Davis v. Wilson

30 N.W.2d 487, 239 Iowa 337, 1948 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 369
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJanuary 13, 1948
DocketNo. 47172.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 30 N.W.2d 487 (Davis v. Wilson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Davis v. Wilson, 30 N.W.2d 487, 239 Iowa 337, 1948 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 369 (iowa 1948).

Opinion

Bliss, J.

The action, in which plaintiffs seek a vacation of the judgment, insofar as it is adverso to them, and the granting of a new trial, was brought by them in equity praying that title to a certain 344-aere farm be quieted against each defendant; that an accounting be had between plaintiffs and defendant Wilson to determine their indebtedness to him, and upon its payment Wilson be required to convey said land to plaintiffs; that in the event such relief could not be granted, the plaintiffs have judgment against defendants and each of them for $21,600, with interest from March 3, 1944. Separate answer'was filed by each defendant, and defendant Rudolph also filed a cross-petition for decree quieting title to said land in himself and judgment for immediate possession thereof.

On February 12, 1945, the court rendered judgment and decree, which was that day entered, dismissing plaintiffs’ amended and substituted petition and cause of action, with prejudice to further action -thereon, in favor of all defendants, and adjudging and decreeing that plaintiffs had Uo right, title, claim, or interest in, to, or upon said land; and that the title thereto be quieted and confirmed in the defendant Richard D. Rudolph against the adverse claims of the plaintiffs.

From that judgment and decree plaintiffs appealed to this court. This court, by decision made and opinion filed on February 5, 1946, held that although plaintiffs had been the equitable owners of the land and Wilson had held title only as security for indebtedness owing to him by plaintiffs, the defendant Rudolph was an innocent purchaser of the land from Wilson, for value, and without notice of plaintiffs’ claims, was the absolute owner. But, since the said sale by Wilson to Rudolph had deprived plaintiffs of their right to redeem the land, this court held that they were entitled to a money judgment against Wilson in the amount the value of the land exceeded their indebtedness to Wilson, or $3,440 and accrued interest at five per cent. In our opinion in that appeal (Davis v. Wilson, 237 Iowa 494, 507, 21 N. W. 2d 553, 561, Garfield, J.), we said:

*339 “As to defendants Rudolph and Dalton, the decree is affirmed. As to defendant Wilson the decree is reversed and the cause is remanded for a decree in harmony with this opinion.— Affirmed as to defendants Rudolph and Dalton; reversed and remanded as to defendant Wilson.” Rehearing was denied April 5, 1946.

It thus appears that the judgment and decree of the district court rendered in the trial of the main case and entered on February 12, 1945, as to the title to the land, and with respect to and in favor of defendants Rudolph and Dalton and against the plaintiffs, was in no way disturbed or affected by the decision of this court on the appeal. It was affirmed. There was no need of a remand as to it, and there was none. It was a final judgment with respect to and as between defendants Rudolph and Dalton and the plaintiffs, on the issue of the title to the land. The decree quieted the title in Rudolph on his cross-petition. The reversal was only as to Wilson. The trial court allowed no money judgment in favor of plaintiffs and against any defendant. This court affirmed the trial court in allowing no money judgment against Rudolph and Dalton, but reversed it for not allowing a money judgment against Wilson, and ordered judgment for plaintiffs and against Wilson in the sum of $3,440 with interest. The remand to the district court was only for the purpose of entering this money judgment against Wilson. It was entered on August 5, 1946, as here set out:

“Judgment EntRY.
“The order and judgment heretofore entered in this cause on February 12, 1945, was appealed and the cause submitted in the Supreme Court of Iowa and an order made therein * * * affirming the action of the trial court as to the defendants Richard Rudolph and G. C. Dalton but reversing * * * this court as to the defendant W. W. Wilson and remanding said cause for the entry of an order in harmony with the opinion of the appellate court.
“A mandate having been issued by said court directing said further proceedings, noiv on this day,
“It is Ordered that the plaintiffs Glen Davis and Carrie *340 Davis and each of them have and recover from the defendant W. W. Wilson, judgment in the sum of $3,440 with interest at the rate of five percent per annum from March 1, 1944.”

The judgment was not a substitution for the judgment of February 12, 1945, but was merely an addition thereto on the separate issue of the money judgment against Wilson as ordered by this court. It was the final judgment of the district court on that particular issue. It was not adverse to plaintiffs and they do not complain of it in the proceeding before us. The amount of this money judgment has been paid to the clerk of the district court. They do not ask that this separate and distinct part of the judgment be set aside nor that a new trial be granted as to it. No notice of this proceeding was served upon Wilson, as required by Rule 253(b). No notice of this appeal was served on him. Plaintiffs complain of the judgment and decree only “insofar as it is adverse to them.” That part of the judgment and deeree became final when it was entered on February 12, 1945, more than a year before the filing of the petition in this proceeding.

For a more complete statement of the facts, pleadings, and prior proceedings in the original case, see the opinion in Davis v. Wilson, supra, 237 Iowa 494, 21 N. W. 2d 553. In the proceedings involved in the present appeal, plaintiffs on February 4, 1947, filed their petition to vacate and modify “the final judgment now appearing of record in this proceeding.” By reference, they incorporated in the petition all pleadings, notices, motions, orders, evidence, proceedings, and opinions in said cause. The petition alleged the relations and business transactions over a number of years between plaintiffs and Wilson, in substance as noted in said opinion in 237 Iowa, up to and including the sale and conveyance by Breeee, executor, to Wilson, of the 200-acre farm which Davis had lost by foreclosure. Breeee, executor, as judgment creditor, had bought this tract at the sheriff’s sale for the full amount of the judgment and costs, on or about December 1, 1941, and received a sheriff’s deed therefor on December 7, 1942. The defendant Dalton was the attorney for the estate of which Breeee was the executor and had handled the foreclosure proceedings. On Decern- *341 ber 23, 1942, Wilson agreed to purchase the 200-acre farm of Breece, executor, for $20,380, plus the 1942 taxes. Dalton drew the contract providing for an earnest-money payment of $1,500, and the balance of the purchase price when the court approved the sale and ordered the deed delivered. On January 6, 1943, the executor’s deed was executed and delivered to Wilson. It was recorded on January 15, 1943. On the latter date Wilson also received from plaintiffs their warranty deed — recorded on January 16, 1943 — to 144 acres of unimproved land on which Wilson held mortgages for substantially the full value of the land. Dalton drew the deed. On February 28, 1944, Wilson, by written contract, sold the 344-acre tract to the defendant Rudolph for $30,948, the amount which Wilson said he had in the land, plus the 1943 taxes.

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Bluebook (online)
30 N.W.2d 487, 239 Iowa 337, 1948 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 369, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/davis-v-wilson-iowa-1948.