Day v. Day

1 P.2d 123, 137 Or. 159, 1931 Ore. LEXIS 177
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedJune 2, 1931
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 1 P.2d 123 (Day v. Day) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Day v. Day, 1 P.2d 123, 137 Or. 159, 1931 Ore. LEXIS 177 (Or. 1931).

Opinion

*160 KELLY, J.

This is a divorce suit. The parties were married to each other on August 21, 1922. The first question presented by the record which we will consider is whether an abuse of discretion by the trial court has been shown in the matter of allowing suit money to plaintiff. It is claimed by plaintiff that, because of an insufficient allowance, she was prevented from procuring witnesses and that as a result she did not have an opportunity fully to present her case.

On August 20, 1929, plaintiff filed her complaint and at the same time plaintiff filed a motion asking, among other things, “That the defendant be required to pay unto plaintiff the sum of $200 as suit money with which to assist her to prepare her suit for trial and with which to pay her witnesses’ fees and other costs and expenses.”

On October 1, 1929, pursuant to said motion, an order was made by the court directing defendant to pay to plaintiff the sum of one hundred dollars attorney’s fees and one hundred dollars suit money. On November 23, 1929, defendant complied with said order, as evidenced by a receipt signed by plaintiff and filed December 12, 1929, with the county clerk.

On October 26, 1929, plaintiff filed another motion for suit money. In this second motion plaintiff asked for seven hundred and fifty dollars to cover witness’ fees, one hundred dollars for reporter’s fee, one thousand dollars attorney’s fee, and seventy-five dollars per month alimony pendente lite.

This motion was heard upon plaintiff’s affidavit in support thereof and defendant’s affidavit in opposition thereto; and, on December 31, 1929, the court entered an order overruling and denying it.

On February 11,1930, plaintiff filed a third motion for suit money, wherein twelve witnesses are named, *161 one from Ontario, Oregon, two from Portland, one from Corvallis, one from Cottage Grove, and the remaining seven from Engene. The total estimated expense of procuring these witnesses as shown by said third motion was $195.40.

Pursuant to said third motion an order was made by the court directing the defendant to pay into court the sum of two hundred dollars. This was promptly done by defendant. It may be noted that only three of the witnesses so named in plaintiff’s third motion for suit money were called, and one of those proved to be adverse to plaintiff.

"We find nothing in the record justifying the claim that the learned trial court abused its discretion in the matter of allowances for suit money.

It is urged by plaintiff that the circuit court erred in overruling plaintiff’s motion for continuance. Plaintiff’s application for continuance was based upon her affidavit and that of her attorney. An examination of the affidavit of plaintiff discloses that in part she bases her purported right to a postponement upon the absence of the four men who are named as co-respondents, one of whom started for a trip around the world when this case was begun. It appears that as to this globe trotter, plaintiff was apprised by defendant that defendant intended to name him as a co-respondent in time for plaintiff to have subpoenaed him as a witness. The testimony-which plaintiff claims Jones, of Suva, Fiji Islands, would give, if present, was flatly contradicted in plaintiff’s own testimony.

Plaintiff discharged the attorney who first represented her and employed her present counsel. This did not relieve her of the necessity of being diligent in the preparation of her case. It appears from the testimony that when plaintiff left defendant she took a large *162 amount of personal property consisting of dishes, furniture, bedding, sterling silverware, diamonds, and an automobile. Upon leaving plaintiff also incurred about seven hundred dollars indebtedness at local stores for defendant to pay. She was and is the owner of an undivided one-seventh interest in the estate of her father. It is true that this interest in her father’s estate is of uncertain value. It also appears that defendant arranged for an operation without cost to her, either for surgical or hospital fees or nurse hire, and thereafter paid her $75 a month while she convalesced. These facts indicate that plaintiff has not been without means by which she could have proceeded with the taking of the depositions of remote witnesses before her case came on for trial. A careful consideration of the record convinces us that sufficient diligence was not shown by plaintiff in the matter of procuring the testimony of the absent witnesses to justify a continuance because of their absence.

Plaintiff bases her claim for divorce upon alleged cruel and inhuman treatment. Plaintiff herself testified in accordance with many of the allegations of her complaint.

James Ware, a brother of plaintiff, testified that in the fall or summer of 1928, at his home, in Indian Valley, Idaho, plaintiff and defendant with a party of other people, had been drinldng, and that defendant was pretty full. This witness also testified that, “Sis (plaintiff) was talking to Doctor (defendant)- something about staying. He was in the yard. I am not quite sure where he was. He told her if she stayed she would stay for good, that she was no good to him or nobody else that he knew of.”

This witness also testifed that in 1925, plaintiff and defendant visited him and did not use liquor on *163 that visit. In 1926 there was liquor; but none in 1927, on the occasions of the visits to the home of witness by plaintiff and defendant.

Mrs. Frank Ware, plaintiff’s sister-in-law, testified that in the latter part of the year 1928, plaintiff came to the home of witness and while there suffered from an ailment of the gall bladder. The defendant was then in California. When he returned to Eugene witness called him on the ’phone, and later went to def end-ant ’s office. At that time defendant declined to call upon plaintiff or treat her, and said that he wasn’t going to take care of her.

On cross-examination this witness was asked:

“Q. And when you saw Doctor Day, he told you that he and Mrs. Day were separated, and that he couldn’t, under the circumstances wait upon her, didn’t he?

“A. No, he didn’t say that. He said he was all through and buttoned up, whatever that means.”

fc # # # £

“Q. Doctor arranged to'have her taken to the hospital and arranged to have Doctor Sether take care of her, didn’t he?

“A. Yes, sir, he did after that.”

Dr. Sether testified that on January 9, 1929, he performed a major surgical operation upon plaintiff removing her gall bladder and releasing an adhesion between the upper intestine and the liver. Dr. Sether also testified that plaintiff’s ailment was of such a nature as to cause plaintiff to suffer very severe pain at times. Witness Fan Anlauf testified that on one occasion when Mr. and Mrs. Earl were bidding plaintiff and defendant good-by just prior to a trip by the Earls to Yellowstone, Mrs. Earl kissed the defendant good-by. The foregoing constitutes a fair- summary of the testimony in chief in favor of plaintiff.

*164

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Bluebook (online)
1 P.2d 123, 137 Or. 159, 1931 Ore. LEXIS 177, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/day-v-day-or-1931.