Bank of America National Trust & Savings Ass'n v. Superior Court

1 P.2d 1081, 115 Cal. App. 454, 1931 Cal. App. LEXIS 590
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 13, 1931
DocketDocket No. 374.
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 1 P.2d 1081 (Bank of America National Trust & Savings Ass'n v. Superior Court) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bank of America National Trust & Savings Ass'n v. Superior Court, 1 P.2d 1081, 115 Cal. App. 454, 1931 Cal. App. LEXIS 590 (Cal. Ct. App. 1931).

Opinion

MARKS, J.

This is an original petition filed in this court seeking a writ of prohibition prohibiting respondents from *455 setting for trial and trying a petition for distribution in the estate of Teodora Federico, also known as Teodora F. Valenzuela, deceased, and the contest thereto filed by petitioner as the executor of the last will and testament of Jesus Valenzuela, deceased.

The record before us discloses that Teodora Federico died testate on the thirteenth day of July, 1927, and that Juanita Agüera was thereafter appointed and qualified as the administratrix with the will annexed of her estate. After the death of Teodora Federico, Jesus Valenzuela, who was named as the sole beneficiary in her last will and testament, died testate and petitioner herein was appointed and qualified as the executor of his last will and testament. Juanita Agüera filed her final account and petitioned for distribution of the estate of Teodora Federico in which petition she sought to have all of the property of the estate distributed to herself as a pretermitted heir, alleging that she was an adopted daughter of Teodora Federico. At the trial of the contest on the petition for distribution, the court found in favor of the contestant and ordered the estate distributed to it as the executor of the last will and testament of Jesus Valenzuela, deceased. The findings of fact and judgment or decree were filed and entered on January 29, 1930. Notice of entry of judgment or decree was served upon Juanita Agüera as administratrix with the will annexed of the estate of Teodora Federico, deceased, and A. V. Muller and Webster & Lyon, her attorneys, on February 3, 1930. On February 7, 1930, A. V. Muller and Alex Webster, as attorneys for Juanita Agüera as administratrix with the will annexed of the estate of Teodora Federico, deceased, filed a notice of intention to move for a new trial. This motion was denied on March 17, 1930. On March 21, 1930, Ray B. Lyon, as attorney for Juanita Agüera individually, filed notice of intention to move for a new trial, which motion was granted on May 9, 1930.

It appears from the record that Alex Webster and Ray B. Lyon were at all times material to this action, copartners doing business under the- firm name and style of Webster & Lyon. In its findings of fact filed on January 29, 1930, the trial court found that Juanita Agüera as administratrix with the will annexed of the estate of Teodora Federico, was represented upon the trial and hearing on the contest of dis *456 tribution by A. Y. Muller and Webster & Lyon as her attorneys.

In fairness to the Hon. Erwin W. Owen, who is named as the respondent judge herein, it should be noted that the trial of the contest and the arguments of both motions for new trial were heard, and the decisions rendered by another judge of the superior court. He is named as respondent for the reason that he is presiding judge of the Superior Court in and for the County of Kern, and in the capacity of such presiding judge was proceeding to set the contest down for a second trial after the order made granting the motion of Juanita Agüera made in her individual capacity.

It seems to be settled in California that prohibition is a proper remedy to be invoked where the trial court has made a void order granting a motion for a new trial and is attempting to proceed with a second trial. (Shepherd v. Superior Court, 54 Cal. App. 673 [202 Pac. 466]; Finkle v. Superior Court, 71 Cal. App. 97 [234 Pac. 432]; United Railroads v. Superior Court, 197 Cal. 687 [242 Pac. 701].)

The sole question necessary to be decided on this appeal is whether or not a sufficient notice of the entry of judgment and decree of distribution of January 29, 1930, was served upon Juanita Agüera to start running the ten days within which a notice of motion for a new trial must be filed under the provisions of section 659 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

The notice of entry of judgment served by petitioner on February 3, 1930, is addressed “to Juanita Agüera, as administratrix with the will annexed of the estate of the above named deceased and to A. Y. Muller and Webster & Lyon, her attorneys”. In the petition filed in this court it is alleged “that on the 3rd day of February, 1930, notice of entry of said judgment of distribution was served by said Bank of Italy National Trust and Savings Association as such Executor upon the said Juanita Agüera, and her said attorneys, a copy of which notice is hereto attached and marked Exhibit ‘E’ and made a part thereof”. The only denial of this allegation in the answer of respondents is as follows: “Deny that on the 3rd day of February, 1930, notice of the entry of judgment of Decree of Distribution given and made in the matter of said estate was served upon the said Juanita Agüera or upon her attorneys, other than *457 in her representative capacity as administratrix with the will annexed of the Estate of Teodora Federico, deceased, and allege that the only Notice of the Entry of said judgment or decree is the one, a copy of which is attached to Petitioner’s Petition herein and marked ‘Exhibit E”.” This admits the service of the notice upon Juanita Agüera in her representative capacity and upon her attorneys on February 3, 1930. Her notice of intention to move for a new trial made in her individual capacity was filed forty days after the service of the notice of the entry of judgment. To give the court jurisdiction to entertain the motion, the notice of intention to move for a new trial must be filed within ten days after receiving written notice of the entry of judgment. (Sec. 659, Code Civ. Proc.; sec. 953d, Code Civ. Proc.; Neale v. Morrow, 174 Cal. 49 [161 Pac. 1165]; Prothero v. Superior Court, 196 Cal. 439 [238 Pac. 357].)

Other than the requirement now existing that the notice of entry of judgment be in writing, no particular form of the notice is prescribed by law. (Sec. 659, Code Civ. Proc.; sec. 953d, Code Civ. Proc.; Waddingham v. Tubbs, 95 Cal. 249 [30 Pac. 527].) We conclude, therefore, that any notice in writing which will convey to a" losing party that the judgment has been entered is sufficient in California.

In the case of Scott v. Glenn, 97 Cal. 513 [32 Pac. 573], the plaintiff commenced an action to recover money alleged to have been received by the defendant for the use and benefit of the plaintiff’s assignors. The defendant filed his answer and also a cross-complaint making the plaintiff and his assignors cross-defendants and praying affirmative relief against them. The cross-defendants filed their answers denying many of the allegations of the cross-complaint. After a trial by the court, it rendered judgment that the plaintiff take nothing by his suit and gave the cross-complainant the relief demanded in his cross-complaint. The judgment was filed on September 17, 1891. On the following day the attorney for the defendant and cross-complainant served upon the attorney for the plaintiff and cross-defendants the following notice:

“To the Plaintiff, and Messrs. T. P. Ryan and G-. B.
Graham, Attorneys of Record.

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1 P.2d 1081, 115 Cal. App. 454, 1931 Cal. App. LEXIS 590, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bank-of-america-national-trust-savings-assn-v-superior-court-calctapp-1931.