FILED

October 4, 1996

Cecil Crowson, Jr.

Appellate Court Clerk

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

EASTERN SECTI ON

RONALD D. MACKI E a nd ) COCKE COUNTY

BRENDA L. MACKI E ) 03A01- 9604- CH- 00138

)

Pl a i ntif f s - Appe lle e s )

)

) HON. C. S. RAI NWATER, J R. ,

v. ) CHANCELLOR

 )

)

DAVI D K. HI NCHY a nd )

PEARLI NE HI NCHY )

) AFFI RMED I N PART; REVERSED

De f e nda nt s - Appe l l a nt s ) I N PART; a nd REMANDED

FLETCHER L. ERVI N OF NEWPORT FOR APPELLANTS

R. J . TUCKER OF NEWPORT FOR APPELLEES

 O P I N I O N

 Godda r d, P. J .

Da vi d K. Hi nc hy a nd Pe a r l i ne Hi nc hy, who a r e r e s i de nt s

of I ndi a na , a ppe a l j udgme nt s of t he Cha nc e r y Cour t f or Coc ke

Count y. The Cha nc e l l or , f i r s t , gr a nt e d a de f a ul t j udgme nt

a ga i ns t t he m i n f a vor of Rona l d D. Ma c ki e a nd Br e nda L. Ma c ki e ,

who a r e r e s i de nt s of Fl or i da . The Cour t a l s o or de r e d t he s a l e of
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cer t a i n r eal es t a t e , t he pr oceeds of whi c h woul d be appl i e d t o

t he s a t i s f act i on of t he i nde bt e dne s s s ecur e d by t he r eal es t a t e

a nd, pr e l i mi na r i l y, a pe r s ona l j udgme nt i n t he a mount of $18, 200,

pl us i nt e r e s t a t t he r a t e of 8. 65 pe r c e nt pe r a nnum f r om Oc t obe r

1, 1989. Se c ond, a f t e r s a l e of t he pr ope r t y a nd gi vi ng c r e di t

f or pa yme nt s pr e vi ous l y ma de , he a wa r de d a de f i c i e nc y j udgme nt i n

t he a mount of $15, 719. 97, whi c h i nc l ude d c our t c os t s a nd e xpe ns e s

of t he s a l e .

The Hi nc hys a ppe a l , c ont e ndi ng t he Tr i a l Cour t wa s i n

e r r or i n not s us t a i ni ng t he i r Rul e 60 mot i on t o s e t a s i de t ha t

por t i on of t he J une 1, 1992, de f a ul t j udgme nt a wa r di ng t he

Ma c ki e s a pe r s ona l j udgme nt a ga i ns t t he m.

Al t hough t he r e we r e ot he r mot i ons by t he pa r t i e s a nd

or de r s of t he Cour t , we wi l l de t a i l t hos e we deem necess a r y f or

pr ope r di s pos i t i on of t hi s a ppe a l .

1. Fe br ua r y 19, 1991, c ompl a i nt by Ma c ki e s s t yl e d, " COMPLAI NT

TO FORECLOSE ON MORTGAGE DEED, " l a t e r a me nde d by or de r e nt e r e d

Ma y 6, 1991, a l l e gi ng t he Hi nc hys ha d e xe c ut e d a mor t ga ge t o t he m

s e c ur i ng a n i nde bt e dne s s of $22, 000 t ha t , a f t e r pa yi ng e i ght

pa yme nt s t he r e on i n t he a mount of $475, t he i nde bt e dne s s be c a me

i n de f a ul t a nd s ought ( 1) pr oc e s s , ( 2) a ppoi nt me nt of a Spe c i a l

Ma s t e r , ( 3) s a l e of t he mor t ga ge d pr ope r t y, a nd ( 4) ge ne r a l

r e lie f .
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2. J une 1, 1992, or de r gr a nt i ng de f a ul t j udgme nt a wa r di ng a

r e c ove r y i n t he a mount of $18, 200, pl us i nt e r e s t a t t he r a t e of

8. 65 pe r c e nt pe r a nnum f r om Oc t obe r 1989, a nd or de r i ng s a l e of

t he pr ope r t y.

3. Se pt e mbe r 21, 1992, Ma s t e r ' s r e por t di s c l os i ng s a l e wa s

a c c ompl i s he d a nd t he t ot a l pur c ha s e pr i c e wa s $8500.

