Charles Van Patten to Westamerica Mortgage Company was a purchase money mortgage?
2. Did the mortgage to Westamerica Mortgage Company have priority over any claims arising through its mortgagor, Charles Van Patten?
3. Was the mortgage to Westamerica Mortgage Company superior to the equitable title claimed by the appellants?
We will reverse and remand.
This case was commenced by appellants filing a quiet title action against appellees on January 7, 1988. The matter was tried to the court sitting without a jury on stipulated facts. The agreed facts are:
Appellee Charles Van Patten is the son of Charles G. Van Patten, Jr. and Martha Louise Van Patten (appellants).
On June 10, 1977, Charles Van Patten and Julia Van Patten entered into a contract for deed wherein Marvin L. Roberts, et al., were sellers and Charles Van Patten and Julia Van Patten were buyers. The contract for deed covered Lot Number 11 in Western Acres, a subdivision in the NVaNW1/! of Section 35, Township 24 North, Range 68 West, 6th P.M., Platte County, Wyoming, and encompassed approximately five acres. This contract for warranty deed was recorded on May 9, 1978, in Book 11, page 101, office of the County Clerk, Platte County, Wyoming.
In 1977 or 1978, appellants purchased one acre from appellee Charles Van Patten out of the property which is the subject matter of this action, for the sum of $2,000. In 1979, appellants purchased an additional one and one-half acres out of Tract 11 for an additional $3,000. No deed to either of these parcels was ever executed or delivered to appellants by appellee Charles Van Patten. Appellants have been living in their home on said property continuously since 1977. On May 17, 1983, Julia Van Patten quitclaimed all of her interest in Tract 11 to appellee Charles Van Patten.
In the summer of 1983, appellee Charles Van Patten applied for and obtained a loan from Westamerica, which loan was secured by a mortgage on Tract 11. The mortgage was dated July 22, 1983, and recorded July 29, 1983, in Book 245, page 74, records in the office of the County Clerk, Platte County, Wyoming. In connection with this loan application, a survey was completed on Tract 11, a copy of which was supplied to Westamerica showing two structures on the property. An appraisal was also done on the property in question, part of which included pictures of two structures on the property. Appellee Charles Van Patten ex[220]*220ecuted an owner’s affidavit stating “[t]hat there is no person in actual possession or having a right to possession of said property or any part thereof, other than said owner(s).”
Appellee Charles Van Patten defaulted on repayment of the loan to Westamerica, and Westamerica foreclosed on its mortgage. A sheriffs sale was held on January 12, 1988, and Westamerica was the high bidder at the sale for the property.
Appellants were not aware that there was a mortgage on the property until 1987. In addition to the $5,000 which the appellants paid to their son, appellee Charles Van Patten, for the land, improvements were also made.
After Westamerica answered, both appellants and Westamerica made motions for summary judgment. These motions were denied and the case proceeded to trial on the stipulated facts.
After trial, the trial court ruled in favor of appellees and dismissed appellants’ complaint with prejudice. The basis of the court’s judgment in favor of appellees was set out in the court's decision letter1 which stated that Westamerica’s purchase money mortgage was superior to appellants’ equitable title.
If the mortgage here was in fact a purchase money mortgage, it would be entitled to a preference over certain claims or liens arising through the mortgagor, although they were prior in time.
A mortgage on land executed to secure the purchase money by a purchaser of the land contemporaneously with the acquisition of the legal title thereto, or afterward, but as a part of the same transaction, is a purchase-money mortgage. The deed and mortgage need not be executed at the same moment, or even on the same day, to make them contemporaneous, within the meaning of this rule, provided they are parts of one continuous transaction, and so intended to be. A mortgage given to secure money to be applied on the purchase price of land, although given after the execution of a deed of the property mortgaged, the mortgagee paying the money to a third person with whom the deed had been deposited in escrow until the payment of the purchase price, and securing the deed and delivering it to the mortgagor, is nevertheless a purchase-money mortgage. Moreover, the fact that a mortgage is made to a person other than the vendor does not prevent its being a purchase-money mortgage.
55 Am.Jur.2d Mortgages § 13 at 202-03 (1971) (citations omitted).
A mortgage on land executed to secure the purchase money by a purchaser of the land contemporaneously with the acquisition of the legal title thereto, or afterward, but as a part of the same transaction, is a purchase-money mortgage, and is entitled to a preference as such over all other claims or liens arising through the mortgagor although they are prior in point of time. It has also been held that a mortgage given to secure money to be applied on the purchase price of land, although given after the execution of a deed of the property mortgaged, the mortgagee paying the money to a third person with whom the deed had been deposited in escrow until the payment of the purchase price, and securing the deed and delivering it to the mortgagor, is a purchase-money mortgage, and takes precedence over other liens and claims.
