Webb v. Alexander

113 S.W.2d 1095, 195 Ark. 727, 1938 Ark. LEXIS 65
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedFebruary 28, 1938
Docket4-4962
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 113 S.W.2d 1095 (Webb v. Alexander) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Webb v. Alexander, 113 S.W.2d 1095, 195 Ark. 727, 1938 Ark. LEXIS 65 (Ark. 1938).

Opinion

Smith, J.

On January 4, 1930, Albert Bright borrowed $500 from the Bank of Mulberry, and gave his note therefor to the bank, bearing interest at 10 per cent, per annum from date until paid, due one year after date, and by way of security for the loan executed to the bank a mortgage on an 80-acre tract of land. Bright paid no part' of the principal, but, on January 5, 1931, one day after the maturity of the note, paid interest amounting to $50. Bi:ight later gave the same bank a second mortgage on the same land; but that mortgage was paid.

On November 10, 1934,-Bright sold and conveyed, by warranty deed, the land which he had mortgaged to the bank to C. O. Farnsworth. This deed contains the following recital: “Subject to a loan in favor of the Bank of Mulberry, or assigns, dated January 4, 1930, recorded in Mortgage Record Book 122, page 559.”

On the same day — November 10, 1934 — Farnsworth conveyed the same land, by warranty deed, to A. G. Edwards and Merle Edwards, his wife, for the recited consideration of $2,200, as follows: “Four hundred ($400). dollars, cash in hand (the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged) and note in a net of $200 due July 1st, 1935, one note in amount of $900 payable in five equal payments of $180 each. All the above at the rate of 8 per cent, per annum. Assumption of a loan in favor of the Bank of Mulberry in the amount of $500 recorded in Record Book, 122, page 559, . ... bearing interest at the rate of 8 per cent, per'. annum, • . . . It being herein expressly understood that a lien is hereby retained upon said lot or parcel of land to secure the payment of residue of the purchase money hereinbefore mentioned.”

It thus appears that Bright’s note to the bank was specifically identified and the assumption of its payment was made a part of the $2,200 consideration contracted to. be paid for the land, except that it was referred to as bearing- interest at 8 per cent., whereas it bore interest at the rate of 10 per cent. The lien was retained “to secure the payment of residue of the purchase money hereinbefore mentioned,” which was, of course, the $2,200 agreed to be paid, less the $400 payment, leaving' a balance of $1,800, of which the $500 note was a part.

On March 6, 1936, Edwards and Avife conveyed the land to R. L. Webb, who is referred to throughout the record as Mrs. Ruth Webb. This deed recites that it was executed “for and in consideration of the sum of One Cash ($1.00) and other considerations, to us paid.” It also recited that “This deed being subject to ($900) paid in 5 equal payments of $180 each at 8 per cent, per annum. ’ ’

Appellee Paul Alexander filed a complaint in the chancery court of the county where the mortgaged land is located against Albert Bright, 0. O. Farnsworth, A. G. Edwards and Merle, his wife, and Mrs. Ruth Webb, and Grover, her husband. This complaint alleged the execution of the $500 note from Bright to the bank and the conveyances above-mentioned which refer to it, and that the note was wholly unpaid except the $50 payment made . 1-5-1931 by Bright, and payments thereon of $56 on November 1; 1935, and of $14 on November 15, 1935, by Farnsworth, and a payment on November 20, 1935, by A. G. Edwards of $25. The balance due on the $500 note was alleged to be $721.65, and judgment therefor was prayed against Bright and Edwards and wife, and that appellee “be subrogated to the security held by the defendant, C. O. Farnsworth, and his said indebtedness decreed to be prior and superior thereto and that said land be ordered to be sold to pay such indebtedness' and from the funds arising upon such sale be applied first to plaintiff’s said debt and the balance, if any, applied as. the court shall order.” For the purpose of identification, the note from Bright to the bank will be referred to .as-.the $500 note.

An intervention was filed by Mrs. E. S. Friedman, in which she alleged that, for full value, she had pur,chased from Farnsworth the $900 note executed to his order by Mr. and Mrs. A. Gr. Edwards above referred to. The $200 note executed at the same time and for the same purpose as the $900 note has been paid and will not again be referred to. The intervener prayed that the .$900 note be declared a first lien on the land. The Webbs filed an answer to the intervention and an answer also to the original complaint. Farnsworth filed a separate answer to the intervention and to the original complaint. These pleading's raised the defense that the original $500 note of Bright to the bank is barred by the statute of limitations, for the reason that the payments thereon above recited were never indorsed upon the margin of the record where the mortgage from Bright to the bank is recorded, as required by § 9465, Pope’s Digest.

The right of the appellee Alexander to sue is now questioned upon the ground that the ownership of the note has not been established; but this issue was not specifically raised in the various answers. The complaint alleged the assignment of the note to appellee, and when it was offered in evidence counsel for Mrs. Webb objected to its introduction “because the purported assignment on the back of the note is not pleaded in the complaint.”

The note contained the following indorsement: “For value received we hereby sell and transfer to M. C. Alexander without recourse this .npfe with .security accompanying same as by order of Board of Directors on this 14th Jan. 1930. (Signed) H. C. Wagner, Cashier.” Wagner was the cashier of the Bank of Mulberry, the mortgagee.

The original of this mortgage was not in.trodueed.in evidence, and it does not, therefore, appear, whether it was indorsed as having been assigned; but the record thereof was introduced, and no indorsement of the assignment had ever been made upon the margin of the mortgage record, and, as has been said, there were no indorsements of the payments above recited on the margin of the record.

It was not made to appear whether M. 0. Alexander is the same person as Paul Alexander, the name in which he filed this suit. But appellee Paul Alexander testified without cross-examination that he purchased the note from the hank, and that it was assigned and delivered to him on the date of its assignment, and that he has at all times since 'been the owner thereof. He produced the note at the trial and testified that he was then the owner and had been its owner since its purchase, and that he had so advised Bright and FarnsAvorth and Edwards, and that each of these parties paid him interest as above stated.

We think this testimony sufficiently establishes ap-pellee’s OAvnership of the note. He also testified that both Farnsworth and EdAvards had asked and had been granted indulgence in carrying the note and in not foreclosing the mortgage which secured its payment.

On behalf .of Mrs. Webb, testimony was offered to the effect that Avhen the abstract of the title was examined inquiry was made of Edwards, Avho became her grantor, as to the recitals above copied in regard to the $500 note... Edwards advised her that the note had been paid, and as proof of that statement exhibited to her the following letter:

‘ ‘ BANK OF MULBERRY
“Mulberry, Arkansas.
“January 14th, 1935.
“Mr. A. G.

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Related

Blackwood v. Davidson
132 S.W.2d 799 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1939)
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115 S.W.2d 1076 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1938)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
113 S.W.2d 1095, 195 Ark. 727, 1938 Ark. LEXIS 65, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/webb-v-alexander-ark-1938.