Trimm v. . Marsh , 54 N.Y. 599 ( 1874 )

[EDITORS' NOTE: THIS PAGE CONTAINS HEADNOTES. HEADNOTES ARE NOT AN OFFICIAL PRODUCT OF THE COURT, THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT DISPLAYED.] The only legal proposition involved in this case, which we deem it important to consider, is whether a mortgagee of real estate in possession can cause the equity of redemption of the mortgagor to be sold on an execution and become the purchaser of the same, and, after obtaining the sheriff's deed, set up his title thus acquired against the claim of the mortgagee to redeem from the mortgage in an equitable action commenced by him for that purpose; or, to state the proposition in other words, has the owner of the equity of redemption of mortgaged premises, after default and after the owner of the mortgage has taken possession, such an interest in the premises as can be sold upon execution against him? If this question be answered in the affirmative, the decision of the General Term was right and must be affirmed.

The respective rights of the mortgagor and mortgagee in the land mortgaged have been the subject of much discussion, and it is impossible to reconcile all that learned judges and writers have said upon the subject. By the common law of England the legal estate was vested in the mortgagee, to be defeated by the performance of a condition subsequent, to wit, payment at the law day. In default of such payment, the title became absolute and irredeemable in the mortgagee. But, two centuries ago, courts of equity assumed jurisdiction to relieve mortgagors against forfeitures, and, thenceforth, in equity a mortgage has been regarded as a mere security, as creating an interest in the mortgaged premises of a personal nature, like that which the mortgagee has in the debt itself.

These equitable principles have had an increasing influence upon courts of law, and Chancellor KENT says that "the case of mortgages is one of the most splendid instances in the history of our jurisprudence of the triumph of equitable principles over technical rules, and the homage which those principles have received by their adoption in the courts of law." (4 Kent's Com., 158.)

The common-law rule, as modified by the equitable principles above alluded to, still prevails in England. There the courts still hold that the legal title passes to the mortgagee, and becomes by default absolutely vested in him at law, and that the mortgagor has, after default, nothing but an equity of redemption to be enforced in a court of equity. After default the mortgagor can again become reinvested with the title to his land only by a reconveyance by the mortgagee. The same rule prevails in the New England States, and in many of the other States of the Union. But this common-law rule has never, to its full extent, been adopted in this State. Here the mortgagor has, both in law and equity, been regarded as the owner of the fee, and the mortgage has been regarded as a mere chose in action, a mere security of a personal nature. (Waters v. Stewart, 1 Caines' Cases in Error, 47; Jackson v. Willard, 4 John., 42; Runyan v. Mersereau, 11 id., 534;Astor v. Hoyt, 5 Wend., 603; Packer v. Rochester andSyracuse Railroad Co., 17 N.Y., 283-295; Kortright v. Cady, 21 id., 343; Power v. Lester, 23 id., 527; Merritt v.Bartholick, 36 id., 44.)

Prior to the Revised Statutes the mortgagee could maintain ejectment to recover the mortgaged premises. This right has been taken away (2 R.S., 312), and now the mortgagor, both before and after default, is entitled to the possession of the premises, of which he cannot be deprived without his consent, except by foreclosure. It is not disputed that before possession taken by the mortgagee the mortgagor has an interest in the real estate which can be sold upon execution; that his widow is entitled to dower; that he can convey and devise his interest as real estate; that at his death it descends to his heirs; that he has every attribute and right of an absolute owner of the real estate, subject to the lien of the mortgage, and that his title can be defeated only by foreclosure. It is not disputed that the mortgagee before possession taken has only a chose in action; that he holds the mortgage only as security for the debt; that he can sell the bond and mortgage by mere delivery as personal property; that at his death they pass to his personal representatives as a portion of his personal estate; that he has no such estate in the land as can be sold on execution, or as can give his widow dower; and that he has no attribute of ownership in the land. It was said by Judge JAMES, in Power v. Lester (supra), that "a mortgage is a mere security, an incumbrance upon land. It gives the mortgagee no title or estate whatever. The mortgagor remains the owner, and may maintain trespass even against the mortgagee. A mortgage is but a chattel interest; it may be assigned by delivery, and cannot be seized and sold on an execution." Judge PRATT says, inPacker v. The Rochester Syracuse Railroad Company (supra), that "a mortgagee has a mere chose in action, secured by a lien upon the land. Since the Revised Statutes there is no attribute left in the mortgagee, before foreclosure, upon which he can make any pretence for a claim of title. For the mere right, when he goes into possession by the consent of the mortgagor, to retain possession, is not an attribute of title. He would have the same right in case of a pledge."