4. Oc t obe r 16, 1992, de c r e e c onf i r mi ng s a l e , f i xi ng a t t or ne y' s

a nd Ma s t e r ' s f e e s , a nd or de r i ng di s bur s e me nt of s a l e pr oc e e ds .

5. De c e mbe r 11, 1992, pe t i t i on by Ma c ki e s s e e ki ng a de f i c i e nc y

j udgme nt .

6. Ma r c h 18, 1993, mot i on by Hi nc hys t o di s mi s s pe t i t i on

s e e ki ng a de f i c i e nc y j udgme nt f or l a c k of pe r s ona l j ur i s di c t i on.

7. Se pt e mbe r 8, 1993, a ns we r t o mot i on t o di s mi s s mot i on f or

de f i c i e nc y j udgme nt by Ma c ki e s .

8. Nove mbe r 2, 1993, or de r ove r r ul i ng Hi nc hys ' mot i on t o

di s mi s s pe tition.

9. De c e mbe r 29, 1993, a ns we r a nd c ount e r - c ompl a i nt by Hi nc hys .

10. Fe br ua r y 23, 1995, a ns we r t o c ount e r - c ompl a i nt .
1 Th i s or d e r r e c i t e s t h e Oc t obe r or d e r wa s ent e r e d on Oc t obe r 12.

I t wa s s i gne d on Oc t obe r 12; howe v e r , i t wa s ent e r e d on Oc t obe r 16.

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11. Oc t obe r 2, 1995, mot i on by Ma c ki e s t o di s mi s s Hi nc hys '

c ount e r - c ompl a i nt .

12. Oc t obe r 26, 1995, r e s pons e of Hi nc hys t o Ma c ki e s ' mot i on t o

di s mi ss.

13. Nove mbe r 3, 1995, Rul e 60 mot i on t o s e t a s i de de f a ul t

j udgme nt a nd or de r of s a l e of J une 1, 1992.

14. Nove mbe r 6, 1995, a ns we r t o mot i on t o s e t a s i de de f a ul t

j udgme nt .

15. Nove mbe r 6, 1995, mot i on by Hi nc hys t o di s mi s s Ma c ki e s '

s uppl e me nt a l pl e a di ng s e e ki ng a de f i c i e nc y j udgme nt .

16. J a nua r y 9, 1996, j udgme nt f i ndi ng t ha t t he Cour t ha d

e xe r c i s e d pr ope r i n pe r s ona m a nd i n r em j ur i s di c t i on ove r t he

Hi nc hys , t ha t t he de c r e e c onf i r mi ng t he s a l e e nt e r e d Oc t obe r 16,

1992, 1 is r e s j udi c a t a to a l l pl e a di ngs f i l e d the r e a f t e r , a nd

t ha t t he Cour t i mpr ope r l y ove r r ul e d Hi nc hys ' mot i on t o di s mi s s

t he pe t i t i on f or de f i c i e nc y j udgme nt . 

Ba s e d upon t he f or e goi ng f i ndi ngs t he Tr i a l Cour t

gr a nt e d t he Hi nc hys ' mot i on t o di s mi s s t he Ma c ki e s ' pe t i t i on f or

de f i c i e nc y j udgme nt , di s mi s s e d t he mot i on s e e ki ng t o s e t a s i de
2 Ru l e 15 of t h e Te nne s s e e Ru l e s of Ci v i l Pr o c e dur e now al l o ws

d ecr ees t o b e en t e r e d wh e n i s s u es no t p l ead e d ar e "t r i e d b y ex p r ess o r i mp l i e d

c o n sent o f t h e p a r t i es. "

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t he de f a ul t j udgme nt , di s mi s s e d t he c ount e r - c ompl a i nt , a nd

r eaf f i r me d i t s awa r d of a de f i c i e nc y j udgme nt .

We f i r s t not e t ha t t he c ompl a i nt a s a me nde d doe s not

s e e k a ny pe r s ona l j udgme nt a ga i ns t t he Hi nc hys , but onl y t he s a l e

of t he pr ope r t y t o s a t i s f y t he Ma c ki e s ' i nde bt e dne s s .

