CHEMICAL MORTGAGE COMPANY, APPELLANT,
v.
JAMES A. DICKSON, APPELLEE

Fla. 4th DCA | 1995-03-15
No. 94-0558
PARIENTE, J., concurs., STONE, J., concurs specially with opinion.
651 So. 2d 1275 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (1995) Positive Treatment
Cited by 4 cases

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Synopsis

Chemical Mortgage Company appealed a trial court's denial of its motion to cancel and reschedule a foreclosure sale on a VA-guaranteed mortgage. The Fourth District reversed, holding that a mortgagee has the right to reschedule a foreclosure sale when it fails to timely receive required VA bidding instructions, absent extraordinary circumstances.


Holding

A mortgagee has the right to have a foreclosure sale rescheduled when bidding instructions are not timely obtained from the VA, absent extraordinary circumstances. The trial court abused its discretion in denying Chemical's motion because no extraordinary circumstances were present and Chemical's failure was not due to its own fault.


Headnotes

[1] A mortgagee has the right to have a foreclosure sale rescheduled when bidding instructions from the V.A. …

[2] The failure of the V.A. …

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Key Quotes

“when the bidding instructions are not timely obtained from the V.A., a mortgagee has the right to have the foreclosure sale rescheduled absent extraordinary circumstances”

Establishes the core legal principle that mortgagees are entitled to reschedule when VA instructions are delayed, provided no extraordinary circumstances exist.

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Facts & Procedural History

Chemical Mortgage Company obtained a VA-guaranteed mortgage by assignment from the original mortgagee and filed a foreclosure complaint. The trial cou…

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Opinion of the Court
GUNTHER, Judge.

GUNTHER, Judge.

Appellant, Chemical Mortgage Company, plaintiff below (Chemical), appeals a post-judgment order denying its motion for an order cancelling and rescheduling a foreclosure sale. Because this ease does not present extraordinary circumstances, and because the foreclosure sale was frustrated through no fault of Chemical, we reverse.

Chemical owned the instant mortgage and note, guaranteed by the Veteran’s Administration (V.A.), by virtue of an assignment from the original mortgagee. Chemical filed a foreclosure complaint and the trial court eventually entered a final summary judgment of foreclosure. Pursuant to the final judgment, the foreclosure sale date was set for December 6, 1993. However, Chemical was unable to obtain bidding instructions from the V.A. prior to December 6, 1993. As a result, Chemical filed a motion and proposed order cancelling and rescheduling the foreclosure sale on December 8, 1993. The trial court, after conducting a hearing, ultimately denied Chemical’s motion.

The mortgage in question, being a V.A. guaranteed loan, was governed by the requirements and limitations outlined in federal law. A Mortg. Co. v. Bowman, 642 So. 2d 123 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994); Commonwealth Mortg. Corp. of Amer., L.P. v. Frankhouse, 551 So. 2d 599 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989). Thus, pursuant to the rules and regulations contained at 38 C.F.R. section 36.4320(b), in order to realize the benefit of the V,A.’s guarantee, Chemical was required to acquire and adhere to bidding instructions ordinarily forwarded to the mortgagee by the V.A. See A Mortg. Co., supra. Unfortunately, the V.A. does not always timely provide the bidding instructions to the mortgagee. This court has held, on numerous occasions, that when the bidding instructions are not timely obtained from the V.A., a mortgagee has the right to have the foreclosure sale rescheduled absent extraordinary circumstances. See A Mortg. Co. v. Bowman, 642 So. 2d 123 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994); Administration of Veteran’s Affairs v. Bertsche, 574 So. 2d 320 (Fla. 4th DCA 1991); Commonwealth Mortg. Corp. of Amer., L.P. v. Frankhouse, 551 So. 2d 599 (Fla. 4th DCA 1989); First Nationwide Savings v. Thomas, 513 So. 2d 804 (Fla. 4th DCA 1987).

In the instant case, no extraordinary circumstances are present which would prevent the rescheduling of the foreclosure sale date. It is uncontroverted that Chemical did not receive the bidding instructions from the V.A. prior to the sale date. Thus, Chemical’s right to proceed to a foreclosure sale should not be frustrated because, through no fault of Chemical, bidding instructions were not timely furnished by the V.A. Therefore, the trial court abused its discretion in denying Chemical’s motion to cancel and reschedule the foreclosure sale date.

Accordingly, this case is reversed and remanded with directions to the trial court to reschedule the foreclosure sale.

REVERSED AND REMANDED

PARIENTE, J., concurs.

STONE, J., concurs specially with opinion.

Concurrence
STONE, Judge,

STONE, Judge,

concurring specially.

I concur fully in the majority opinion, but write separately to express the view that there are very few circumstances that should justify a trial court’s refusing to set a new sale date when a previously scheduled foreclosure sale has not been held, for whatever reason, absent willful misconduct by the plaintiff.

Even if the plaintiffs counsel has not acted with due diligence, other sanctions remain available that will not penalize the client’s right to enforce a defaulted mortgage.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Royal Palm Corporate Ctr. Ass'n, Ltd. v. Pugliese, III, 89 So. 3d 923 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012)
    …he plaintiffs to the sale of the foreclosed property. See Bankers Trust Co. v. Edwards, 849 So. 2d 1160 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003) (citing Thomas); Bankers Trust Co. of Cal., N.A. v. Weidner, 688 So. 2d 453 (Fla. 5th DCA 1997); Chem. Mortg. Co. v. Dickson, 651 So. 2d 1275 (Fla. 4th DCA 1995) (citing, inter alia, Thomas); A Mortg. Co. v. Bowman, 642 So. 2d 123 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994) (citing, inter alia, Thomas ); Admin, of Veteran’s Affairs v. Bertsche, 574 So. 2d 320 (Fla. 4th DCA 1991) (citing, inter alia, Thomas). Onl…
  • Bankers Tr. Co. v. Edwards, 849 So. 2d 1160 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003)
    …of the sale after it had begun, at considerable expense to [*1164] Edwards.3 The existence of extraordinary circumstances has been recognized as a condition that may prevent the rescheduling of a foreclosure sale. See Chem. Mortgage Co. v. Dickson, 651 So. 2d 1275 (Fla. 4th DCA 1995); A Mortgage Co. v. Bowman, 642 So. 2d 123 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994). The majority’s reliance on the interpretations of counsel during oral argument as an aid to its own construction of the lower court’s order is, to say the least, a n…

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