Case Title: Darden v. O'Keefe

Citation: 171 Vt. 571, 762 A.2d 852

Docket Number: 

State: vermont

Court: Vermont Supreme Court

Date: 2000-10-16T00:00:00Z

Document:
Darden v. O'Keefe (99-443); 171 Vt. 571; 762 A.2d 852 

[Filed 16-Oct-2000]

                                 ENTRY ORDER

                       SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 99-443

                              MARCH TERM, 2000

Lisa Darden	                       }	APPEALED FROM:
                                       }
                                       }
     v.	                               }	Lamoille Superior Court
                                       }	
                                       }
Steven O'Keefe	                       }	DOCKET NO.137-7-98 Lecv

                                                Trial Judge: Alan W. Cheever

             In the above-entitled cause, the Clerk will enter:

       Defendant Steven O'Keefe appeals from a summary judgment in favor of
  plaintiff Lisa Darden  on her judgment lien foreclosure complaint, claiming
  the court erred in: (1) deciding defendant's  property was not entitled to
  homestead protection; and (2) shortening the redemption period without 
  notice to him.  He challenges the authority of the trial court to condition
  his right of appeal on giving  a bond.  We agree that the trial court could
  condition his appeal on providing a bond and dismiss the  appeal for lack
  of jurisdiction.

       Plaintiff filed her judgment lien foreclosure complaint against
  defendant on July 17, 1998,  based on a judgment she obtained against him
  in 1992.  The underlying debt involves defendant's  failure to pay on a
  promissory note he gave to plaintiff to purchase land on which he has built
  a  house over a period of fifteen years.  Defendant resisted the judgment
  lien foreclosure action by  claiming that the land and house is a
  homestead, exempt from enforcement of the judgment lien by  27 V.S.A. §
  101.  See Mercier v. Partlow, 149 Vt. 523, 527,