[221]*221Id., § 348 at 408 (citations omitted). See also Powers v. Pense, 20 Wyo. 327, 123 P. 925 (1912); Emery v. Ward, 68 Colo. 373, 191 P. 99 (1920).
A purchase-money mortgage generally takes precedence over all existing and subsequent claims and liens against the mortgagor as to the property sold. Omaha Loan & Bldg. Assn. v. Turk, [146 Neb. 859, 21 N.W.2d 865 (1946)].
A purchase-money mortgage is given for the unpaid purchase money on a sale of land as part of the same transaction as the deed, and its funds are actually used to buy the land.
Commerce Savings Lincoln, Inc. v. Robinson, 213 Neb. 596, 331 N.W.2d 495, 497-98 (1983).
“To constitute a purchase-money mortgage, the money must have been loaned with the express purpose and intention that it should be used in paying the purchase price of the land.”
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BROWN, Justice, Retired.
The trial court determined that appellee Westamerica Mortgage Company (Westam-erica) had a purchase money mortgage superior to appellants’ equitable title.
Appellants assert two issues:
1. There is no evidence to support the Court’s finding that Defendant’s mortgage was a purchase money mortgage.
2. Is Defendant’s Mortgage superior to Plaintiffs’ equitable title?
Westamerica states that the issues are:
1. Was the trial court correct in finding that the mortgage from Charles Van Patten to Westamerica Mortgage Company was a purchase money mortgage?
2. Did the mortgage to Westamerica Mortgage Company have priority over any claims arising through its mortgagor, Charles Van Patten?
3. Was the mortgage to Westamerica Mortgage Company superior to the equitable title claimed by the appellants?
We will reverse and remand.
This case was commenced by appellants filing a quiet title action against appellees on January 7, 1988. The matter was tried to the court sitting without a jury on stipulated facts. The agreed facts are:
Appellee Charles Van Patten is the son of Charles G. Van Patten, Jr. and Martha Louise Van Patten (appellants).
On June 10, 1977, Charles Van Patten and Julia Van Patten entered into a contract for deed wherein Marvin L. Roberts, et al., were sellers and Charles Van Patten and Julia Van Patten were buyers. The contract for deed covered Lot Number 11 in Western Acres, a subdivision in the NVaNW1/! of Section 35, Township 24 North, Range 68 West, 6th P.M., Platte County, Wyoming, and encompassed approximately five acres. This contract for warranty deed was recorded on May 9, 1978, in Book 11, page 101, office of the County Clerk, Platte County, Wyoming.
In 1977 or 1978, appellants purchased one acre from appellee Charles Van Patten out of the property which is the subject matter of this action, for the sum of $2,000. In 1979, appellants purchased an additional one and one-half acres out of Tract 11 for an additional $3,000. No deed to either of these parcels was ever executed or delivered to appellants by appellee Charles Van Patten. Appellants have been living in their home on said property continuously since 1977. On May 17, 1983, Julia Van Patten quitclaimed all of her interest in Tract 11 to appellee Charles Van Patten.
In the summer of 1983, appellee Charles Van Patten applied for and obtained a loan from Westamerica, which loan was secured by a mortgage on Tract 11. The mortgage was dated July 22, 1983, and recorded July 29, 1983, in Book 245, page 74, records in the office of the County Clerk, Platte County, Wyoming. In connection with this loan application, a survey was completed on Tract 11, a copy of which was supplied to Westamerica showing two structures on the property. An appraisal was also done on the property in question, part of which included pictures of two structures on the property. Appellee Charles Van Patten ex[220]*220ecuted an owner’s affidavit stating “[t]hat there is no person in actual possession or having a right to possession of said property or any part thereof, other than said owner(s).”
Appellee Charles Van Patten defaulted on repayment of the loan to Westamerica, and Westamerica foreclosed on its mortgage. A sheriffs sale was held on January 12, 1988, and Westamerica was the high bidder at the sale for the property.
Appellants were not aware that there was a mortgage on the property until 1987. In addition to the $5,000 which the appellants paid to their son, appellee Charles Van Patten, for the land, improvements were also made.
After Westamerica answered, both appellants and Westamerica made motions for summary judgment. These motions were denied and the case proceeded to trial on the stipulated facts.
After trial, the trial court ruled in favor of appellees and dismissed appellants’ complaint with prejudice. The basis of the court’s judgment in favor of appellees was set out in the court's decision letter1 which stated that Westamerica’s purchase money mortgage was superior to appellants’ equitable title.
If the mortgage here was in fact a purchase money mortgage, it would be entitled to a preference over certain claims or liens arising through the mortgagor, although they were prior in time.
