Citizens' State Bank of Okeene v. Cressler

1917 OK 535, 170 P. 230, 69 Okla. 68, 1917 Okla. LEXIS 452
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedNovember 6, 1917
Docket6128
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 1917 OK 535 (Citizens' State Bank of Okeene v. Cressler) 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
Citizens' State Bank of Okeene v. Cressler, 1917 OK 535, 170 P. 230, 69 Okla. 68, 1917 Okla. LEXIS 452 (Okla. 1917).

Opinion

*69 Opinion by

POPE, O.

Adam Schuber, David Rusch, and J. H. Schuber gave a note to the plaintiff bank for $994.45, the first as principal, and the others as sureties. After the note became due the bank took a renewal note for $1,500 for this and another indebtedness of Adam Schuber; the renewal note being signed by Adam Schuber and David Rusch only, but secured by a second mortgage on land owned by Adam Schuber. After the maturity of this renewal note the bank at the request of both Rusch and Schu-ber accepted a part payment in cash and a renewal note for the sum of $1,350 for the balance. This last note was signed by Adam Schuber and David Rusch, and was secured by a mortgage on the land above mentioned, and was subject to a first mortgage for $2,-000 to the Boardman Land & Loan Company.

Adam Schuber having died, the bank brought this action to foreclose the last mortgage and for judgment against Rusch on the last note. Rusch claims that he signed the note sued on by reason of the false and fraudulent representations by the bank that the land belonging to Adam Schuber on which he gave a mortgage to the bank was subject only to one prior mortgage for $2,-000, when it was also subject to another mortgage to one Eisher for $949.75; also claimed that the note was given under an agreement that it would also be signed by H. J. Schuber as additional surety.

The record discloses that David Schuber and Adam Schuber were close personal friends, that the land included in the two successive mortgages given by Schuber to the bank .was mortgaged by him to Fisher on the day before the renewal mortgage was given to the bank, and was recorded at the unusual hour of 7:10 a. m. of the day that Adam Schuber and David Rusch gave to the bank the note sued on in this case. The un-contradicted evidence shows that the bank had no knowledge of the existence of the Fisher mortgage at the time the renewal mortgage was taken.

The defendant in error insists that the assignments of error require an examination of the evidence, and that this cannot be done because the case-made does not contain a recital that it includes all of the evidence, and asks that the appeal be dismissed for that reason. That a case-made in order to enable a review of questions depending on the evidence must contain a recitar that it includes all the evidence has been so often affirmed in this jurisdiction that ciration of authorities is deemed to be unnecessary. The defendant in error relies on the fact that the case-made does not contain a recital that it includes all of the evidence adduced at the trial. At the close of the evidence appearing in the case-made is the following: “The above being all of the evidence.” While this language is not as formal as the usual recital, it seems to carry precisely the same meaning, and this court will not be so extremely technical as to hold this recital insufficient.

The defendant in error goes further, and contends that, if the recital is sufficient, still the appeal must be dismissed for the reason that the case-made affirmatively shows that it does not include all of the evidence; the contention being that a certain Exhibit 4 does not appear in the case-made. It does not, but upon examination of the case-made it does not appear that the Exhibit 4 was ever received in evidence, and that it is shown that the Exhibit 4 was offered in evidence, but beyond that the record is silent.

Even if this exhibit was received in evidence, its omission from the record would not present 'a sufficient reason for dismissing this appeal. The exhibit was a sheet taken from the liability or note record ot the bank. Its contents appear in the record. If of any value, it was only as affecting the question of the credibility of a witness, a question -with which this court has no concern, and has no connection whatever with any question presented to this court, nor is it claimed to have any such connection.

As a matter of fact, there was no controversy or question as to the giving of the notes or as to their form. From the foregoing it is obvious that the grounds for dismissing the appeal are entirely technical. No claim is made that either of the claimed defects in the record will in any way prevent this court from arriving at a correct conclusion or prevent a full consideration of every element necessary to the proper determination of the questions here presented. No claim is made that the record does not show all the proceedings which in any way affect any of the questions here presented.

(We are of the opinion, therefore, that the appeal should not be dismissed for the technical error of omitting from the record something which in no way prevents the court from intelligently passing on the questions involved.

Rev. Laws 1910, § 4791, provides:

“4791. Immaterial Errors to be Disregarded. — The court, in every stage of action, must disregard any error or defect in the Readings or proceedings which does not affect the substantial rights of the adverse *70 party; and no judgment shall be reversed or affected by reason of such error or defect.”

It may be said that the above statute relates to proceedings in the trial court; Cor it is found in an article of the statute relating to the trial court proceedings. While thi-^ is truet this court in the case of School District No. 39, Kiowa County, v. Fisher, County Treasurer, 23 Okla. 9, 99 Pac. 646, is sufficient to make this application! permissible. Would it not be a perversion of justice to reverse a judgment by reason of an error which could not have influenced the result? The courts have always so held. 4 Corpus Juris, p. 908, says:

“It is a rule óf appellate procedure of universal application that a. party cannot assign! as error that which is not prejudicial to him.”

And it cites numerous cases from practically every American jurisdiction. And when the record does not include an item of evidence when the record shows the contents of the omitted evidence, ■ and it in no way affects the question presented for review, the case will not be dismissed.

The defendant in error also asks a dismissal on the ground that the order extending the time to make, serve, and settle the ease-made was void and1 insufficient to give this court jurisdiction of the cause. On the 24th day of 'September, 1913, the date on which the motion for new trial was overruled, an order was jpade by the trial court extending the time to make and serve ease-made for 00 days from that date, 10 days thereafter to suggest amendments, and to settle on 5 days’ notice. On the 12th day of November, 1013, the court made an order giving 90 days additional time for making and serving case-made, giving 10 days to suggest amendments, and to settle on 5 days’ notice. On the 24th day of January, 1914, the court made an order modifying the order made on the 12th day of November, 1913, shortening the time for making and serving case-made to February 15, 1914, 10 days thereafter to suggest amendments, and 5 days t-oj settle.

It will be observed that the 180 days’ extension given by the two orders is not! 6 calendar months from September 24, 1913, and hence was within the time prescribed by statute to make and serve case-made and file the same in the Supreme Court.

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

Related

McKenna v. Nichlos
1944 OK 64 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1944)
Staner v. McGrath
1935 OK 958 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1935)
Lena v. Clinkenbeard
1935 OK 815 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1935)
Rusch v. Citizens' State Bank of Okeene
1923 OK 427 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1923)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1917 OK 535, 170 P. 230, 69 Okla. 68, 1917 Okla. LEXIS 452, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/citizens-state-bank-of-okeene-v-cressler-okla-1917.