Chicago Title & Trust Co. v. Irwin

270 Ill. App. 540, 1933 Ill. App. LEXIS 548
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMay 23, 1933
DocketGen. No. 36,362
StatusPublished

This text of 270 Ill. App. 540 (Chicago Title & Trust Co. v. Irwin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chicago Title & Trust Co. v. Irwin, 270 Ill. App. 540, 1933 Ill. App. LEXIS 548 (Ill. Ct. App. 1933).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Gtridley

delivered the opinion of the court.

During the lifetime of Henry D. Laughlin this cause was before us on a prior appeal by defendants from a decree of the circuit court, entered April 28,-1930. On May 19,1931, we reversed that decree and remanded the cause with directions to modify the decree in certain particulars (Laughlin v. Irwin, 262 Ill. App. 40, 57.) On July 7, 1932, in compliance with the mandate of this court, the circuit court entered a modified decree, from which defendants have perfected the present appeal.

In the judgment clause of the original decree it was ordered 'and decreed:

(a) “That the complainant, Henry D. Laughlin, have judgment against the First Union Trust and Savings Bank and John Irwin, as executors of the last will and testament of Alexander Irwin, deceased, for the sum of $40,473.80, and for the further sum of $6,773.73, being interest at the rate of 5% per annum on said sum of $40,473.80, from December 22, 1926, to the date of this decree.”

(b) “That fifty per cent of the taxable costs of this suit be assessed against -the defendants and fifty per cent against the complainant.”

(c) “That the complainant is the legal and equitable owner of the certificates relating to and covering said 800 shares of stock in the Northern Hotel Company predicated upon the original 800 shares of stock owned by him and referred to in said loan contracts and is entitled to the possession thereof.”

In the closing paragraph of our opinion (262 Ill. App. 40, 57) we said:

“Our conclusion is that the decree appealed from should be modified to the extent of giving to Irwin’s executors an additional credit of $30,000 for Irwin’s one-half share of the profits on the 800 shares of stock, realized from the sale of the hotel property to Collins in July, 1926. Accordingly, the decree is reversed and the cause remanded, with directions to the circuit court to make modifications therein as follows: In the judgment clause of the decree, wherein the court adjudges that Laughlin have judgment against Irwin’s executors for $40,473.80, these figures should be changed to $10,473.80, and, inasmuch as Irwin before the filing of Laughlin’s bill tendered said last mentioned sum to him, and during the hearing in the circuit court kept the tender good, the circuit court will not charge any interest against Irwin’s executors on said sum of $10,-473.80, and will tax all costs against Laughlin. And the costs in this court will also be taxed against Laughlin. ’ ’

• It will be noticed that the modifications directed to be made in the original decree are limited to (a) and (b) of the judgment clauses (above set forth), and that no change was directed to be made in (c). And the records of this court do not disclose that, after the filing of our opinion and the entry of our judgment, defendants filed a petition for a rehearing. Apparently, they then were satisfied with our opinion and judgment. But Laughlin moved that the mandate of this court be stayed, pending the disposition of his application for the issuance of a writ of certiorari, and the motion was granted. Thereafter Laughlin’s death here was suggested and it was ordered that said administrators, etc., be substituted as appellees in the cause. On October 22, 1931, the Supreme Court refused to issue the writ of certiorari, and on January 22, 1932, the mandate of this Appellate Court, together with a copy of our opinion, was filed in the circuit court. That mandate is in part as follows:

“. . . Therefore, it is considered by the court that . . . the decree of the circuit court ... be reversed, annulled, set aside and wholly for nothing esteemed; and that this cause be remanded to the circuit court ... to modify its decree as follows:” (Then follow the directions in the same words and figures as in the closing paragraph of our opinion, as above stated.)

On July 7,1932, the circuit court, following the mandate, entered the decree appealed from, in part as follows :

“. . .In accordance with said mandate of the Appellate Court and the specific directions therein contained, the judgment clause of said decree heretofore entered in this cause ... is hereby changed and modified as follows:

“Strike out of said judgment clause the following: (Here are set forth clauses (a) and (b) of the original decree, as above mentioned in this opinion.)

“and insert in lieu thereof the following:

“It is therefore ordered, adjudged and decreed that the complainant, Henry D. Laughlin, have judgment against the First Union Trust and Savings Bank and John Irwin, as executors of the last will and testament of Alexander Irwin, deceased, for the sum of $10,-473.80, without interest.

“It is further ordered, adjudged and decreed that all costs of this court be and the same are hereby taxed and assessed against the complainant.”

Two contentions are made by counsel for defendants as grounds for the reversal of the decree of July 7,1932, appealed from. As we understand one of them it is, that as this court reversed the original circuit court decree of April 28, 1930, before directing modifications thereof, we had no power to direct any modifications, or the circuit court to enter a new or amended decree as directed, because the original decree, having been “annulled” by such reversal and having become “inoperative and void,” there was nothing on which the directed modifications could operate. We find no substantial merit in the contention. We think it is clear from the concluding* paragraph of our opinion, and from our mandate, that our decision and judgment were that the original decree should be modified in the particulars mentioned, and not reversed in toto. In first adjudging a reversal of the decree and a remandment of the cause, we did so in accordance with established practice and in order that the mentioned modifications might be made by the circuit court. In Hunter v. Hatch, 45 Ill. 178, 179, it is said: “Appellee’s counsel misapprehends the practice when he urges that this court (Supreme) can modify a decree without first reversing it. After a decree is reversed, then the court may modify it by a decree in this court, or by remanding it with instructions. But, before it can be modified, the erroneous portion, at least, must be reversed.” In Washburn & Moen Mfg. Co. v. Chicago Galvanized Wire Fence Co., 119 Ill. 30, 34, 35, it is said:

“In cases where a modification of the decree below is deemed necessary, it is discretionary whether this court (Supreme) shall, by an order to be entered on its own records, make the modification, or whether it shall remand the cause to the lower court, with specific directions to that court to make the modification. . . . In either case it is proper that the order of this court (Supreme) be, first, that the decree below be reversed. . . . And since the direction that one part of a decree be modified, is, by necessary inference, an approval of that part omitted from that direction, the substantial rights of the parties to the decree are not perceptibly different from what they would be were it expressly ordered, in the formal entry upon the record, that such omitted part of the decree is affirmed.”

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Bluebook (online)
270 Ill. App. 540, 1933 Ill. App. LEXIS 548, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chicago-title-trust-co-v-irwin-illappct-1933.