60 Neb. 208 | Neb. | 1900
Annie K. Kampman employed H. I). Kelly, Esq., of the Madison county bar, to, act for her in foreclosing a mortgage covering real estate situate in Antelope county, and directing him, in case the property should be sold under a decree of the court, to bid the amount of her claim, but under no circumstances to bid more than that amount. In pursuance of his employment, Mr. Kelly, in behalf of his client, commenced an action in the district court against the owner of the land and others having interests therein, obtained a decree of foreclosure, and caused an order of sale to be issued for its enforcement. He then wrote H. L. McGinitie of Neligh as follows:
“An order of sale has been issued in the case of Annie K. Kampman vs. Bascom Nicewaner in the district court, of your county and is no donbt now being advertised for sale. Will you kindly look the matter up and bid the land in in the name of the plaintiff for two-thirds of the appraised valuation in case there are no other bidders, but in case there are other bidders, then bid the land up to the amount of our claim and oblige.”
Mr. McGinitie, acting under the authority of this letter, attended the sale and caused the mortgaged premises
Under the circumstances disclosed by the record the court was undoubtedly warranted in revoking the order of confirmation and releasing the plaintiff from her bid; not because the authority conferred upon Kelly, to bid the amount of the mortgage debt, was incapable of being-delegated (Renwick v. Bancroft, 56 Ia., 527; Bodine v. Exchange Fire Ins. Co., 51 N. Y., 117; Grady v. American Central Ins. Co., 60 Mo., 116; McKinnon v. Vollmar, 75 Wis., 82), nor becap.se the plaintiff could not be bound beyond the limits of the authority actually given to her agent (Markey v. Mutual Benefit Ins. Co., 103 Mass., 78; Hatch v. Taylor, 10 N. H., 538; Cruzan v. Smith, 41 Ind., 288; Inglish v. Ayer, 79 Mich., 516; 1 Am. & Eng. Ency. Law [2d ed.], 995; Meacham, Agency, sec. 283)-, but for the reason that it is clearly within the power of a court of equity, when justice requires it, and its action is seasonably invoked, to vacate a judicial sale and discharge a purchaser who has become such through fraud, accident or mistake. Paulett v. Peabody, 3 Nebr., 196; Frasher v. Ingham, 4 Nebr., 531; Norton v. Nebraska Loan & Trust Co., 35 Nebr., 466, 40 Nebr., 394; 12 Am. & Eng. Ency. Law [1st ed.], 235; 12 Ency. Pl. & Pr., 89. Foreclosure sales are made by the court, which is always fair and just
The trial court was entirely right in, setting aside the sale to Mrs. Kampman and releasing her from her bid, but it was manifestly wrong in vacating the first appraisement. There is no authority in the law for. a second appraisement of property for the purposes of a judicial sale, unless such property shall remain unsold for want of bidders, after having been twice advertised and twice offered for sale under the first appraisement. Sec. 495, Code Civil Procedure; Burkett v. Clark, 46 Nebr., 466; Beardsley v. Higman, 58 Nebr., 257; Scottish-American Mortgage Co. v. Nye, 58 Nebr., 661. There was no attack made on the first appraisement and there existed no legal reason for setting it aside. The order of the court went too far; it deprived appellant, E. C. Coon, of a substantial right; it resulted in his land being sold for less than two-thirds of its laAvfully ascertainéd valuej although such land had never failed to sell, under the first appraisement, for want of bidders. The error indicated rendered all subsequent proceedings irregular and makes a reversal of the second order of confirmation imperative.
Reversed and remanded.