Opinion ID: 1937450
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: homestead

Text: Citing Dieter v. Fraine, 20 N.D. 484, 128 N.W. 684 (1910), Stedmans argued that NDCC 47-18-04(2), authorizing forced sale of a homestead for a mortgage debt, is unconstitutional under Section 22 of Article XI of the North Dakota Constitution. That constitutional section calls for wholesome laws ... exempting from forced sale to all heads of families a homestead, the value of which shall be limited and defined by law;.... We have already rejected the argument that this section of the North Dakota Constitution forbids foreclosure sale of a mortgaged homestead. Federal Land Bank of Saint Paul v. Gefroh, 418 N.W.2d 602 (N.D.1988). Dieter v. Fraine does not change our minds. We did not discuss Dieter v. Fraine, supra , in deciding Gefroh. Dieter involved an execution levy for a money judgment upon a creditor's claim for services rendered to an absent husband. The Dieter decision held that [a]n execution for the enforcement of a judgment obtained upon a debt not within the classes enumerated [in the predecessor to NDCC 47-18-04] may be levied upon the homestead only in case it appears after due application to the court and an appraisement had that the property claimed as a homestead exceeds in value the amount of the homestead exemption. (Our emphasis). 128 N.W. at 686. The Dieter holding is correct but it did not involve a mortgage foreclosure. Thus, Dieter v. Fraine does not affect our holding in Gefroh. We adhere to our Gefroh decision that the North Dakota Constitution does not prohibit the enforcement of a mortgage against a homestead.