Blount County v. Hollingsworth

231 So. 2d 324, 45 Ala. App. 401, 1970 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 477
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Alabama
DecidedFebruary 4, 1970
Docket6 Div. 18
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 231 So. 2d 324 (Blount County v. Hollingsworth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Blount County v. Hollingsworth, 231 So. 2d 324, 45 Ala. App. 401, 1970 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 477 (Ala. Ct. App. 1970).

Opinion

WRIGHT, Judge.

This case arose out of a summons and complaint filed in the Circuit Court of Blount County, Alabama, on March 13, 1968, by Tracy G. Hollingsworth and Dora Lee Hollingsworth against Blount County.

The complaint alleged damages arising out of a breach of contract. It appears that on the 19th day of November, 1966, the plaintiffs executed a warranty deed to Blount County granting to the county fee simple title to certain real estate for the building of a public road. Inserted in the deed, and as a part of the consideration, was an agreement that plaintiffs’ residence and a butane gas tank were to be moved to a new location according to a certain plan, without cost to plaintiffs.

Plaintiffs aver that as the result of the breach of the implied warranty in this agreement, their house was damaged in the amount of $3,000. The implied warranty-being that the moving of the residence would be done in a good and workmanlike manner. There is no real dispute that it was not so moved and suffered extensive damage.

It is averred in the complaint that an itemized, verified claim was submitted to the county and said claim was duly denied by the Court of County Commissioners of Blount County, on March 11, 1968.

Demurrer was filed to the complaint and overruled. Answer was filed, issue joined and a trial by jury was had, with verdict and judgment in favor of plaintiffs, in the *404 amount of $2550, on December 3, 1968. .Motion for new trial was filed and denied by the court on January 29, 1969.

This appeal is brought by Blount County, appellant, on assignment of 10 errors alleged committed by the court below.

Assignments 1, 2, and 3 are argued jointly by appellant in brief, and are numerical in order as follows:

1. That the court erred in overruling demurrer 1 to plaintiffs’ complaint; 2. That the court erred in overruling demurrer 2. 3. That the court erred in overruling demurrer 5. We recognize that appellant is referring to grounds of demurrer, rather than to demurrers, when it refers to demurrers by number in these assignments.

Ground 1 of appellant’s demurrer was what is commonly called general — it merely stated that the complaint fails to state a •cause of action. This kind of demurrer has been specifically abolished by Title 7, Section 236, Code of Alabama 1940. The section reads as follows:

“No demurrer in pleading can be allowed except as to matters of substance, which the party demurring specifies; and no obj ection can be taken or allowed which is not distinctly stated in the demurrer.”

Appellant has chosen to assign error to the overruling by the trial court of specific grounds of the demurrer. If none of these have merit, the court on appeal cannot consider any other grounds set out in the demurrer. Grounds of demurrer, which are not asserted as having merit are waived and will not be considered on appeal. United Insurance of America v. Pounders, 279 Ala. 410, 186 So.2d 125; Hartford Fire Ins. Co. v. Clark, 258 Ala. 141, 61 So.2d 19.

Ground 2 of the demurrer is “that there is a misjoinder of parties plaintiff.”

This ground is too general and presents nothing for review.

Ground 5 is “For aught that appears the damages set forth in the complaint are not chargeable to the defendant.”

This ground also is general and specifies nothing other than a conclusion.

All these grounds are in violation of Title 7, Section 236, Code of Alabama 1940, and the trial court was not in error in overruling a demurrer containing only such grounds.

In addition, we find that argument addressed to assignments of error 1, 2, and 3 jointly is not sufficiently addressed to any one of them to adequately advise this Court of the point of application, and thus is not in accord with Rule 9, Revised Rules of the Supreme Court. Therefore, assignments of error 1, 2 and 3 are deemed waived and are not to be considered on this appeal. Hartford Fire Ins. Co. v. Clark, supra.

Assignments of error 4 and 6 are directed at the alleged admission by the trial court, into evidence, illegal testimony of a witness for plaintiffs over objection of defendant.

The brief of appellant refers only to these assignments of error by number, and does not set out the error complained of. This is also in violation of Rule 9, Supreme Court Revised Rules. Such failure to specify in brief the error alleged committed requires this Court to search the record to find the assigned errors, and further to search the transcript of evidence to find the rulings complained of. Rule 9, Supreme Court Rules was designed to enable the reviewing court to determine from the briefs themselves whether there was error below, and merely listing the numbers, without more, is not a compliance with this Rule. Dudley Bros. Lumber Co. v. Long, 268 Ala. 565, 109 So.2d 684.

In spite of such violation, since such rules are directory only, and this Court may exercise its discretion in considering appellant’s brief, we will dispose of *405 the assigned errors on their merits. Commercial Standard Ins. Co. v. New Amsterdam Casualty Co., 272 Ala. 357, 131 So.2d 182.

In assigned error #4, the question objected to by appellant, and which objection was overruled by the court, was not answered by the witness. A similar question, but in different form, was then posed to the witness without obj ection.

The Supreme Court of Alabama in the case of Allred v. Dobbs, 280 Ala. 159, 190 So.2d 712 stated, “Where objected to question was not answered by witness, but subsequent materially different unobjected to question was answered, assignment of error on unanswered question was without merit.” We cite also, State v. Hodge, 280 Ala. 422, 194 So.2d 827.

Assigned error 6 relates also to the overruling of an objection to a question propounded by plaintiffs. The argument in support of this assignment is based on the remoteness of the evidence to be shown by an answer. We do not think it necessary to set out the question as propounded. It is sufficient to state that the question of remoteness or relevancy of testimony is a matter ordinarily within the discretion of the trial court, and unless such discretion is grossly abused it will not be considered error on appeal.

The question of remoteness of evidence does not necessarily depend upon passage of a specific period of time. The real issue is that of probative value. This issue can best be determined by the trial court who has the best opportunity to view a particular bit of testimony in relation to the whole. Occidental Life Ins. Co. v. Nichols, 266 Ala. 521, 97 So.2d 879; Pitts v. State, 261 Ala. 314, 74 So.2d 232; Smitherman v. State, 33 Ala.App. 316, 33 So.2d 396.

We hold assignments of error 4 and 6 are not well taken.

Assignment of error 7 refers to the admission into evidence, over objection, testimony as to the cost of repairing the damage to the building resulting from the improper moving. The testimony was that it would cost $2542 to repair it and place it in acceptable condition, not necessarily in the same condition as before it was moved.

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Bluebook (online)
231 So. 2d 324, 45 Ala. App. 401, 1970 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 477, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/blount-county-v-hollingsworth-alacivapp-1970.