LAVERGNE H. PETERSON, APPELLANT,
v.
THOMAS W. SUTTON AND BEVERLY E. SUTTON, APPELLEES
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Peterson, a mortgage note holder, sought a deficiency judgment against the Suttons after foreclosing on Georgia real property that secured a $45,000 note. The trial court rejected Peterson's deficiency claim, finding that the confirmed foreclosure sale price of $40,000 was not conclusive of the property's value when the mortgagee was the foreclosure purchaser. The appellate court affirmed, holding that a mortgagee-purchaser cannot rely solely on a confirmed sale price to establish a deficiency.
The court held that the confirmed foreclosure sale price is not conclusive of the property's actual value when the mortgagee is the purchaser at the sale. Therefore, a trial court may consider evidence of actual value in determining whether a deficiency exists, and is not bound by the confirmed sale price.
[1] A mortgagee who purchases the property at a foreclosure sale is not conclusively bound by the sale price for the purpose of determining a deficiency judgment.
[2] The confirmation of a foreclosure sale price does not conclusively establish the actual value of the property for the purpose of a deficiency decree.
Previewing 2 of 4 headnotes on this case. FLexlaw’s editorially structured points of law — every proposition, pinpointed — are reserved for members.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“The certified copies of the proceedings in the Georgia Superior Court, showing the confirmation of the sale of the property in the amount of $40,000.00, were properly held by the judge to be inconclusive for purposes of determining a deficiency when the mortgagee—appellant here—is the purchaser at such sale.”
Establishes that confirmed sale prices are not binding on deficiency determinations when the mortgagee is the purchaser.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligencePeterson held a $45,000 secured installment real estate note executed by the Suttons in Georgia in 1965. After the Suttons defaulted, Peterson foreclo…
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The appellant was plaintiff below, having brought this action as a means of obtaining a deficiency decree against the appellees for $5,000.00. This law suit arose because of the execution of an installment real estate note, secured by the property sold, made payable to the appellant from the appellees, in the amount of $45,000.00. The note was executed in the state of Georgia during 1965. Some time after the note’s execution, the appellees, who were the purchasers of the property which secured the note, defaulted on said note. The note contained a foreclosure provision, and pursuant thereto, appellant Peterson exercised her foreclosure rights. Notice of sale was given to the appellees; thereafter, the property was bid in for the sum of $40,000.00 in the name of the appellant by her husband. After the sale had been completed, an order was entered by the Superior Court judge in Georgia notifying the appellees-defendants that the sale would be confirmed unless they could show good cause to withhold such confirmation. No cause was shown and the sale was confirmed by the Superior Court on January 26, 1967.
This action was instituted at common law here in Dade County for the unpaid balance of the note over and above the $40,000.00 credited by virtue of the foreclosure sale.
In his final judgment, the Dade County circuit judge found as follows:
“The improvement on the property was a brand new five bedroom home in which defendants resided for approximately five months. Although plaintiff bid $40,000.00 on the foreclosure sale, she admits that the defendants left the property in perfect condition and was, at the time of said sale, worth $45,000.00. Her bid was the only bid offered at the foreclosure sale. Subsequent to the foreclosure, plaintiff had rented the property at a monthly rental of $230.00 per month with an option for the lessee to purchase at a price of $45,000.00.
Based on the above finding, the circuit Judge then formulated the following conclusions of law:
“The law is well settled that plaintiff has the option in pursuing the procurement of a deficiency decree in either the original mortgage foreclosure, or in a separate action at law. The foreclosure was pursued in the State of Georgia and plaintiff now seeks to get her deficiency in an action at law here in Dade County, Florida.
“The confirmation of the sale price does not conclusively establish the actual value of the property and surely does not conclusively bind the Chancellor in the performance of his judicial duties pertaining to the entry of a deficiency decree. Kurkjian vs. Fish Carburetor Corporation, (First District, 1962), 145 So.2d 523.”
We hereby affirm the conclusions of the circuit court. The certified copies of the *495proceedings in the Georgia Superior Court, showing the confirmation of the sale of the property in the amount of $40,000.00, were properly held by the judge to be inconclusive for purposes of determining a deficiency when the mortgagee—appellant here—is the purchaser at such sale. Maudo, Inc. v. Stein, Fla.App.1965, 171 So.2d 403; Jonas v. Bar-Jam Corp., Fla.App.1965, 170 So.2d 479; Kurkjian v. Fish Carburetor Corporation, supra. See also Frumkes v. Mortgage Guarantee Corp., Fla.App.1965, 173 So.2d 738; Frank v. Levine, Fla.App.1964, 159 So.2d 665.
Affirmed.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Authorities Cited
- Kurkjian v. Fish Carburetor Corp., 145 So. 2d 523 (Fla. 1st DCA 1962)
- Royal Flagg Jonas and Barbara Jonas v. Bar-Jam Corp., 170 So. 2d 479 (Fla. 3d DCA 1965)
- Frank v. Hy Levine, 159 So. 2d 665 (Fla. 3d DCA 1964)
- Frumkes v. The Mortg. Guar. Corp., 173 So. 2d 738 (Fla. 3d DCA 1965)
- Maudo, Inc. v. Isidor Stein and Rose Stein, 171 So. 2d 403 (Fla. 3d DCA 1965)