Foreman v. Chapman

1923 OK 616, 219 P. 692, 95 Okla. 132, 1923 Okla. LEXIS 104
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedSeptember 18, 1923
Docket14310
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 1923 OK 616 (Foreman v. Chapman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Foreman v. Chapman, 1923 OK 616, 219 P. 692, 95 Okla. 132, 1923 Okla. LEXIS 104 (Okla. 1923).

Opinion

McNEILL, J.

Susie Foreman, a minor, by her next friend commenced this action to recover possession of certain land in Pontotoc county and for cancellation of certain guardianship proceedings, wherein her guardian sold (he land through the county court of Pontotoc county.. On the same day Vina Harris filed her action in said court upon two causes of action to recover possession' of certain land, and for cancellation of guardianship proceedings wherein the guardian of her deceased son, Claude Foreman, had 'sold the land of Claude Foreman while he was a minor.

The defendants rued answers and cross-petition, and in the Harris case pleaded the statute of limitations. The causes were consolidated and tried together and one judgment rendered. The court made find *133 ings of fact and conclusions of law and found the issues against tthe plaintiffs and quieted title in said defendants.

To reverse said judgment, this proceeding was commenced. For reversal, the plaintiffs present several propositions, most of which are only applicable to the land that belonged to Claude Foreman. It is first contended that Jeff Foreman was never appointed guardian of Claude Foreman; that the proceeding for said appointment consisted of the filing' of a petition for appointment, and letters issued by the clerk of the United States District Court of the Southern Judicial District of Indian Territory in vacation; that no order was ever made by the court confirming said appointment. The appointment of the guardian occurred prior to statehood, and section 3462, Mansfield’s Digest, was in force and effect, and provides as follows:

“The clerk in probate, either by person or by deputy shall, in vacation, have power to grant letters of guardianship subject to confirmation or rejection of the court.”

The trial court found as a fact that on the 21st of December, 1905, .Jeff Foreman, the father of Claude Foreman, filed his petition and qualified as such guardian by taking the oath of office and gave the bond, and the letters of guardianship issued to h’m. and he continued to act as such guardian until Claude Foreman became of age. but the records do not show that this appointment as guardian was subsequently confirmed by the eoux-t.

The Supreme Court of Arkansas had the above section of MansfiekV’s Dig'est under consideration in the case of Sumard v. Philips, 18 S. W. 510, wherein the court stated as follows1:

“Manaf. Dig. Ark., par. 3462, authorizes the clerk of the probate court to appoint guardians in vacation, subject to the approval of the court. Held, that, though no subseqxxent confirmation of the appointment was shown, the guardian’s authority could not be attacked collaterally, where it appeared that she had rendered her accounts to, and had been recognized by, the probate coxxrt as guardian.”

By applying the law announced in that case to the facts in the case at bar, the judgment of the trial court is not erroneous, upon the theory presented.

The second proposition presented is stated, in substance, as follows: That at the time of the filing of said petition by Jeff Foreman in the United States District Court of Indian Territory, at Ada, for the appointment of himself as the legal guardian of Claude Foreman, the said Claude Foreman was an actual and permanent resident of the Western d’slrict of the Indian Territory, and was not a resident of the Southern judicial district, and for that reason the coxxrt never acquired jurisdiction and the guardian proceedings are void.

It is contended by plaintiffs in error that Jeff Foreman and his wife, Vina Foreman Harris, separated, and Vina Harris was awarded the custody of Claude Foreman, and moved near -Stigler, Okla., and was a resident of the Western judicial district of Indian Territory and was not a resident of the Southern district at the time Jeff Foreman was appointed guardian. Let usi concede this to be the fact. This court has held parol evidence was incompetent to prove that the minor’s’ residence was in a coxxnty other than where the appointment was made, in a collateral attack xxnon the judgment. See Hathaway v. Hoffman, 53 Okla. 72, 153 Pac. 184, and cases following the x-ule announced therein.

It is next contended that no notice was ever given to the mother of Claxxde Forei-mnix of the appointment of Jeff Foreman. It is contended, the mother, Vina Harris, who is now the plaintiff, having been awarded the exxstody of Claxxde Foreman in the divorce proceedings, that the appointment of a guardian without notice to her is void. It must be remembered that, at the time of the appointment the laws Mansfield’s * Digest were applicable, and not the laws of Oklahoma.

'Section 3477, Mansfield’s Digest, provides for giving of notice where the natural guar-diaxx is incompetent. This court had under considex-ation the section of the statute in the cases of Wortham v. John, 22 Okla. 562, 98 Pac. 347, and Roberts v. Whiteman, 51 Okla. 731, 152 Pac. 378, and held that whex’e a curator was appointed without the voluntary appearance or due notice to the mother of slaid minor, the father being dead, the said appointment was void. But in the instant case the father was living. The father presented the petition and entered his voluntary appearance and was appointed guardian. Mansfield’s Digest provides that the father, when living, is the natural guardian ,of the minor children, and after his death, the mother. The probate proceedings disclose that the natural guardian entered his voluntary appearance, axxd was appointed, so the proceedings ara not void. It might be, xxnder the facts, that the appointment might have beexx reversed on appeal, but the separation of the pax’ents is not disclosed from the record, *134 but, so far as the record discloses, the proceedings are valid and the proper notice was given. .

The sale of the land was made through the county court since statehood, and it is contended that since none of the orders in said cause, including the decree of sale and the order of confirmation, carried the' seal of the county court, said orders and decrees were void. Plaintiffs in error rely upon certain cases, among which .'is the case of Gordon v. Brownwell (Kan.) 59 Pac. 906, holding that an order of sale of district court without the seal of the court was, void. The above case has been cited by this court, but never in a case where the question involved was whether an order of sale without the seal of the court was void. The Supreme Court of Kansas, in a later case, Carter v. Hyatt, 91 Pac. 01, stated as follows :

“In such case, if the court having jurisdiction of the subject-matter and the parties confirms the sale, it will be presumed it found that the order of sale was so authenticated ; and, if such finding be erroneous, the adjudication is not by reason thereof void, but is only voidable, and is .vulnerable to attack only in a direct, and not in a collateral proceeding.”

In other words, this is considered an irregularity, and not a jurisdictional defect.

It is next contended that the decree of sale did not properly describe the land to be sold, therefore the court never acquired jurisdiction. This court has held to the contrary in the case of Tucker v. Leonard, 76 Okla. 17, 183 Pac. 907; and held the same an irregularity, and not a jurisdictional defect.

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Bluebook (online)
1923 OK 616, 219 P. 692, 95 Okla. 132, 1923 Okla. LEXIS 104, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/foreman-v-chapman-okla-1923.