Carver v. Crocker

311 S.W.2d 316, 43 Tenn. App. 636, 1957 Tenn. App. LEXIS 140
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedDecember 20, 1957
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 311 S.W.2d 316 (Carver v. Crocker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carver v. Crocker, 311 S.W.2d 316, 43 Tenn. App. 636, 1957 Tenn. App. LEXIS 140 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1957).

Opinion

I

SHRIVER, J.

There is involved here a question as to the failure of the trial judge to grant a continuance on account of the illness of defendants’ attorney of record.

There is also involved the failure of the Court to find the facts in an opinion or in a decree, such finding being very important on appeal in a case of this character, although there was no special request of counsel for such written finding. We also deal with the question of the right and duty of the appellate Courts to remand for further proceedings where the record before us is in such unsatisfactory condition as to hamper a correct decision on the merits.

.This is an ejectment suit brought by complainants Kenneth E. Carver and Paul A. Hellemn to eject the [638]*638defendants J. C. Crocker and wife from certain land in Coffee County to which the complainants claim title. Said disputed land consists of about 31.38 acres lying along the west boundary of complainants’ 1,170 acre tract and comprises the eastern part of a tract of 82.23 acres claimed by and in possession of defendants.

A demurrer to the original bill was filed but was withdrawn and an answer filed denying the material allegations of the bill.

Subsequently an amended and supplemental answer was filed by defendants in which they denied the allegations of complainants’ bill with respect to title, and asserted that title to said land was acquired by them by deed dated Oct. 9, 1946, from Gfeorge H. Trail and wife. A certified copy of said deed is made an exhibit to the answer and shows that it is of record in Book #64, page 339, Begister’s Office for Coffee County, Tennessee.

Said answer asserts that defendants by themselves and those through whom they claim had been in peaceable, notorious, continuance adverse possession of the land in question for more than twenty years before the filing of the bill herein and that they had been in continuous, actual, notorious, exclusive adverse possession and control of the land in dispute, under registered deed showing title in them, for more than seven years next before the filing of the bill.

The record shows several continuances by agreement or consent until November 1954 at which time complainants applied for and were granted a continuance. During the month of December 1954 complainants took the depositions of two witnesses, waiving all formalities and [639]*639reserving the right of cross examination by counsel for defendants.

A final decree was entered in the canse on August 3, 1956, reciting that the cause came on to he heard before Honorable H. J. Garrett, Chancellor, on the bill, the answer of the defendants, the proof in the cause and the whole record, upon consideration of which it was ordered, adjudged and decreed by the court that the complainants are the owners in fee of all the land described in the bill in this cause, including that portion claimed by the defendants, and a writ of possession and a reference to the Master concerning the value of timber alleged to have been cut, were ordered.

On September 1, 1956, a “Petition for Re-hearing” was filed setting forth that the defendants were very much aggrieved by the decree rendered on August 3, 1956, adjudging complainants to be the owners of the land described in the bill and claimed by defendants.

While an appeal does not lie from a Chancellor’s order overruling a petition to re-hear, see Capshaw v. Town of Cookeville, 185 Tenn. 96, 203 S. W. (2d) 369, we think some of the allegations of the petition in this case are significant.

As was said in Morrow v. Sneed, 121 Tenn. 173, 114 S. W. 201, while continuances are generally subject to the discretion of the trial Judge, when this discretion is abused, it is reversible error. To the same effect is Douglass v. Blakemore, 59 Tenn. 564. Also see Reagan v. McBroom, 164 Tenn. 476, 51 S. W. (2d) 995 and Fidelity-Phenix Fire Ins. Co. v. Oliver, 25 Tenn. App. 114, 152 S. W. (2d) 254.

[640]*640Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Petition to Rehear are as follows:

“2. Petitioners are greatly surprised by the final decree being rendered in said canse, since they were informed by the Honorable H. J. Garrett, Chancellor, before the opening of the regular May 1956 Term of the Chancery Court for Coffee County, Tennessee, that all of the Honorable Leighton Ewell’s cases on the docket would have to go over until the next regular term of Court due to his illness.
“3. Petitioners are greatly surprised by the final decree being rendered in this case, because they had no notice of the order of this Honorable Court filed May 23, 1956, requiring them to take their proof within 45 days from May 21,1956, and were and are completely surprised by the Court’s action thereon.
“4. Petitioners are greatly surprised by the entry of a final decree upon this cause without notice to them and did not learn of the hearing of August 3, 1956, until a few days thereafter when his father was informed of the Court’s action by the Honorable Chancellor. ’ ’

It is further recited in said petition that on January 27, 1956, one of their witnesses fell and broke his arm and was unable to testify on January 28, 1956, the date set by agreement of counsel for the taking of his deposition. It is also alleged that the petitioners were greatly surprised by the Court’s action because their solicitor of record, Hon. Leighton Ewell, underwent an emergency operation on January 28,1956, the date set for the taking of the depositions of the witnesses for the defendants, [641]*641and from that date forward was not sufficiently recovered from his illness to enable him to proceed with the cause.

They further assert that owing to the illness of their solicitor they had no opportunity to prove, as they were abundantly able to do, that the 31.38 acres of land claimed by complainant was wholly outside of all the boundaries of complainants’ land and, if given the opportunity, would show that said land had been held by the defendants more than 20 years by adverse possession and claim of right, and more than seven years under »a registered deed, all of which they were prevented from showing vby the illness of their attorney and their understanding from the Chancellor himself that their case would be continued.

The sworn petition for a re-hearing prayed that the final decree hereinabove referred to be reversed and set aside and that a rehearing be granted them.

No answer to the Petition to Re-hear was filed but complainants’ motion to dismiss it was granted and the Chancellor filed a short memorandum which was implemented by decree of Nov. 9, 1956, dismissing the petition to re-hear. There was no finding of facts or response by the Chancellor to the charges in the petition that he had announced to the defendants on the first day of the term that Mr. Ewell’s cases, including this case, would be continued until the next term of court.

Thereafter, on November 27, 1956, Mr. T. Arthur Jenkins, an attorney of the Coffee County Bar, filed a motion on behalf of the defendants, J. C. Crocker and wife, which motion is as follows:

“Come the defendants, J. C. Crocker and wife, Zella Crocker, and move this honorable Court to set [642]

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Bluebook (online)
311 S.W.2d 316, 43 Tenn. App. 636, 1957 Tenn. App. LEXIS 140, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carver-v-crocker-tennctapp-1957.