Farmers Educational & Co-Operative Union Elevator Co. v. Irons

64 ND 370, 252 N.W. 380, 64 N.D. 370
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 15, 1934
DocketFile No. 6222.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 64 ND 370 (Farmers Educational & Co-Operative Union Elevator Co. v. Irons) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Farmers Educational & Co-Operative Union Elevator Co. v. Irons, 64 ND 370, 252 N.W. 380, 64 N.D. 370 (N.D. 1934).

Opinion

Moelxjring, J.

Plaintiff has three actions against the defendant. By stipulation of the parties the actions were consolidated and tried to the court without a jury. The trial court made findings and conclusions in favor of the plaintiff, and judgment was entered thereon.

Defendant appeals from the whole judgment, and requests trial anew in this court. She assigns fourteen specifications of error. However, we are limited in our review, as defendant has not presented a statement of the case.

The judgment roll is before us, and, purporting to be a part of the record, are certain exhibits, consisting of an alleged lease contract, statement of account, books of account, and a large number of daily sales slips. The record indicates that witnesses testified, but there is no transcript of the testimony.

This court held, on several occasions, that the scope of review is dependent upon the record presented, and, where the judgment roll alone constitutes the record, error appearing upon the face of the judgment roll, only, can be reviewed. Davis v. Jacobson, 13 N. D. 430, 101 N. W. 314; State v. Scholfield, 13 N. D. 664, 102 N. W. 878; Schomberg v. Long, 15 N. D. 506, 108 N. W. 332; Erickson v. Wiper, 33 N. D. 193, 151 N. W. 592; Parsons v. Rowell, 42 N. D. 441, 113 N. W. 761; Thompson Realty Co. v. Mowbray, 55 N. D. 732, 214 N. W. 908; Kaczor v. Swendseid, 55 N. D. 770, 215 N. W. 271.

The first action involves the foreclosure of a chattel mortgage against the defendant, which mortgage, the complaint states, was given by defendant to plaintiff to secure a promissory note in the sum of $910.53, with interest. The complaint alleges that certain payments were made thereon, for which credit is given, leaving a remainder due and unpaid. Plaintiff asks that the mortgage be foreclosed, the proceeds from the sale of the chattels applied on the debt, costs and disbursements, and for a deficiency judgment.

Defendant’s answer admits the execution and delivery of the note *372 and mortgage, sets up matters in avoidance, and specifically denies the existence of the debt. The answer also demands affirmative relief in the form of a counterclaim, alleges that mutual accounts exist between the plaintiff and the defendant, and that there is a difference or balance, in favor of the defendant, in the sum of $686.06. Plaintiff’s reply denies the counterclaim.

The second action is for an accounting between the plaintiff and the defendant, and also for injunctional relief pending determination of the action. The defendant’s answer is in the form of a denial, and also challenges plaintiff’s right to injunctional relief.

The third action seeks the cancellation of a certain lease contract existing between plaintiff and defendant, on the alleged grounds that the defendant has failed and refused to perform in accordance with the terms of the contract, and that the contract provides for re-entry upon violation of its provisions. Defendant’s answer admits the execution and delivery of the contract, and alleges performance thereunder by defendant, but specifically denies that any defaults exist. The answer also sets up a counterclaim against the plaintiff, for damages, in the sum of $5,000, for alleged malicious prosecution of civil suits against the defendant. Plaintiff’s reply denies the allegations of the counterclaim.

While the actions are separate and distinct, they appear to grow out of certain transactions between the plaintiff and the defendant with reference to the contract mentioned, whereby plaintiff leased certain premises to the defendant, on which was erected, and conducted, a gas and oil distributing station, and also for advances made by the plaintiff to the defendant, with reference to the business of the station.

Counsel for the appellant in his brief states, “While there are three lawsuits in this action, there are only two real issues. One issue is,, how much money is due from one to the other, and the other issue is, should the lease be cancelled or not?”

The trial court’s findings are quite complete, and do not materially depart from the issues framed in the pleadings. The only assignments, of error that we can consider, in view of the state of the record, are-such assignments that challenge the conclusions the trial court has drawn from the facts found, and the judgment entered thereon.

Briefly, the court found, in substance, that on or about May 15,. *373 1930, the defendant made, executed and delivered to plaintiff, for a valuable consideration, a certain promissory note in the sum of $910.53, drawing interest at 9 per cent from date; that at the same time, the defendant executed and delivered a chattel mortgage to secure the said indebtedness, the chattel mortgage covering a certain building known' as the “Irons Service Station,” together with certain trade fixtures, which are described in the findings, and located on the same premises. It was found that there was due and owing plaintiff by defendant, under said note and mortgage, the sum of $452.50, on August 6, 1931, the date of trial.

The court also found that on or about March 14, 1927, plaintiff and defendant entered into a written lease contract covering Auditor’s Lot 28 of the Village of Tuttle — which lease is set out in full in the findings — and that on this lot, pursuant to the lease, defendant erected, and conducted, a gas and oil distributing station; and that the lease provides a consideration of $10 per year as rental. Further findings are to the effect that, under the terms of the lease, defendant agreed to purchase from plaintiff all of the gas and oil's she would use as needed in her business as a retail distributor; that she failed to perform this part of the agreement but that much of the gas and oils, used in the business, she purchased from competitors of the plaintiff; and that she also erected and conducted another distributing station just across the street from the premises involved, and bought gas and oils from plaintiff’s competitors, to the exclusion of plaintiff.

It is found, also, that the real consideration for the lease agreement is, that defendant should purchase gas and oils from the plaintiff as needed in defendant’s said distributing business, the plaintiff being a wholesale dealer, with profit, and defendant being engaged in the business of retailing; and that one of the stipulations in the lease is to the effect that, in case defendant fails to perform in accordance with the terms of the contract, plaintiff can re-enter the premises.

As conclusions of law, the court found that plaintiff is entitled to a judgment and decree for cancellation of the lease contract; also, that plaintiff is entitled to a judgment against defendant in the sum of $452.50, and costs and disbursements, by virtue of the note and chattel mortgage mentioned; that the chattels be sold in the usual manner of foreclosure sales and the proceeds applied, first, to payment of costs *374 and expenses of sale; second, to the taxable costs of the action, and, third, that the remainder be applied on the debt; and if there be a deficiency, that plaintiff have judgment accordingly.

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Bluebook (online)
64 ND 370, 252 N.W. 380, 64 N.D. 370, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/farmers-educational-co-operative-union-elevator-co-v-irons-nd-1934.