Burford v. Stuart

1967 OK 3, 422 P.2d 428, 1967 Okla. LEXIS 326
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJanuary 6, 1967
Docket41680
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1967 OK 3 (Burford v. Stuart) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Burford v. Stuart, 1967 OK 3, 422 P.2d 428, 1967 Okla. LEXIS 326 (Okla. 1967).

Opinion

DAVISON, Justice.

The parties occupy the same relative positions in this court that they had in the lower court and will be referred to by their trial court designation of “plaintiff” and ■“defendant.”

Plaintiff’s action against defendant was brought to establish plaintiff’s ownership in mineral interests held by defendant in his name, to require defendant to convey such mineral interests to plaintiff, and to require defendant to render an accounting.

The record reflects that in 1947 the defendant acquired and owned certain oil and gas mineral interests and in that year the defendant and Gertrude Frank Skelly (herein referred to as Mrs. Skelly) made an oral agreement by which Mrs. Skelly acquired a one half interest in such minerals, with the understanding that the title and management thereof would remain in defendant. This joint venture was called S & S Royalty. Mrs. Skelly died in 1959, leaving plaintiff and another daughter (Mrs. Harold C. Stuart, wife of defendant) as her sole heirs. During the probate of Mrs. Skelly’s estate in the County Court of 'Tulsa County from 1959 to rendition of the final decree of distribution on July 10, 1964, the defendant made regular annual reports to the co-executors of the estate concerning his management and the income of S & S Royalty. The probate decree awarded to plaintiff a one half interest in Mrs. Skelly’s one half interest in the minerals.

On August 6, 1964, plaintiff filed the present above described action against defendant as to certain specified mineral interests and as to any other mineral interests that, unknown to plaintiff, were in fact held by defendant under the 1947 arrangement for Mrs. Skelly, and in which plaintiff would have an interest. Thereafter, and on or about August 11, 1964, the defendant assigned to plaintiff the interest claimed by plaintiff in the specified minerals and paid to plaintiff the income or profit from such minerals.

Defendant’s answer and cross petition (filed December 23, 1964) admitted the 1947 arrangement with Mrs. Skelly and alleged full and complete accounting with Mrs. Skelly to the time of her death (1959), and complete annual accounting to the executors of her estate during the 5 year probate period, and that the matter of the minerals so held by defendant had been made the subject of an extensive inquiry in proceedings instituted by plaintiff in the probate proceedings and a full disclosure had been made by defendant therein. Defendant’s cross petition asked for reformation of one of the mineral assignments given by defendant to plaintiff, supra.

The case was set for trial on February 17, 1965.

On February 16, 1965, plaintiff filed a motion to strike the cause from trial and for a pre-trial hearing, and requesting that defendant be required to produce all records of S & S Royalty. On the same date plaintiff filed her reply and answer in which, inter alia, she admitted receipt of the above described mineral assignments and sums given her by defendant. The court minute on the hearing for continuance .recites “Pre-trial held and case stricken” and re-set the trial for March 25, 1965.

On March 25, 1965, the court again continued the trial on motion of plaintiff and passed the case to April 27, 1965.

When the case come on for trial on April 27, 1965, the plaintiff filed an application for a further continuance alleging that she had by means of depositions of defendant *430 and other witnesses, taken March 12, 19 and 24, procured copies of what defendant claimed to be all records in his possession or within his knowledge relating to the subject of the action, including records of oil runs from January, 1958, through 1964. The records had been forwarded to St. Louis where plaintiff and her accountants, were checking their correctness. Counsel for plaintiff advised the court as follows:

“ * * * Now, when you granted this last continuance, you admonished me, I believe it was at that time, to be in a position to state to the court whether or not we have discovered any income, or funds, or properties for which Mr. Stuart has not accounted. I say to your Honor that, from the records kept by the bookkeeper for Mrs. Skelly, and from the records kept by Mr. Stuart or kept under his supervision by a bookkeeper, or somebody employed by him, but we do not discover in those records any property, that he has not listed, nor any money, or income that he has not reported. * * *
* * 5|C * # *
“ * * * Now then, she (plaintiff) is in the process of attempting to verify the correctness of the records that we have examined, by inquiries from oil companies and others who might have or either took runs, or either had some knowledge of them. It has been a little difficult to tell from what Mr. Stuart says what is S & S Trust properties, and what is not. She wants to complete that check, your Honor and I will say to you, your Honor, I do not think that this case is unduly old. * * *
“ * * * that when Mr. Miller and I went and made an examination of what Mr. Stuart showed us, in accordance with what the court said for us to do, we were not able to get the accountant here from Saint Louis to check them, and consequently we took depositions and sent copies to St. Louis where the accountant did check them, and he told me as far Mrs. Skelly’s, Mrs. Stuart’s and Mr. Stuart’s records and those oil run statements were concerned, that he has not found any discrepancies in the known properties involved in this S & S Royalty Trust. * * * ”

It was defendant’s position that he had made full disclosure of all interests and income of S & S Royalty. Defendant’s counsel advised the court regarding an earlier examination by an accounting firm employed by plaintiff as follows:

* * * They came up in 1960 and ’61, and had a crew of men up here about eight months, or maybe longer, at which time they went over everything connected with Mrs. Skelly’s estate, Mr. Skelly’s estate, and including the S & S Royalty, and Mr. Trotter reported that his-examination revealed no discrepancies. * *

Defendant was present in person and it appears that he had with him the records of S & S Royalty.

The trial court denied a continuance and directed the parties to proceed with the trial. Plaintiff’s attorney stated he had no' testimony to offer and the court dismissed plaintiff’s petition for failure to prosecute. Defendant then offered evidence in support of his cross petition. The court rendered judgment for defendant on all issues raised by the cross petition and ordered the particular mineral deed reformed.

In the journal entry of judgment the trial court reviewed the circumstances of the various continuances granted the plaintiff, and as to the first continuance granted on-February 17, 1965, stated:

“ * * * and the defendant appearing in court in person and by his attorney E. J. Doerner, announced ready for trial, and having present in Court the books, records and documents pertaining to the S- & S Royalties, and that the Court on said date continued said trial until March 25, 1965, and the plaintiff’s attorneys stated that they would in the interim have said books and records checked and audited by accountants of her selection; and

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Related

Bank of Oklahoma, N.A. v. Briscoe
911 P.2d 311 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1996)
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710 P.2d 597 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1985)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1967 OK 3, 422 P.2d 428, 1967 Okla. LEXIS 326, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burford-v-stuart-okla-1967.