Dubois v. Bowles

134 P. 112, 55 Colo. 312, 1913 Colo. LEXIS 264
CourtSupreme Court of Colorado
DecidedMarch 3, 1913
DocketNo. 5881
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 134 P. 112 (Dubois v. Bowles) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dubois v. Bowles, 134 P. 112, 55 Colo. 312, 1913 Colo. LEXIS 264 (Colo. 1913).

Opinions

Mr. Justice Scott

delivered tlie opinion of tlie court:

Catherine W. Skelton was indebted to the Denver Savings Bank. This indebtedness was secured by a trust deed on the premises involved in this action. The sum of money so secured was past due and foreclosure proceedings had been either instituted or threatened. Under the law as then existing, there was no period of redemption from sale under a trust deed. It was at this period that Joseph W. Bowles consented to, and did sign a note in the sum of $20,400.00 with the said Catherine W. [314]*314Skelton and her son Boyington Skelton, as principals, for the purpose of paying the debt to the Denver Savings Bank.

To secure Bowles as against loss in this transaction, Catherine W. Skelton, the owner of the premises, executed conveyances in the form ‘o'f warranty deeds to Bowles, in which conveyances she was joined by her son Boyington Skelton. These deeds were deposited in escrow with the condition that in case of failure from any cause on the part of the Skeltons to pay the note so executed, and upon which Bowles was surety, they should be delivered to Bowles. The Skeltons did not pay the note, nor the interest thereon, when the same became due, and Bowles was compelled to and did pay it. Thereafter, and in accordance with the escrow agreement, and in the month of December, 1897, the deeds were delivered to Bowles, who caused them to be placed of record. Afterward and upon agreement between the Skeltons and Bowles, the latter made a written proposition to the county of Arapahoe to sell the lands to the county for the sum of $35,000.00. This proposition was investigated by the county attorney, and a favorable recommendation made by him. At a meeting of the Board of County Commissioners held on the 15th day of February, 1898, and while this proposition was being considered, and after a resolution was introduced by one of the members of the board favoring the purchase of the lands at the price proposed, and over the objection of the Skeltons, Bowles withdrew the offer, and for such reason alone, it appears the sale was not made.

The Skeltons then conveyed their interest in the premises to H. A. W. Tabor, as trustee, who as such, instituted this action. Pending these proceedings Tabor died, and Bradford IT. Dubois was substituted as trustee. The trial court, pending proceedings, also appointed a receiver for the premises.

[315]*315From a judgment rendered by the district court, an appeal was taken to this court, reported in 30th Colo. 44. By that decision this court affirmed certain items of account between the parties as found by the lower court, and these were thereafter eliminated from future consideration, and will be more specifically referred to in this opinion.

The action of the court in appointing a receiver was set aside, the judgment reversed, and the cause remanded with instructions as follows:

“Items of account between the parties determined by the court below, not specifically mentioned, will, therefore, stand. The judgment of the court, in appointing a receiver, and relating to these matters held error, is set aside, and the cause remanded for a new trial, upon the issue of the amount which plaintiffs shall be allowed for the withdrawal of the offer to sell to the county; the damages they are entitled to on account of the nursery; and to ascertain the amount and interest to which the defendant is entitled on account of the payment of the note he signed as surety, in harmony with the views expressed on these subjects. The court will also take an account between the parties and ascertain the amount which the defendant, Joseph W. Bowles, shall be charged in the way of rents from the date the account on this subject was brought down, in the judgment rendered, and the items he shall be credited with from that date, for ditch assessments, taxes and insurance. These several matters, when ascertained, in connection with the items of account allowed the respective parties, and not disturbed, will exhibit between them, and on such account, let the proper decree be rendered.”

Aftrward the court below permitted the defendant to file an amended answer. To this the plaintiff objected, and instituted a proceeding in this court in the nature of an action in mandamus to compel the trial court to try [316]*316the issues upon the original pleadings. This was denied, 32 Colo. 166, and in the opinion it was said: ‘ ‘ The question of whether or not the pleadings could be amended on the issues remanded for trial was not before us. Nothing was said on that subject. Whether or not such an amendment is permissible, is an open question, so far as any mandate of this court is concerned, within the jurisdiction of the trial court to determine it.”

The order granting this amendment is one of the errors assigned.

Then, if this court has declared this question of amendment was an open one, free from mandate of this court and within the jurisdiction of the trial court, it was as if the amendment had been allowed in the proceedings before the case reached us for consideration at all, and must be considered accordingly. For in the absence of specific direction from the appellate court, this power is to be exercised in the same way and under the same rules as at any other time.—Ellis v. Witmer, 148 Cal. 528, 83 Pac. 800.

The power to grant leave to file amendments to pleadings is within the discretion of the trial court and unless there is plain abuse of discretion in this respect, such action will not ordinarily be disturbed.—Jordan v. Greig, 33 Colo. 360, 80 Pac. 1045; Cartwright v. Ruffin, 43 Colo. 377, 96 Pac. 261; Smith v. Schlink, 44 Colo. 200, 99 Pac. 566.

The chief feature of change in the amended answer from that of the original,' was a withdrawal of the denial in the original answer, of the allegation in the complaint that the land was of the actual value of $35,000.00. While this may have, and seemingly’ did change the theory upon which the case was afterward tried, from that upon which it was originally presented and considered in this court, yet both parties acquiesced and together proceeded, without controversy in that regard, upon the different [317]*317theory, and must therefore he bound by their conduct in this particular. It seems to have been the particular effort of both parties to prove upon this trial, that the premises were of the actual value of at least $35,000.00. Upon trial counsel for plaintiffs stated to the court:

“I propose to prove that there was no market value at that time; that owners asked prices for-their lands which they couldn’t obtain; that the market was depressed ; and we propose to prove the facts stated in our complaint. ’ ’

The complaint alleged the value of the premises to be more than $35,000.00 and it is difficult to see how a withdrawal of a denial of this allegation can injuriously affect the plaintiff.

Appellants contend that this court upon the former hearing, definitely fixed the damage of the plaintiff at $15,000.00, and for such reason the amendment was not permissible.

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Bluebook (online)
134 P. 112, 55 Colo. 312, 1913 Colo. LEXIS 264, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dubois-v-bowles-colo-1913.