Fairview Lumber Co. v. Makos

265 P.2d 837, 44 Wash. 2d 131, 1954 Wash. LEXIS 258
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 21, 1954
Docket32564
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 265 P.2d 837 (Fairview Lumber Co. v. Makos) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fairview Lumber Co. v. Makos, 265 P.2d 837, 44 Wash. 2d 131, 1954 Wash. LEXIS 258 (Wash. 1954).

Opinion

Weaver, J.

— Respondent moves to dismiss this appeal, claiming that notice of appeal was given prematurely.

After trial to the court, the judge announced that he would enter judgment for the plaintiff (respondent). We refer to Andy Makos as though he were the sole defendant and appellant, although the judgment from which this appeal is taken is against Andy Makos and the community of Andy Makos and his wife. Andy Makos died after the case was heard in this court. His executors, Peter Liakatas, Gust Makos, and Gust Rutos (also known as Gus P. Routos) have been substituted as parties appellant by order of this court.

It appears from the transcript on appeal that the trial court entered findings of fact, conclusions of law, and judgment on March 6, 1953. The judgment is marked “filed” at 2:34 p.m. The notice of appeal also bears March 6, 1953, as the date of service and filing. The exact time does not appear on the face of the notice of appeal.

The statement of facts contains a page of narration (apparently prepared by counsel for respondent, served upon counsel for appellant, and included in the statement when certified) which states:

“On March 6, 1953, at about the hour of 2:30 P.M. Counsel for Plaintiff and Defendant appeared before the Court and commenced argument. Counsel for the Defendant [appellant] handed his written Motion for a New Trial [which does not appear in the transcript] and a Written Notice of Appeal to the Clerk of this Department who stamped each with the filing stamp of the King County Clerk and handed them to the Court. Argument then proceeded upon the Motion for New Trial and the form of the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, counsel for the Plaintiff [respondent] consenting to arguing them together and waiving any question of the time of service of the Motion for New Trial.
*133 “At the conclusion of the argument, the Court announced orally its adherence to its previous decision and signed the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law and Judgment proposed by the Plaintiff.” (Italics ours.)

The order denying the motion for a new trial was presented by counsel for plaintiff (respondent), approved as to form by counsel for defendant (appellant), signed by the trial judge, and filed on March 10,1953.

Respondent argues that the notice of appeal was premature either (a) because it was served and filed prior to judgment; or (b) because it was filed four days prior to the order denying the motion for a new trial.

In support of its first contention, respondent cites Dux v. Hostetter, 37 Wn. (2d) 550, 225 P. (2d) 210 (1950) and Strickland v. Rainier Golf & Country Club, 156 Wash. 640, 287 Pac. 900 (1930). Neither case is controlling. In the Dux case, we dismissed the appeal because it was taken from a nonappealable order. In the Strickland case, the appeal was dismissed because notice of appeal was given three days prior to the entry of formal judgment.

In the case now before us, the judgment and notice of appeal bear the same date of filing. We are unwilling to hold that time of filing may be broken down into hours, minutes, and seconds, for the purpose of determining the chronological order of steps necessary to perfect an appeal. When two such acts are done on the same day, it will be presumed that they are done in the order necessary to accomplish their purpose.

Respondent’s second contention — that the notice of appeal was premature because filed four days prior to the order denying the motion for a new trial — is based upon the assumption that the motion for a new trial suspends appellant’s right to appeal until disposition is made of the motion. This assumption is erroneous. (See discussion of this possibility as suggested in case note on Dunseath v. Hallauer, infra, 28 Wash. L. Rev. 64.)

Under Rule on Appeal 33;34AWn. (2d) 33, and the statute and rules on appeal which it superseded, we have held that *134 the time in which notice of appeal must be given may not commence until entry of the order denying a motion for a new trial. Bezich v. Columbia Ins. Co., 168 Wash. 379, 12 P. (2d) 413 (1932); Smith v. Kneisley, 184 Wash. 26, 49 P. (2d) 916 (1935); Sitko v. Rowe, 195 Wash. 81, 79 P. (2d) 688 (1938); Tungsten Products v. Kimmel, 5 Wn. (2d) 572, 105 P. (2d) 822 (1940); Roesch v. Gerst, 18 Wn. (2d) 294, 138 P. (2d) 846 (1943). However, the question presented in these cases was: had the notice of appeal been given in time —not, was it premature.

Under Rule on Appeal 34, 34A Wn. (2d) 36, we held that a statement of facts must be served and filed within ninety days after the date of entry of final judgment; or, if a motion for a new trial has been timely filed, within ninety days from the date of entry of the order denying such motion, if entered after judgment. Dunseath v. Hallauer, 40 Wn. (2d) 708, 246 P. (2d) 496 (1952).

Thus, a motion for a new trial, timely filed, may extend the time in which an appeal may be taken or a statement of facts filed. There is nothing in the nature of the motion which necessarily suspends the right to appeal until disposition is made of the motion.

Two things result when the notice of appeal is filed. First, the appellant loses the right to file in the superior court a motion for a new trial, if it has not yet been filed; or waives and abandons it, if it has been filed, but has not been disposed of. State v. Smails, 63 Wash. 172, 187, 115 Pac. 82 (1911); Annotation: Right of trial court to grant new trial as affected by appellate proceedings, 139 A. L. R. 340. Second, jurisdiction is transferred to the supreme court and the trial court is deprived of jurisdiction of the subject matter of the cause (Sewell v. Sewell, 28 Wn. (2d) 394, 396, 184 P. (2d) 76 (1947), and cases cited; In re Dygert’s Estate, 42 Wn. (2d) 673, 257 P. (2d) 774 (1953)), retaining only those powers enumerated in Rule on Appeal 15, 34A Wn. (2d) 22.

Thus, appellant waived his motion for a new trial; the trial court lost jurisdiction of the case; and the order denying the motion for a new trial, entered March 10, 1953, is a nullity. *135 This conclusion is not inconsistent with our opinion in Dun-seath v. Hallauer, supra. In that case, the first notice of appeal was abandoned.

The motion.to dismiss the appeal is denied.

No assignments of error are directed to the findings of fact entered by the trial court. They become the established facts of the case (Rule on Appeal 43, 34A Wn. (2d) 47, as amended, effective January 2,1953. We set forth those facts necessary for a decision of the issues raised.

Joe Bean had built several houses for appellant, Makos. Bean had purchased materials from respondent, Fairview Lumber Company, Inc.

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Bluebook (online)
265 P.2d 837, 44 Wash. 2d 131, 1954 Wash. LEXIS 258, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fairview-lumber-co-v-makos-wash-1954.