United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. Singleton
United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. Singleton
Opinion of the Court
Upon the former appeal in this cause (Singleton v. U. S. F. & G. Co., 195 Ala. 506, 70 South. 169) only the demurrers of S. P. Rainer and J. H. Rainer, Jr., were argued and considered. Subsequent to the rendition of that opinion the bill was amended by eliminating J. H. Rainer, Jr., as a party to the cause, and in other respects hereinafter mentioned. The British-American Mortgage Company and S. P. Rainer filed additional demurrers to the bill as amended, and from the decree sustaining these demurrers the complaint prosecutes this appeal.
The complainant filed this bill as surety upon the bond of A. E. Singleton, formerly judge of probate of Bullock county, seeking to be subrogated to the lien of said county upon an undivided one-half interest of said Singleton in the real estate described in the bill, and thus be reimbursed for the sum paid by complainant to the county in satisfaction of the indebtedness due by Singleton as judge of probate thereto, and to this end a sale of the real estate is sought. For a more detailed statement of facts reference is made to the opinion, on former appeal.
The bill shows that said Singleton, prior to the execution of his official bond, had executed a mortgage upon the real estate here involved to the British-American Mortgage Company, which was promptly and duly recorded, outstanding and unpaid at the time of the filing of this bill. The validity of this mortgage is not questioned, but the bill recognizes that the lien to which complainant seeks to be subrogated is subject to this prior mortgage. The demurrer of the British-American Mortgage Company takes the point that the bill fails to show that complainant paid, or offered to pay, the indebtedness due under this respondent’s prior mortgage, or any excuse for failing to do so, and this presents the pivotal question for decision.
The case of City Bank & Trust Co. v. Leonard, 168 Ala. 404, 53 South. 71, cited by counsel for appellant, does not in any manner militate against the conclusión here reached and, in fact, the opinion there quotes liberally from the above-cited section of Jones on Mortgages, which, as previously noted, fully supports this view.
The defective feature here pointed out relates to the prior incumbrance of respondent •British-American Mortgage Company, and, so •far as the averments of the hill disclose, does not concern respondent Rainer. He is a proper and indeed a necessary party for the purposes as above stated, and his demurrer should have been overruled. It results, therefore, that so much of the decree which sustains the demurrer of respondent British-American Mortgage Company is correct and will be affirmed, but in so far as the same sustains the demurrer of respondent Rainer is erroneous. The costs of this appeal will be paid, one-half by appellant, and the remaining half by appellee S. P. Rainer.
Affirmed in part, and in part reversed and remanded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- UNITED STATES FIDELITY & GUARANTY CO. v. SINGLETON Et Al.
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- 4 cases
- Status
- Published