Carpenter v. Lewis
Carpenter v. Lewis
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
Statement of facts. — This action was commenced June 17, 1899, by service of the summons and complaint upon the above named Samuel C. Lewis, and similar actions were at the same time commenced against W. N. and Florence Brissey and against S. T. and Maggie Dagnall. The actions were for the foreclosure of three mortgages. It was agreed by counsel as follows: “In consideration of the saving of expense in conducting three appeals in the above stated case, it is hereby agreed between counsel that the appeal shall be taken in the Lewis case to settle the questions raised b}f the exceptions to the Circuit decree, and the decision in the Lewis case shall be binding and conclusive on the parties in the settlement of the cases against Dagnall and Brissey as fully and to all intents and purposes as if the last two named cases had been specifically decided bv *402 the Supreme Court.” All issues of law and fact were referred to the master, who reported that the contract was to be performed under the laws of Tennessee, and that it was not usurious. The exceptions to the master’s report were overruled, and it was confirmed- by the Circuit Court. Upon appeal to the Supreme Court, the contracts were held to be usurious, and the judgment of the Circuit Court was modified. 60 S. C., 23. After the remittitur had been sent to the Circuit Court, his Honor, Judge Klugh, passed an order referring it to the master to compute the amounts due on the respective mortgages, under the decision of the Supreme Court and in accordance with the principles laid down therein. Upon the coming in of the master’s report, it was found that he had allowed plaintiff interest in each case, and to this and other findings the defendants duly excepted.
The case was then heard by his Honor, Judge Gary, on exceptions to the master’s report, and in his decree he says: “Wihout discussing at length the exceptions, I am of the opinion that the questions raised by the defendants have been decided adversely to them by the decision of the Court in the main case of Carpenter v. Lewis. Under that decision, the cases are recommitted, so that the master might compute the amount due on the mortgages of the other defendants under the decision in that case. The defendants claim that They should not be charged interest on their debts, and that they should be relieved from the item of attorney’s fees; but the Supreme Court, in the case of Carpenter v. Lewis, allowed the plaintiff both interest and attorney’s fees; and under the agreement of counsel, the other cases were to abide the decision of that case. It is, therefore, ordered, adjudged and decreed, that the exceptions to the master’s report be and the same are hereby overruled, and the report of the master confirmed. It is further ordered, that out of the proceeds of sale the master do pay the costs and expenses of this action and the amount due the plaintiff, as per his report, to the plaintiff or his attorney, and also the attorney’s fees provided for in the said mortgage. As to the case of Car *403 penter v. Lewis, I find that the Supreme Court has itself fixed the amount due in that case.” * * *
• The defendants appealed from'this judgment. They also served the following notice: “That upon the call of the above entitled case in the Supreme Court, the defendants will-move the Court for an order recalling the remittitur in this case, in order that the Court may correct any clerical or other errors in the opinion heretofore rendered in this case, or to strike out or otherwise amend any portion of said opinion, so as to make it consistent with the decision of the Court and judgment rendered.”
Samuel C. Lewis.* Dr. Cr.
Borrowed July 15th, 1891............$150 00
Interest to July 18th, 1899.... 1...... 72 07
Paid in to date..................... $151 72
Average interest................... 36 41
Insurance and interest thereon........ 2 25
Balance due ... I................... 36 19
$224 32 $224 32
Balance forward............... $36 19.”
We also find that the Court quotes with approval the following language from Meares v. Finlayson, 55 S. C., 118, 32 S. E., 986 : “Our statute not only provides that the lender of the money shall not be allowed to recover in any Court of this State any portion of the interest unlawfully charged, but expressly declares that: ‘Th,e principal sum, amount or value so lent or advanced, without any interest, shall be deemed and taken by the Court of this State the true legal debt or measure of damages, to all intents and purposes whatsoever to be recovered without cost.’ Sec. 1390, Revised Statutes. In the face of these explicit provisions, I do not see by what authority the Courts of this State, when called upon to enforce a usurious contract for the loan of money, can render any other judgment except for the principal sum loaned, after deducting all payments made thereon, without any interest or costs.” The opinion concludes as follows: *405 “Buist v. Bryan, 44 S. C., 121, has laid down the principles which are to govern in applying the remedy in our State in the settlement of claims against a defaulting stockholder as a debtor of an insolvent building and loan association. In the offer by defendant for judgment against him, we understand these principles have been applied. So far, therefore, as defendant, S. C. Lewis, is concerned, the judgment of the Circuit Court must be so modified as to give plaintiff a judgment against him for $36 19-100, with interest thereon at seven per cent., from 30th June, 1900, and $25 as counsel fee for plaintiff, as per agreement in his mortgage — the finding of the master not having been excepted to in this particular. So far as the case against Dagnall and Brissey are concerned, they must be recommitted to the master by the Circuit Court, to apply the principles herein established to ascertain and report the true amount for which plaintiff will be entitled to judgment against them respectively.” When this Court rendered the former opinion in this case, it was under the impression that the foregoing calculation was in conformity with the principles therein announced. In this it now sees it was mistaken. Nevertheless, that question is res judicata as to the defendant, Lewis, but not as to the other defendants. Jennings v. Parr, 54 S. C., 109, 32 S. E., 73; Meares v. Finlayson, 63 S. C., 537, 41 S. E., 779.
As some doubt has arisen as to the sense in which the word “amount,” in the fourth of the said propositions, was used, we take this opportunity of saying that it was meant to include interest as well as principal secured by the mortgage. When the Court, in the former opinion in Carpenter v. Lewis et al., referred to the case of Buist v. Bryan as “laying down the principles which are to govern'in applying the remedy in our State in the settlement of claims against a defaulting stockholder, as a debtor of an insolvent building and loan association, it is presumed it had reference to that portion relating to usurious contracts. There is nothing in the case of Buist v. Bryan preventing the application of the principles announced in Meares v. Finlayson, 55 S. C., 118, 32 S. E., 986, and 63 S. C., 537, 41 S. E., 779.
The plaintiff cannot recover interest, in the two cases heard in connection with the Lewis case, nor can he recover costs in either of the three cases. He can only recover for the principal sum loaned, after deducting all payments made by the defendants in the cases heard in connection with the Lewis case.
It is the judgment of this Court, that the judgment of the Circuit Court be modified, so as to conform to the conclu-' sions herein announced.
Reference
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- Carpenter v. Lewis.
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- Syllabus
- 1. Jurisdiction. — After Remittitur is sent down, this Court has no power to order it returned, so as to correct errors. 2. Res Judicata. — Amount held to be due by defendant in opinion sent down, is res judicata, and cannot be corrected although it appears now that the calculation was erroneous. 3. Building and Loan Association — Usury.—'Where a building and loan association has made a usurious contract with a borrowing member who afterwards defaults, and the association goes into the hands of a receiver, on suit on contract, receiver can collect neither costs nor interest, and all dues and interest paid by borrower must be credited on principal sum loaned. Rules for settlement between defaulting borrower and insolvent building and loan association stated. Buist. v. Bryan, 44 S. C., 181, explained, and the word \amount\" used therein defined."