Flowers v. Metcalf

24 Ohio Law. Abs. 169, 8 Ohio Op. 451, 1937 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 1173
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 16, 1937
StatusPublished

This text of 24 Ohio Law. Abs. 169 (Flowers v. Metcalf) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Flowers v. Metcalf, 24 Ohio Law. Abs. 169, 8 Ohio Op. 451, 1937 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 1173 (Ohio Ct. App. 1937).

Opinion

OPINION

By HUSTON, J.

J. C. Flowers and some thirty other plaintiffs filed their amended petition in the Probate Court of this county against the defendant, Edward G. Metcalf, trustee, and approximately one hundred other defendants, in which amended petition the-plaintiffs ask the court to construe the will' of Jacob Flowers, deceased, and to determine the distributive interest of each of the respective parties to this action in the real and personal estate of Jacob Flowers, deceased. Some of the defendants are legatees named in the last will and testament of Jacob Flowers, deceased. To this amend[170]*170ed petition numerous defendants filed answers.

It is the claim of plainiffs that they have a right to have the will in controversy construed under the declaratory judgment act, and the defendants question the jurisdiction of the Probate Court to construe a will under the declaratory judgment act.

The matter was submitted to the court on August 27, 1938. The transcript from the Probate Court shows the following entry:

“August 27, 1936, subpoena issued ‘for Flora Hile, William Cassell and Mrs. William Cassell.”
“August 28, 1936, motion for new trial filed by Flora Hile.”
“August ..., 1936, motion for new trial filed by First M. E. Church at Galion, Ohio, The Board of Foreign Missions of the M. E. Church, New York, The Board of Home Missions and Church Extensions of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The Salvation Army; motion overruled. Journal 63/321.”
“August ..., 1936, motion for new trial on behalf of Edward Metcalf, Trustee, filed; motion overruled. Journal 63/321.”

The file marks on the motions bear date of August 28, 1936. The transcript shows the following: “August 29, 1936, Journal Entry filed. Journal 63/321.”

Journal 63/321 reads as follows: “This cause now coming on for hearing was submitted to the court upon the pleadings and the evidence, and on consideration thereof the court finds on the issues joined for the plaintiffs.”

Motions for new trial were overruled and the overruling of the motions was journalized, Journal 63/321. Transcript shows that on September 5, 1936, notice of intention to appeal was filed by Beam & Beam, attorneys for The Board of Foreign Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Galion, Ohio; by C. C. Hansen, attorney for The Salvation Army, by Beam & Beam, attorneys for The Home Mission and Church Extension of the Methodist Church, and by Culp & Rust, attorneys for Flora Hile.

On September 8, 1936, notice of intention to appeal was filed by Dean Talbot, attorney for Edward Metcalf, Trustee of the estate of Jacob Flowers, deceased.

On September 9, 1936, appeal bond was filed by Flora Hile.

The transcript shows the following entry of September 17, 1936: “Findings and decree of court filed, Journal 63/351. (Refiled as of August 29, 1936. See Journal Entry, 63/544).”

September 23, 1936. Appeal bond filed by Board of Foreign Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the First Methodist Episcopal Church, of Galion, Ohio; and on the same day, appeal bond filed by Salvation Army of Mansfield, Ohio, and Church Extension of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Transcript, together with entries, were filed in this court on October 5, 1936, and thereupon counsel for the plaintiffs filed separate motions to dismiss the appeal on various grounds as set forth in the motions.

The motion to dismiss the appeal of Flora Hile came on for hearing in this court, when it developed tfcat the entry of August 29th, wherein the court said, “This cause now coming on for hearing was submitted to the court upon the pleadings and evidence, and on consideration thereof the court finds on the issues joined for the plaintiffs,” was not a final order from which appeal could be prosecuted.

On the hearing of the motion at that time it was stated by counsel that on order of the judge of the Probate Court the following, “Appeal bond fixed at $100 and exceptions are separately noted to each of the defendants,” was inserted in the entry of August 29th. This order was made August 31st.

It also developed at that hearing that counsel representing appellants learned for the first time that the final order and judgment of the court had been entered September 17th.

At the suggestion of the court further hearing on the motion was postponed pending the final decision involving the question of the right to appeal from Probate Court to the Court of Appeals as the defendants had likewise filed their appeal in the Court of Appeals.

Following the date of such hearing counsel representing appellants had the following entries inserted in the transcript:

“November 13, 1936. Motion to amend a purported entry filed August 29, 1936, by the Board of Foreign Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church et al.”
“November 20, 1936. Motion was filed by the Salvation Army to amend purported entry filed as of September 17, 1936.”
“November 21, 1936. Motion filed by Salvation Army to vacate entry filed September 17, 1936.”
“November 25, 1636. Motion by Edward [171]*171Metcalf, Trustee, to amend entry of September 17, 1936.”

The transcript further shows the following entry: “January 4, 1937. Order changing date of Journal Entry from September 17, 1936, to August 29, 1936. Journal 63/ 544.”

The matter now comes on for hearing on the motions of appellees to dismiss the appeal of appellants on a number of grounds. First, on the ground that the entry of August 29th was not a final order, and no notice of intention to appeal having been filed within twenty days after the entry of the final order entered on the record as of September 17th had been filed. Second, that the court was without power to enter the final judgment by a nunc pro tunc entry as of August 29th.

It is conceded by counsel representing the defendants that if the court was without power to make the nunc pro tunc order, then the motion should be sustained; and if he had that power or right, then they have perfected their appeals.

It is apparent that counsel are somewhat confused as to their procedure under the new appellate act. For the purposes of this opinion it will not be necessary to quote all of the statutes applicable to the questions involved, as counsel are familiar with the definition of the word “Appeal,” the “Appeal on Questions of Law,” and the “Appeal on Questions of Law and Fact.”

While counsel admit that the entry of August 29th is not a final order, yet they contend that under that entry, if it be an entry, they would have a right to raise the question of the jurisdiction of the Probate Court to construe a will under the declaratory judgment act, and therefore it is necessary to refer to the statute pertaining to a final order.

What is a final order? §12223-2, GC:

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Related

Ruby v. Wolf
177 N.E. 240 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1931)
Graham v. Green
9 N.E.2d 164 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1937)
Lentz v. Lentz
19 Ohio App. 329 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1924)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
24 Ohio Law. Abs. 169, 8 Ohio Op. 451, 1937 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 1173, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/flowers-v-metcalf-ohioctapp-1937.