Fort Wayne & Northern Indiana Traction Co. v. Kumb

116 N.E. 309, 64 Ind. App. 529, 1917 Ind. App. LEXIS 82
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 29, 1917
DocketNo. 9,295
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 116 N.E. 309 (Fort Wayne & Northern Indiana Traction Co. v. Kumb) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fort Wayne & Northern Indiana Traction Co. v. Kumb, 116 N.E. 309, 64 Ind. App. 529, 1917 Ind. App. LEXIS 82 (Ind. Ct. App. 1917).

Opinion

Hottel, C. J.

This is an appeal from a judgment in appellee’s favor in an action brought by her against appellants to recover damages alleged to have been sustained by her while alighting. from one of the cars of appellant traction company. The traction company alone appeals. The issues of fact were presented by a complaint in one paragraph and a general denial. A demurrer to the complaint was overruled and excep[532]*532tions to such ruling saved by appellant. There was a trial by jury. Numerous interrogatories were submitted at the request of appellants and appellee respectively, which were answered and returned with the general verdict. The appellant filed a motion to strike out certain interrogatories tendered and requested by appellee, which motion was overruled and exceptions to such ruling saved. After the submission of the case to the jury it returned the following general verdict:

“We, the Jury, find for the plaintiff, against both of said Defendants, and assess her damages at Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2500.00), Five Hundred Dollars ($500'.00) against Ray Ross and Two Thousand Dollars ($2000.00) against Defendant Street Car Co.
Joseph B. Jackson, Foreman.”

Upon appellee’s motion, this verdict was rejected by the court and the jury directed to return to the jury room for further deliberation, at which time, the court reread its instruction No. 25, to each of which said acts and rulings of the trial court the appellant objected and excepted. Later the jury returned a general verdict for appellee against both appellants for the sum of $2,500, to the acceptance and filing of which appellant objected and excepted. Each of the foregoing rulings of the trial court indicated as excepted to by appellant are assigned as error in this court and relied on for reversal.

At the threshold of our consideration of these questions, we are met with a contention by appellee: (1) That the bill of exceptions is not in the record, and that for this reason none of the errors relied on, the consideration and determination of which necessitates an examination of the evidence, are presented. (2) That on account of certain indicated infirmities in appellant’s brief, it is insufficient under the rules to present any question.

[533]*533Appellee’s first contention is based upon the fact that the record affirmatively discloses that the bill of exceptions containing the evidence was not filed in time.. The facts disclosed by the record are as follows: Appellant’s motion for new trial was overruled on the third day of the January term, 1915, of said court, to wit, on January 6, 1915, on which date the judgment was rendered on the verdict and appellant was given “90 days from said date in which to prepare and file all bills of exceptions.” The record then shows an entry of March 29, 1915, being the 19th day of the March term of said court, which, omitting caption, reads as follows:

“Come now the defendants and file petition to extend the time to file bill of exceptions to May 1, 1915, said petition reading as follows:”

Then follows the petition, the contents of which we need not indicate further than to say it is sworn to by one of the traction company’s attorneys in whose affidavit appears the following words, viz.:

“That the matters and things set forth in the above and foregoing notice for extension of time in which to file bill of exceptions are true as he is informed and verily believes and that the plaintiff has had due and legal notice of the proposed filing of said petition.”

After setting out the petition, said entry continues as follows:

“And the Court after hearing the evidence and being fully advised and satisfied in the premises does now find that the defendant, Fort Wayne & Northern Indiana Traction Company is entitled to an extension of time in which to file its bill of exceptions to May 1, 1915.
“It is therefore ordered, adjudged and decreed by the Court that the time for the defendant Fort Wayne & Northern Indiana Traction Company to [534]*534file its bill of exceptions containing the evidence be and the same is hereby now extended to May 1, 1915, and day is given.”

On the 41st day of the March term, 1915, being April 23, 1915, the record shows an entry which, omitting caption, is as follows:

“Comes now said defendant, The Fort Wayne & Northern Indiana Traction Company, by Wood & Evens, its attorneys, and in open Court files its bill of exceptions containing the longhand transcript of the evidence in said cause, certificate of A. O. Reser, official reporter of this Court, and the signature of the Judge attached thereto, all reading as follows, to-wit ......”

1. It thus affirmatively appears from the record that the bill of exceptions containing the evidence was not filed within the time originally given for its filing, but the record also discloses that pursuant to a petition filed for that purpose the time for filing such bill was extended by the court, and that such bill was filed within the time as extended. It is insisted by appellee, however, that this extension was a nullity because the statute which authorizes it was not followed in obtaining it, in that the record fails to disclose that the notice required by such statute was first given. Appellant relies upon the language quoted supra from the affidavit accompanying the petition for extension as meeting the requirements of the statute.

Section 661 Burns 1914, Acts 1911 p. 193, furnishes the only authority for the extension of time for the filing of such bill. In addition to her contention above indicated appellee also contends that under the recent holding of this court in the case of King-Crowther Corp. v. Ashcraft Co. (1915), 60 Ind. App. 412, 415, 416, 110 N. E. 998, the application for extension, under said statute, can only be heard on the-day prior to the day of the expiration of the time as originally given. Ap[535]*535pellee misinterprets the holding in that case. The court in that case, in referring to the section, supra, which authorizes the extension, said: “It provides, among other things, that application for reéxtension of time, shall be made on the day prior to the day the time first given expires.” (Our italics.) In attempting to give the substance of the provision of the statute, the word “the,” italicized supra, was used where “a” should have been used. The application for extension in that case was not made until the day the time originally given had expired, and hence was held not to be in time.

The part of the proviso of said section pertinent to appellee’s contention that the record fails to show the notice required therein is as follows: “Provided, That the party'asking such re-extension of time shall give the opposite party or his attorneys of record at least three days notice of the time when and place where said applications would be heard: and Provided further, That the application must be made and the time for the hearing thereof set for a day prior to the expiration of the time first given.”

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Bluebook (online)
116 N.E. 309, 64 Ind. App. 529, 1917 Ind. App. LEXIS 82, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fort-wayne-northern-indiana-traction-co-v-kumb-indctapp-1917.