We ha ve i t of ol d- - Foot not e 14, § 648, Gi bs on' s Sui t s

i n Cha nc e r y, 4t h Ed. ( 1937) , whe n a ddr e s s i ng e xe c ut i ons - - t ha t a

decr ee mus t be ci r c ums c r i be d by t he evi de nce, t he evi de nc e

c i r c ums c r i be d by t he pl e a di ngs ,

2

 a nd t he pl e a di ngs c i r c ums c r i be d

by t he pr oc e dur e of t he c ha nc e r y c our t . ( Se e a ppe ndi x. )

I n t he pr e s e nt pos t ur e of t hi s c a s e , i t i s obvi ous t ha t

t he r e a r e no pl e a di ngs s e e ki ng a pe r s ona l j udgme nt a ga i ns t t he

Hi nc hys . It is tr ue tha t a pe tition wa s f ile d by the Ma c ki e s

whi c h di d s e e k s uc h r e l i e f , but t he or de r of t he Tr i a l Cour t on

J a nua r y 9, 1996, gr a nt e d t he mot i on of t he Hi nc hys t o s t r i ke t ha t

pe t i t i on, a nd t hi s a c t i on by t he Cha nc e l l or i s not a ppe a l e d.

We a c c or di ngl y f i nd t ha t a t t he t i me of t he e nt r y of

t he pe r s ona l j udgme nt on J a nua r y 9, 1996, t he r e we r e no pl e a di ngs

whi c h woul d a ut hor i z e t he Cha nc e l l or t o gr a nt s uc h a j udgme nt ,

a nd s o muc h of hi s or de r t ha t pur por t s t o do s o i s r e ve r s e d.
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I n our r e s ol ut i on of t he c a s e , we ha ve not ove r l ooke d

t he f act t ha t t he compl a i nt as ame nde d di d s eek ge ne r a l r e l i e f .

We a r e , howe ve r , di s i nc l i ne d t o f i nd t ha t t hi s pl e a di ng i s

s uf f i c i e nt l y br oa d t o pl a c e t he Hi nc hys on not i c e t ha t t he y woul d

be c a s t i n j udgme nt s houl d t he s a l e of t he pr ope r t y not ge ne r a t e

s uf f i c i e nt f unds t o pa y t he i nde bt e dne s s . 

Gi bs on' s Sui t s i n Cha nc e r y, 7t h Ed. , a ddr e s s e d t he

que s t i on t hus l y:

§ 220. Re l i e f Under t he Ge neral Pr ayer. -- As a

r ul e , no r e l i e f c a n be gr a nt e d i f none i s de ma nde d; a nd

no r e lie f will be gr a nt e d inc ons i s t e nt with tha t

de ma nde d. The de c r e e or di na r i l y f ol l ows t he s pe c i a l

r e l i e f s ought by t he c ompl a i nt , i f t he pl e a di ngs a nd

pr oof will wa r r a nt it.

I f the pl a i ntif f is not e ntitle d to the s pe c i f i c

r e l i e f he pr a ys , he ma y unde r t he ge ne r a l pr a ye r ha ve

s uc h ot he r r e l i e f a s t he pl e a di ngs a nd pr oof wi l l

j us t i f y, pr ovi de d i t i s not of a c ha r a c t e r t o t a ke t he

de f e nda nt by s ur pr i s e . The r e l i e f unde r t he ge ne r a l

pr a ye r mus t f ol l ow, or di na r i l y a nd l ogi c a l l y, t he

pl e a di ngs a nd t he pr oof . I f t he c ompl a i nt pr a ys f or

ge ne r a l r e l i e f onl y, t he pl a i nt i f f c a n by a me ndme nt

de ma nd the s pe c i f i c r e lie f he is e ntitle d to on the

c a s e ma de out by t he pl e a di ngs a nd pr oof .

Be f or e c onc l udi ng, we poi nt out t ha t not hi ng c ont a i ne d

i n t hi s opi ni on woul d i n a ny wa y a f f e c t t he va l i di t y of t he

c our t - or de r e d s a l e of t he mor t ga ge d pr ope r t y.

For t he f or e goi ng r e a s ons t he j udgme nt of t he Tr i a l

Cour t i s a f f i r me d i n pa r t a nd r e ve r s e d i n pa r t , a nd t he c a us e

r e ma nde d f or s uc h f ur t he r pr oc e e di ngs , i f a ny, a s ma y be
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ne c e s s a r y a nd c ol l e c t i on of c os t s be l ow. Cos t s of a ppe a l a r e

a dj udge d a ga i ns t t he Ma c ki e s .

_______________________________

Hous t on M. Godda r d, P. J .

CONCUR:

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Don T. Mc Mur r a y, J .

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Cha r l e s D. Sus a no, J r ., J .