Bachler v. Bachler

339 S.W.2d 846, 1960 Mo. App. LEXIS 473
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 17, 1960
DocketNo. 7854
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 339 S.W.2d 846 (Bachler v. Bachler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bachler v. Bachler, 339 S.W.2d 846, 1960 Mo. App. LEXIS 473 (Mo. Ct. App. 1960).

Opinions

McDowell, judge.

This appeal is from a judgment of the trial court rendered in Division I of the Circuit Court of Jasper County, Missouri, December 10, 1959, denying plaintiff’s motion to set aside a judgment for $150 in favor of defendant for attorney fees to defend in a motion to modify the original decree of divorce.

On March 29,1956, defendant was awarded a divorce from plaintiff on her cross bill. In the decree the court awarded custody of the parties’ infant child to defendant and required plaintiff to pay $15 per week for support and maintenance of said child.

Thereafter, on July 7, 1959, plaintiff filed a motion to modify the decree of divorce as to the allowance for support of the minor child based on changed conditions that plaintiff had been injured and the disability rendered him unable to continue to comply with the judgment.

On July 9, 1959, defendant filed motion for allowance of attorney fees to defend in the motion for modification. Because of the absence of Honorable Judge Ray E. Watson, this motion was presented to Honorable Judge Woodson Oldham, who heard the cause and awarded defendant $150 for attorney fees. All other proceedings in the matter were heard by Judge Watson in Division I.

August 12, 1959, plaintiff filed an amended motion to set aside the judgment. This motion was in the nature of an equitable action based upon fraud. The motion alleged three grounds: 1. that the evidence adduced at the trial of the motion for attorney fees did not warrant a judgment in favor of defendánt; 2. that defendant at the hearing on said motion, willfully committed perjury by testifying that she had been married to one, Eugene Stanley, and had borne a child by him, when, in truth, she had never been married to said Stanley and the child was born out of wedlock ; 3. that in a previous matter respecting the rights of the parties to the proceeds of property at a partition sale presented to the court and because of' certain incidents relative thereto, the judge was of the opinion that plaintiff had possibly committed contemptuous actions in the sale proceedings, and, by reason thereof, was biased and prejudiced against plaintiff at the time the motion for attorney fees was presented to him. The judge stated in open court that had he realized, prior' to the hearing for attorney fees, plaintiff was the same person involved in the partition action, he would have disqualified himself as to the hearing of plaintiff’s motion.

The prayer of the motion is that the court set aside the award for attorney fees and grant a new trial.

The testimony is not in dispute. Defendant admitted that she falsely testified in the hearing on the motion for attorney fees that she had been married to one, Stanley, since the divorce proceedings and had borne a child by him; she admitted she had never been married to Stanley and that the child was born out of wedlock.

The evidence offered fails to show that defendant possessed property or income sufficient to pay an attorney for representing her in defense of the motion. It showed she received checks from plaintiff’s wife for $15 per week for child support; that she worked at the Capri Cocktail [848]*848Lounge earning $45 per week; that all of such money was used to support herself and three children and for helping to care for her minor brother. There was evidence offered that defendant had received $1,500 from sale of joint real estate but there was no evidence that she possessed any of such funds at the time plaintiff filed his motion to modify.

Plaintiff’s evidence was, that since the original divorce decree he had received a chest injury while working at Interstate Grocery and that his only income consisted of compensation received under Workmen’s Compensation Law, Section 287.010 et seq. RSMo 1949, V.A.M.S. and commissions received since his injury from selling aluminum siding. The evidence does not disclose how much the commissions were.

On December 10, 1959, plaintiff’s amended motion to set aside the judgment for attorney fees was by the court denied. Thereafter, on December 18, 1959, plaintiff filed notice of appeal to this court.

In this equity proceeding the cause is considered de novo upon appeal. We are to reach our own conclusion as to the law and the evidence upon a review of the entire record, and have authority to enter such judgment as we find the trial court ought to have entered in conformity with the law. Section 510.310 RSMo 1949, V.A. M.S.; § 512.160 RSMo 1949, V.A.M.S.; Sheets v. Thomann, Mo.App., 336 S.W.2d 701, 707; Jackson v. Tibbling, Mo.Sup., 310 S.W.2d 909, 914.

Under assignment of error numbered I, appellant states: “Judgment Procured by Fraud May Be Set Aside”, and cites Fadler v. Gabbert, 333 Mo. 851, 63 S.W.2d 121; Cross v. Gould, 131 Mo.App. 585, 110 S.W. 672; Norman v. Young, Mo.Sup., 301 S.W. 2d 820; and, In re Jackson’s Will, Mo.App., 291 S.W.2d 214.

With this abstract statement of law we agree and we note that respondent, in her brief, admits that a judgment procured by fraud may be set aside. However, this alleged error presents nothing for review. It is a mere abstract statement of law and does not, in any way, point to errors committed by the trial court. Our court held in a recent case, Prentice v. Rowe, Mo.App., 324 S.W.2d 457, that point which constituted nothing more than an abstract statement of law without any showing as to how it related to any action or ruling of the trial court presented nothing for review. See Wildermuth v. Fred Medart Manufacturing Co., Mo.App., 330 S.W.2d 126, 128.

Under alleged error numbered II, appellant states: “The Fraud Practiced on the Court in This Case Prevented a Fair Submission of the Controversy and Was in the Procurement of the Judgment and Could Not Have Been Presented at the Trial.”

This, likewise, is an abstract statement of law and too general to meet the rule requiring an appellant to state in his brief what action and ruling of the court is claimed to be erroneous. Missouri Supreme Court Rule 1.08, now Rule 83.05 of Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure, V.A.M.R.

Respondent is correct in her contention that the assignment of error is in violation of Supreme Court Rule 83.05(e) which requires: “The points relied on shall briefly and concisely state what actions or rulings of the Court are claimed to be erroneous and briefly and concisely state why it is contended the Court was wrong in any action or ruling sought to be reviewed. Setting out only abstract statements of law without showing how they are related to any action or ruling of the Court is not a compliance with this rule.”

However, it is clear from the record that appellant relies upon the issue of fraud growing out of the perjured testimony of respondent at the hearing in the trial court on the motion for attorney fees. In furtherance of justice we will decide the issue on its merits.

Appellant cites but one case, Jones v. Jones, Mo.App., 254 S.W.2d 260 to support this attempted alleged error.

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Bluebook (online)
339 S.W.2d 846, 1960 Mo. App. LEXIS 473, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bachler-v-bachler-moctapp-1960.