First National Bank v. Woolery
First National Bank v. Woolery
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
The decision of this case must turn entirely upon the construction which is to be givexx to the power of sale contained in a certain chattel mortgage set out in the record. Such chattel mox’tgage was given to secux’e the payment of three several promissory notes, all of the same date, and matux’ing at the same time, but executed to diffex’ent parties. A sale of the entire property was had at the instance of the holder of one of the notes without the holders of the other notes having been in any manner made parties thereto.
Under these circumstances what kind of title was passed to the purchaser at such sale ? It is argued upon the part of the x’espondent Bode that only such a proportionate interest thereof was passed as the note held by him bore to the entire indebtedness secured by the mortgage. On
Does the fact that at the sale the property was purchased in the interest of the other note holders change this general rule? We see no reason whatever for holding that it does. We know of no reason why the note holder instituting the proceeding could not himself become a purchaser at the sale without waiving any of his rights growing therefrom, and if he could become such purchaser it seems clear that the other note holders might do'the same. ' There is nothing in the case, as we see it, which tends in any manner to estop the plaintiffs from maintaining this action. There was no notice of any reservation at the time of the sale, and the entire property was put up and sold. We are unable to see how the fact that the purchase thereat was made in the interest of these plaintiffs could in any manner injure the defendants. The facts of the case show that the sale was an open one, and everybody, including the defendant Bode, had an opportunity to bid. In our opinion the plaintiffs were not estopped by their acts from asserting their rights to the proceeds of ■ the mortgaged property, nor do we think that by making such purchase they in any manner became the agents of the respondent Bode. But if they did, we do not think that such fact would constitute a defense in this action. If, by reason
This discussion, although not covering all of the questions argued by the respondents, does, in our opinion, cover all that are reasonably involved in the case made by the statement of facts contained in the record. In our opinion, the objections of the plaintiffs to the 8th, 9th, 10th, 13th, 14th and 15th paragraphs of said statement of facts were well taken, and that the facts contained in these paragraphs were immaterial and could have no effect upon the merits of the controversy, and what we have said is enough to determine all the questions raised by the other paragraphs.
The judgment must be reversed, and the cause remanded with instructions to divide the funds derived from the mortgage sale among the several note holders in such proportions as the amount of their respective notes bears to the amount of the entire indebtedness.
Dunbar, C. 3., and Anders, J., concur.
Scott, J., dissents.
Concurring Opinion
I concur in the disposition of the case made by the foregoing opinion. But in my judgment the sale was a void one, because the mortgage did not authorize either mortgagee to sell either a part or the whole of the property for his own debt alone.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The First National Bank of Seattle and Fred Bense v. James H. Woolery, Sheriff, and Henry Bode
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- CHATTEL MORTGAGES — SALE BY HOLDER OP ONE NOTE — WHAT TITLE PASSES — DISTRIBUTION OE PROCEEDS. Where one chattel mortgage isgiven to secure three promissory notes to different parties, and the holder of one of the notes, under the power of sale contained in the mortgage, has the entire property sold without the holders of the other notes being made parties thereto, the entire title to the property passes to the purchaser, and all the mortgagees are entitled to share pro rata in the proceeds of the sale. The fact that the property was purchased at the foreclosure sale in the interest of the note holders who had no part in instituting the proceeding, does not estop them from maintaining an action to secure a pro rata distribution of the fund arising from such sale.