Thursday, November 17, 2011

Court reviews a mortgage priority dispute involving a scrivener's error on the deed of trust

ABN AMRO MORTGAGE GROUP, INC. v. SOUTHERN SECURITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION (Tenn. Ct. App. November 17, 2011)

Appellant, the second mortgage holder on the subject property, appeals the trial court's determination that Appellee held a valid first mortgage on the property, when Appellee's mortgage was taken under a deed of trust that contained a scrivener's error that incorrectly identified the property's lot number.

The trial court held that: (1) the scrivener's error was not fatal to Appellant's deed of trust as the instrument otherwise clearly identified the property; (2) Appellant's mortgage was superior to Appellee's; and (3) Appellee's bid at Appellant's foreclosure sale created a valid contract, under which Appellee owed Appellant the purchase price. Finding no error, we affirm.

Opinion available at:
http://www.tba2.org/tba_files/TCA/2011/abnamro_111711.pdf