At common law, payment or tender at the law day extinguished the lien of the mortgage and reinvested the mortgagor, without a reconveyance by the mortgagee, with his title. But tender or payment after the law day did not have this effect, and in such case a reconveyance was necessary; and such is still the rule in England and in many of the States of the Union. But it has always been the law of this State that payment or tender, at any time after the mortgage debt became due and before foreclosure, destroyed the lien of the mortgage and restored the mortgagor to his full title. As the mortgagee had no title, a reconveyance was not required by the law as expounded by our courts. So that here the term law day, which occupies such a prominent place in the early discussions as to mortgages, has no particular significance. The mortgagor has his "law day" until his title has been foreclosed by sale under the mortgage, and it is a misnomer in this State to call the mortgagor's right in the land, before or after default, an equity of redemption; a mere right to go into equity and redeem. This was a proper description of the mortgagor's right in the land according to the law as expounded in England. But in this State the interest of the mortgagor in the land is the same before and after default, and is a legal estate, with all the incidents and attributes of such an estate.

But it is claimed by the learned counsel for the appellants that the position of the mortgagee is materially changed when he gets possession. It is true, notwithstanding the provision of the Revised Statues which prohibits an action of ejectment by the mortgagee to obtain the possession of the mortgaged premises, that after he has lawfully obtained the possession he may retain it until the debt secured by the mortgage has been paid. Before taking possession the mortgagee has no title in the lands. How can the mere possession change the title from the mortgagor to the mortgagee, or in any way diminish the estate of the one or enlarge the estate of the other? Before taking possession the mortgagee had a mere lien upon the real estate pledged for the security of his debt. After possession he has in his possession the property pledged as his security, the title remaining as it was before. The mortgagor's title is still a legal one, with all the incidents of a legal title subject to the pledge, and the mortgagee's interest is still a mere debt secured by the pledge. If the mortgagee should die in possession, the debt would still go to his personal representatives to be administered as personal estate, and the mortgagor's title would go to his heirs. Payment, or even tender, would destroy the mortgagee's right to retain possession, and would enable the mortgagor to maintain ejectment to recover possession. The mortgagee, in such case, so far from having any title, holds the land as the land of the mortgagor, and is liable to account to him for the rents and profits. Judge COMSTOCK, in Kortright v.Cady (supra), says: "The mortgagee's right to bring ejectment, or, being in possession, to defend himself against an ejectment by the mortgagor, is but a right to recover or to retain possession of the pledge for the purpose of paying the debt. Such a right is but the incident of the debt, and has no relation to a title or estate in the land. The notion that a mortgagee's possession, whether before or after default, enlarges his estate, or in any respect changes the simple relation of debtor and creditor between him and his mortgagor, rests upon no foundation. We may call it a just and lawful possession, like the possession of any other pledge, but where its object is accomplished it is neither just nor lawful for an instant longer."

I cannot doubt, therefore, that the mortgagor, after default, and after the mortgagee has taken possession, has such an estate in the land as can be sold upon execution. It is not necessary to decide whether, in such a case, the mortgagee has also such an estate in the land as can be sold upon execution, because, if he has, it does not follow that the mortgagor has not also such a right. They might each own an estate which could be sold. But I am of opinion that the mortgagee has no estate in the land which can be sold on execution. His interest is a mere chose in action, a debt secured by a pledge of real estate. His debt is not merged in the real estate by the possession. He has no interest in the real estate which he can sell, or which can be sold separate from the debt. Such a sale would convey nothing. Whoever took the real estate from him would take it subject to the same liability as he was under to account for the rents and profits to the mortgagor. It has been decided that a transfer of the mortgage without the debt is a mere nullity. (Merritt v. Bartholick, supra.)

The fact that, at the time of the execution sale, the defendants were in possession, claiming the absolute title, can make no difference, as land held adversely to the true owner can be sold upon execution against him. (Tuttle v. Jackson, 6 Wend., 213; Truax v. Thorn, 2 Barb., 156.)

I am, therefore, of the opinion that the title of the defendant under the execution sale was valid, and that the plaintiff had no right to redeem.

The order of the General Term must be affirmed, and judgment absolute rendered against the plaintiffs, with costs.