Chicago Natl. Life Ins. Co. v. Sollman, Gdn.

187 N.E. 686, 99 Ind. App. 86, 1933 Ind. App. LEXIS 139
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 24, 1933
DocketNo. 14,236.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 187 N.E. 686 (Chicago Natl. Life Ins. Co. v. Sollman, Gdn.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chicago Natl. Life Ins. Co. v. Sollman, Gdn., 187 N.E. 686, 99 Ind. App. 86, 1933 Ind. App. LEXIS 139 (Ind. Ct. App. 1933).

Opinion

Curtis, J.

On June 11, 1926, George D. Solimán filed his complaint in the Gibson Circuit Court against the appellants and one William. F. Morris, the United States General Agency Company, a corporation, the Chicago National Underwriters Company, a corporation, Wilbur Wynant, William C. Gillette, and A. L. Whitmer, alleging therein that the said defendants had, by conspiring together, fraudulently sold to the plaintiff at various times certain worthless stock and had received from him the total sum of $21,000.00 therefor, to his damage in that amount, together with interest. There was no service upon any of the defendants except the appellants and said Morris, and the cause was dismissed as to all others. Before the trial, George D. Solimán was adjudged to be of unsound mind by the Gibson Circuit Court, and Sophia Solimán, his wife, the appellee herein, was duly appointed his guardian and was substituted as plaintiff by order of court, upon her supplemental complaint filed October 12, 1929. Each appellant filed a general denial. Before answer there were various motions filed by the several defendants, but as the rulings thereon are not assigned as error relied upon for reversal, they may be disregarded. The *88 complaint is voluminous, and no good purpose would be accomplished in setting it out.

The cause was tried to a jury who returned a verdict for the appellee against each appellant in the sum of $26,374.14, and for the defendant William F. Morris. The judgment was in accordance with the verdict. In due course a motion for a new trial was filed by each appellant and overruled and exceptions taken and this appeal prayed and perfected.

In the appellants’ brief we find this statement: “This brief is filed on behalf of both the Chicago National Life Insurance Company and the Gary National Life Insurance Company. Each of these appellants took a separate appeal from the judgment of the court below. Many of the questions involved on this appeal are common to'each of these appellants, and, in order to save repetition with respect to the points which are common to each appellant and to conserve as much as possible the time of the court and the labors of appellants’ attorneys in presenting the matter, it was deemed advisable to file one brief on behalf of each of the two appellants, pointing out therein the matters which are particularly applicable to either one of the appellants and not to the other.” The court has so considered the case.

The alleged errors relied upon for reversal are:

“1. The court erred in entering judgment against the Chicago National Life Insurance Company.

2. The court erred in entering judgment against the Gary National Life Insurance Company.

3. The court erred in overruling the motion of the Chicago National Life Insurance Company for a new trial.

4. The court erred in overruling the motion of the Gary National Life Insurance Company for a new trial.”

The first two alleged errors, standing alone as they do, present no question.

*89 The third and fourth present no question except as they are particularized by setting out the causes or grounds of the motions. These causes or grounds as stated in the motions are substantially as follows: The verdict of the jury is contrary to law; is not sustained by sufficient evidence; the damages assessed are excessive ; error of the court in giving of its own motion each of its instructions numbers 6, 7, 12 and 14 and in giving at the request of the appellee each of appellee’s instructions 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, and in refusing to give each of instructions numbered 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 11, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, and 27, tendered by each appellant; error in not giving, at the request of each appellant, at the close of the appellee’s evidence, a peremptory instruction for a verdict in favor of each appellant; causes 10 to 100 inclusive in each motion are identical and with the exception of causes numbered 58 and 61 they each relate to rulings of the court upon the admission of evidence over the objection of each appellant. Thirty-three of these causes relate to rulings upon the admission of oral testimony and 56 of them relate to rulings as to the admission of exhibits and record evidence; causes 58 and 61 of each motion relate to rulings of the court adverse to the appellants, upon their motion to strike out certain evidence, and cause 101 of each motion relates to alleged misconduct of the appellee’s attorney in some of his remarks in his closing argument to the jury.

We will take up the causes for a new trial substantially in the order above named. In the brief of the appellants under the heading of points and authorities, they have, as to the cause that the verdict is contrary to law, cited four authorities with no application whatever made to the instant case. No question is thus presented for our determination. As to the cause that the verdict is not sustained by sufficient evidence, the same situation prevails with two *90 abstract propositions of law stated, but with no application whatever made to the instant case. No question is thus presented for decision. The next cause urged by the appellants is that the verdict is excessive, but here again nothing but the citation of authorities is made. This presents no question. The next questions sought to be presented relate to the giving and refusal to give certain named instructions. The appellee forcefully insists that the instructions given and refused are not in the record because of alleged failure properly to bring them into the record. Without deciding the question thus urged by the appellee we will say that we have carefully read the instructions given and refused and it is our opinion that the jury was fully and fairly instructed and that there is no reversible error of the court either in the giving or the refusal to give the instructions complained of by the appellants. There was no error in the ruling of the court in refusing the request of each appellant for a peremptory instruction.

This brings us to the alleged errors above referred to as to the admission of evidence over the objection of each appellant.

In no case as to the oral testimony is the question or its substance which was propounded to the witness, set out; neither is it shown that any exceptions were reserved to the said rulings. Under such circumstances the court cannot be informed of what the appellants really complain. No questions as to the correctness of the court’s rulings as to such evidence is presented. See Indianapolis, etc., R. Co. v. Ragan (1908), 171 Ind. 569, 86 N. E. 966; Greer v. State (1929), 201 Ind. 386, 168 N. E. 581; Kenwood Tire Co. v. Speckman (1930), 92 Ind. App. 419, 176 N. E. 29; Wabash Portland Cement Co. v. Stevens (1931), 93 Ind. App. 208, 178 N. E. 5; Inter-Ocean Casualty Co. v. Wilkins (1933), 96 Ind. App. 231, 182 N. E. 252; Eva v. State (1931), 203 Ind. 340, 180 N. E. 183.

*91

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Meeker, Guardian v. Decker
10 N.E.2d 416 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1937)
Sourbier, Gdn. v. Claman
200 N.E. 721 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1936)
Baker v. Pritchard
194 N.E. 781 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1935)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
187 N.E. 686, 99 Ind. App. 86, 1933 Ind. App. LEXIS 139, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chicago-natl-life-ins-co-v-sollman-gdn-indctapp-1933.