A mortgage on land executed to secure the purchase money by a purchaser of the land contemporaneously with the acquisition of the legal title thereto, or afterward, but as a part of the same transaction, is a purchase-money mortgage. The deed and mortgage need not be executed at the same moment, or even on the same day, to make them contemporaneous, within the meaning of this rule, provided they are parts of one continuous transaction, and so intended to be. A mortgage given to secure money to be applied on the purchase price of land, although given after the execution of a deed of the property mortgaged, the mortgagee paying the money to a third person with whom the deed had been deposited in escrow until the payment of the purchase price, and securing the deed and delivering it to the mortgagor, is nevertheless a purchase-money mortgage. Moreover, the fact that a mortgage is made to a person other than the vendor does not prevent its being a purchase-money mortgage.
55 Am.Jur.2d Mortgages § 13 at 202-03 (1971) (citations omitted).
A mortgage on land executed to secure the purchase money by a purchaser of the land contemporaneously with the acquisition of the legal title thereto, or afterward, but as a part of the same transaction, is a purchase-money mortgage, and is entitled to a preference as such over all other claims or liens arising through the mortgagor although they are prior in point of time. It has also been held that a mortgage given to secure money to be applied on the purchase price of land, although given after the execution of a deed of the property mortgaged, the mortgagee paying the money to a third person with whom the deed had been deposited in escrow until the payment of the purchase price, and securing the deed and delivering it to the mortgagor, is a purchase-money mortgage, and takes precedence over other liens and claims.
[221]*221Id., § 348 at 408 (citations omitted). See also Powers v. Pense, 20 Wyo. 327, 123 P. 925 (1912); Emery v. Ward, 68 Colo. 373, 191 P. 99 (1920).
A purchase-money mortgage generally takes precedence over all existing and subsequent claims and liens against the mortgagor as to the property sold. Omaha Loan & Bldg. Assn. v. Turk, [146 Neb. 859, 21 N.W.2d 865 (1946)].
A purchase-money mortgage is given for the unpaid purchase money on a sale of land as part of the same transaction as the deed, and its funds are actually used to buy the land.
Commerce Savings Lincoln, Inc. v. Robinson, 213 Neb. 596, 331 N.W.2d 495, 497-98 (1983).
“To constitute a purchase-money mortgage, the money must have been loaned with the express purpose and intention that it should be used in paying the purchase price of the land.” Lorenz Co. v. Gray, 136 Or. 605, 298 P. 222, 225 (1931). A portion of Lorenz Co. was overruled in Anderson v. Chambliss, 199 Or. 400, 262 P.2d 298 (1953); however, the rule we quoted above was not disturbed.
“[T]he true test as to when a mortgage is a purchase-money mortgage, is not whether it is executed to the vendor, but whether the proceeds are to be used to apply on the purchase price.” Wermes v. McGowan, 286 Ill.App. 381, 3 N.E.2d 720, 722 (1936). See also Ely Sav. Bank v. Graham, 201 Iowa 840, 208 N.W. 312, 314 (1926); American National Bank of Hutchinson v. Gorham, 153 Kan. 145, 109 P.2d 65, 66 (1941); Syracuse Savings & Loan Association v. Hass, 134 Misc. 82, 234 N.Y.S. 514, 517 (1929).
The trial court’s judgment was based on its finding that Westamerica had a purchase money mortgage on the property involved in this action. The evidence was insufficient to show a purchase money mortgage. Evidence of a purchase money mortgage was deficient in that it did not show that the money supplied by Westam-erica was used to pay for the land involved in this action. ■ Furthermore, there was no evidence to show that the land had ever been paid for.
In its brief, Westamerica says:
Given the date of the deed, and rec-ordation of the deed at the same time as the mortgage was recorded, it was certainly reasonable for the trial court to make the inference that the loan proceeds were used to pay off the contract for deed. In the proceeding before this Court, Westamerica’s evidence must be given every favorable inference which may be reasonably and fairly drawn from it. Sinclair Refining Co. v. Redding, 439 P.2d 20, 22 (Wyo.1968).
Westamerica is asking this court to substitute an inference for the most critical element of proof of a purchase money mortgage. We cannot properly do this.
In their briefs, the parties cite Wyoming statutes. They also allude to theories and defenses other than the basis of the trial court’s determination. We need not discuss these statutes, theories and defenses. We confine this opinion to the specific determination of the trial court, that is, that Westamerica had a purchase money mortgage.
Reversed and remanded to the trial court for consideration of appellants’ quiet title action and other matters raised by the pleadings.
THOMAS, J., filed a specially concurring opinion.
RAPER, Retired J., filed a specially concurring opinion.