Opinion ID: 1455662
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The first mortgage payment.

Text: Leonard cannot recover the mortgage payment made prior to the foreclosure decree of November 12, 1971. In its complaint in the foreclosure case, Leonard asked that the land be sold, and that the proceeds of such sale be applied to the amounts found to be due to the plaintiffs at the time of judgment and sale. Leonard did not request in its pleadings that the amount of the first mortgage payment be included in the judgment, nor was such amount included. A court may not grant judgment for relief which is neither requested by the pleadings nor within the theory on which the case was tried. Federal National Mortgage Ass'n v. Rose Realty, Inc., 79 N.M. 281, 442 P.2d 593 (1968); Holmes v. Faycus, 85 N.M. 740, 516 P.2d 1123 (Ct.App. 1973). Since the first mortgage payment had accrued prior to the decree of November 12, 1971, it was a necessary part of Leonard's claim in that action, if it expected to recover the same. A party may not split his demand and prosecute it piecemeal, or present a part of the grounds upon which such a cause of action is founded and leave the remainder to be presented in a subsequent suit if the first fails. Fidelity & Deposit Co. of Maryland v. Hobbs, 144 F.2d 5 (10th Cir.1944). The effect of the judgment in the foreclosure action is to bar Leonard from resurrecting the claim for the first mortgage payment.