Vogel v. Glickman

117 F. Supp. 2d 572, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14994, 2000 WL 1528295
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Texas
DecidedAugust 14, 2000
Docket5:97-cv-00212
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 117 F. Supp. 2d 572 (Vogel v. Glickman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vogel v. Glickman, 117 F. Supp. 2d 572, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14994, 2000 WL 1528295 (W.D. Tex. 2000).

Opinion

*573 ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT’S SECOND MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

BIERY, District Judge.

Before the Court are the Second Motion for Summary Judgment, or Alternatively Partial Summary Judgment, of Defendant, United States of America, Acting by and Through Daniel A. Gliekman, Secretary of United States Department of Agriculture, and Brief in Support (docket no. 88), plaintiffs response (docket no. 93), defendant’s reply (docket no. 94) and plaintiffs response (docket no. 95). After careful consideration, the Court is of the opinion defendant’s motion for summary judgment should be granted.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Plaintiffs filed suit seeking a declaration the 1979 Deed of Trust lien held by the United States of America, acting by and through the Farmers Home Administration (now known as the Farm Service Agency) and the United States Department of Agriculture, is invalid and unenforceable because the land against which the 1979 deed of trust lien is plaintiffs’ homestead and is exempt under the Texas Constitution, Art. XVI §§ 50 and 51, and the Texas Property Code § 41.001, et seq. The issues regarding plaintiffs’ alleged homestead rights were previously briefed in the context of counter-motions for summary judgment. This Court denied the motions finding genuine issues of material fact exist which preclude summary judgment.

The government now files a second motion for summary judgment based on the legal theory of subrogation. Defendant maintains it is entitled to summary judgment to the extent the lien is subrogated to the purchase money liens and real property taxes regardless of whether the disputed land is the Vogels’ homestead. 1 Plaintiffs do not agree.

SUMMARY JUDGMENT STANDARD

The party seeking summary judgment bears the initial burden of informing the Court of the basis for its motion and identifying those portions of the record which it believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 1066, 108 S.Ct. 1028, 98 L.Ed.2d 992 (1988); Marshall v. East Carroll Parish Hosp. Serv. Dist., 134 F.3d 319, 321-22 (5th Cir.1998). Once a proper motion has been filed, the nonmoving party may not rest upon mere allegations or denials in the pleadings, but must present affirmative evidence setting forth specific facts which show the existence of a genuine issue for trial. Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548. All summary judgment evidence must be construed “in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party”, Williams v. Time Warner Operation, Inc., 98 F.3d 179, 181 (5th Cir.1996) (citing Lindsey v. Prive Corp., 987 F.2d 324, 327 n. 14 (5th Cir.1993)), and the “evidence of the nonmovant is to be believed, and all justifiable inferences are to be drawn in his favor.” Palmer v. BRG, 498 U.S. 46, 49 n. 5, 111 S.Ct. 401, 112 L.Ed.2d 349 (1990) (quoting Anderson, 477 U.S. at 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505).

THE TRANSACTIONS

• On February 9, 1972, plaintiffs purchased 139.021 acres in Guadalupe County, Texas (part of the disputed land) for $80,000. Purchase money financing of $55,000 was provided by Westside Bank (“Westside”). The note executed by plaintiffs to Westside was secured by a vendor’s lien retained in the deed by which they ac *574 quired title to the 139.021 acres and was additionally secured by a deed of trust lien.

• On February 21, 1973, plaintiffs purchased an additional 18.65 acres in Guadalupe County, Texas (also part of the disputed land) for $11,000. This property is contiguous to the tracts purchased in 1972. Purchase money financing of $7,300 was provided by Westside. The note executed by plaintiffs to Westside was secured by a vendor’s lien retained in the deed by which they acquired title to the 18.65 acres and was additionally secured by a deed of trust lien.

• In late November and December of 1973, plaintiffs refinanced the West-side notes through The Federal Land Bank. At the time of this refinancing, the balance due on the Westside notes was $57,364.20 and $7,781.80, respectively, for a total of $65,146. Westside transferred and assigned the deed of trust and vendor’s liens to The Federal Land Bank.

• On April 22, 1976, Travis Savings & Loan Association of San Antonio (“Travis”), a federally insured savings and loan association, issued a Loan Commitment to plaintiffs. The com-, mitment was for a loan in the amount of $120,000 to be secured by the disputed land. According to the commitment, the security for the loan was designated as “non-homestead property.” Travis required plaintiffs furnish an affidavit prior to any disbursements, stating the disputed land was not their homestead.

• On May 17, 1976, plaintiffs purchased a 0.226 acre tract in Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas. This property (“Se-guin property”) was later designated and declared under oath by plaintiffs to be their homestead.

• On May 21, 1976, four days after purchasing the Seguin property, plaintiffs closed on the loan they requested from Travis. Travis advanced the sum of $120,000. The Federal Land Bank note balance of $67,005 was paid and $49,891 was advanced to plaintiffs. The Federal Land Bank released its liens; however, plaintiffs expressly agreed The Federal Land Bank’s lien was renewed, extended and carried forward in full force and effect to secure the payment of the note to Travis. The deed of trust also contained the following recital and representation under oath by plaintiffs:

Grantors further represent that the above described property is no pari of their homestead residence or business, that they have no intention of using same as such, and that said pivperiy is not exempt from forced sales under the laws of the State of Texas. Grantors make this representation as an inducement to the beneficiary in order to obtain the loan of funds represented by the Note secured hereby, (emphasis added).

• Also on May 21, 1976, at the time of closing on the loan from Travis, plaintiffs executed an affidavit declaring under oath:

We have this date executed a Deed of Trust dated May 19, 1976, to ... Travis, ... for the principal sum of $120,000.00 conveying [the disputed land] and as an inducement to make said loan we represent that the property described in said Deed of Trust and herein before described [the disputed property] is no pari of our homestead; that loe do not noiv use or occupy same, or any pari thereof, and have no intention of ever using or occupying same, or any pari thereof, as our homestead.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
117 F. Supp. 2d 572, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14994, 2000 WL 1528295, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vogel-v-glickman-txwd-2000.