Coons v. Coons

1927 OK 400, 261 P. 944, 128 Okla. 172, 1927 Okla. LEXIS 408
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedNovember 8, 1927
Docket17647
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 1927 OK 400 (Coons v. Coons) 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
Coons v. Coons, 1927 OK 400, 261 P. 944, 128 Okla. 172, 1927 Okla. LEXIS 408 (Okla. 1927).

Opinion

JEFFREY, C.

This was an action by Ger-tie Coons, plaintiff, against William Silas Coons, a minor, and C. C. Roberts, as administrator of the estate of Arthur Coons, deceased. The petition alleged that Gertie Coons was the widow of Arthur Coons, deceased; that William Silas Coons was the son of Arthur Coons by a former marriage; that Gertie Coons was a full-blood Pawnee Indian and Arthur Coons was a one-half blood Pawnee Indian. The petition further alleged that during the married life of Arthur Coons and plaintiff, the said Arthur Coons, having had considerable business experience, was the business agent and advisor of plaintiff, and that plaintiff confided in her husband and solely depended upon him to transact her business, to take care of and use her income, and attend to all matters pertaining to her estate. The petition alleged that for some months prior to June 18, 1925, Arthur Coons was in ill health and suffering with some sort of mental disease; that during said time he made frequent threats to take the life of plaintiff and himself; and that plaintiff entertained great fear of her husband’s committing some violent act should she antagonize him: and that by reason thereof she comp'ied with every request made by him; that on June 18. 1925. at the request of Arthur Coons, and by reason of her fear of the consequences should she disobey him, she conveyed by warranty deed. 100 reres of hmd. the same being her Indian allotment, to tht. said Arthur Coons. Plaintiff prayed that said deed be canceled, and the title to said land quieted in her, and that the sum of $£fil52.26 on deposit in the First National Bank of Pawnee to the credit of Arthur Coons at the time of his death, the same being the balance of proceeds of a loan on said land, be impressed with a trust in her favor.

A guardian ad litem was appointed for William Silas Coons, and said guardian ad litem filed a general denial to said petition, and alleged that plaintiff and Arthur Coons were divorced on the 17th day of April, 1925, and that shortly thereafter they entered into a contract, whereby plaintiff would convey to Arthur Coons the land in question if he would take her back as his wife; that in consideration of plaintiff’s promise to convey said land to Arthur Coons, he took her back, and they were married on May 16, 1925; and that plaintiff made said conveyance on June 18th, in compliance with said agreement.

The cause was tried to the court, and the issues were found in favor of plaintiff, and judgment rendered canceling said deed, quieting title in plaintiff and impressing the deposit of $1,152.26 to the credit of Arthur Coons in the First National Bank at his death with a trust in favor of plaintiff. From said judgment an'd the overruling of the motion for new trial, William Silas Coons, herein called defendant, by his guardian ad litem, has appealed. Defendant does not set forth in his brief the specifications of error upon which he relies for a reversal of the judgment in the lower court, but we gather from his argument that he relies on the admission of incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial testimony; and that the findings and judgment of the trial court are not sustained by sufficient evidence and are against the weight of the evidence. These two specifications of error will be discussed in the order herein named.

At the trial of the cause plaintiff testified in her own behalf, and certain questions were asked as to conversations and transactions had personally with Arthur Coons, d ceased. To some of these questions the defendant by his guardian ad litem duly objected, for the reason that the same were incompetent under section 588, C. O. S. 1921. This section of the statute really goes to the competency of the witness and not the character of the evidence. We have examined carefully the testimony of plaintiff, and in each instance where objection was raised because of an attempt to give testimony in respect of any transaction or com- *174 .munieation had personally with Arthur Coons, the objection was sustained by the C9urt. In a few instances, testimony was . given by plaintiff iwhich perhaps should have . been excluded under this section of the statute had timely objections been made thereto. The well-established rule in this jurisdiction is that objection to incompetent evidence must be timely made and exceptions ■ saved, and if such is mot done, no error can • be predicated upon the admission of testimony although under the rules of evidence the same may be incompetent. The rule is no different with reference to the competence of a witness to give certain testimony under section 588, supra. The admission of incompetent evidence, in the absence of timely objections and exceptions to the ruling of the court, does not present error, and will not be considered on appeal. Scanlan v. Barkley, 72 Okla. 86, 178 Pac. 674; Eichoff v. Russell, 46 Okla. 512, 149 Pac. 146. Where evidence is introduced to which no objection is made and no motion is made to strike it out, acquiescence in its introduction will be presumed. The rule is a sane on|e. Very frequently in the trial of cases, counsel by consent of opposing counsel is permitted to offer secondary evidence and evidence otherwise objectionable in order to save time and avoid inconvenience In the trial of the cause. When counsel for plaintiff offered evidence of this character by plaintiff herself, and no objection was made, he was entitled to consider any objection which might have been made by opposing counsel as waived, and that the evi- ■ dence was competent for whatever purpose it was offered. Had objections been made at the time the evidence was offered, counsel for plaintiff might have been able' to supply the evidence from other sources. To now permit defendant to urge his objection to the admission of this evidence given by plaintiff would be permitting him to take advantage of his own negligence to the injury of plaintiff.

Ini a proceeding in equity on appeal, the Supreme Court will examine and weigh the evidence,, but the judgment of the trial court will not be disturbed where it is not clearly against the weight of the evidence. Plaintiff’s evidence discloses the following facts: That she and Arthur Coons were first married on the 24th day of July, 1016; that they were divorced April 17. 192'5. at which time1 the court, pursuant to a stipifiation between the parties, awarded plaintiff $2,000 against her husband, which was found to be the amount of money belonging to plaintiff, and which had been used by her husband in improving liis separate estate. Within about four days after the divorce was g- anted, Arthur Coons sought out plaintiff and asked her to come back and live with him, saying in substance that he was sick and lonesome. They resumed living together at that time, and were remarried on May 16, 1925. On June 18, 1925, plaintiff deeded, her allotment, consisting of 160 acres of land, to her husband. Immediately after they resumed living together, plaintiff paid her husband $1,111.40, being, the balance on hand of the $2,000 paid her pursuant to the decree of divorce. The evidence further shows that out of $2.000 paid plaintiff by her husband, she paid $705.45 to satisfy a mortgage against the land in question which was given for the family use and benefit. The evidence further shows that during their entire married life, plaintiff solely relied on her husband to manage her business affairs, including- the leasing and, selling of her real estate. Prom the time that plaintiff and he-husband were divorced, he was sick most of the time and seemed to have been afflicted with some character of mental disease.

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Related

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Bluebook (online)
1927 OK 400, 261 P. 944, 128 Okla. 172, 1927 Okla. LEXIS 408, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/coons-v-coons-okla-1927.