Hawkins v. Hurst

1970 OK 56, 467 P.2d 159, 1970 Okla. LEXIS 327
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 31, 1970
Docket42413
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 1970 OK 56 (Hawkins v. Hurst) 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
Hawkins v. Hurst, 1970 OK 56, 467 P.2d 159, 1970 Okla. LEXIS 327 (Okla. 1970).

Opinion

LAVENDER, Justice.

This appeal results from the district court’s denial of an “Application to Reform Judgment and, in lieu thereof, Petition for Breach of Contract,” filed by Foy E. Hawkins (the plaintiff in error herein) in an automobile-collision case in which he and his son, Jerell W. Hawkins (who is not involved in this phase of the case), were the defendants, and Marjorie M. Hurst (the defendant in error herein) was the plaintiff. The judgment mentioned in that instrument was in favor of the plaintiff and against both defendants.

In the journal entry of the order of denial involved herein, the trial court simply found that Foy E. Hawkins’ “Application to Reform Judgment and, in lieu thereof, Petition for Breach of Contract,” should be denied.

The instrument, which was not verified in any manner, was filed one year, seven months and twenty-four days after the date on which the judgment had been rendered (which was during the third term of the district court following the term in which the judgment was rendered). For some reason not disclosed by the record or briefs herein, the instrument was not presented to the trial court until nine years, eight months and fifteen days after it had been filed by Foy E. Hawkins. No process of any kind was ever issued for, or served upon, the other defendant or the plaintiff. Neither the plaintiff nor Jerell W. Hawkins filed any written motion, demurrer, response or answer in connection with the instrument. Jerell W. Hawkins was not represented by counsel, and apparently did not appear in person, at the hearing on the instrument. The plaintiff did appear at the hearing, in person and by counsel, and contested the granting of any relief under the instrument.

The instrument is bottomed upon an alleged oral agreement entered into, shortly after summons, had been served upon both of the defendants, between the plaintiff’s then-attorney and the defendants’ attorney (who represented Foy E. Hawkins in filing the instrument involved and in presenting it to the court, and testified concerning the facts alleged in the instrument).

For the sake of a better understanding of the nature of the alleged oral agreement, *161 referred to in defendant’s “Application, etc.,” we think it well to note the following matters which appear from the judgment roll.

The judgment roll discloses that the unverified petition of the plaintiff, Marjorie M. Hurst, alleged damages to the plaintiff as the direct and proximate result of negligence on the part of the defendant, Jerell W. Hawkins, in the operation of an automobile owned by his father, the defendant, Roy E. Hawkins, and being driven, at the time involved, by the son with the father’s permission and as his agent, servant or employee. The specific allegations of negligence are not material herein.

The petition prayed for judgment against both of the defendants, in the principal amount of $30,000.00 for personal injuries, etc., on a first cause of action, and in the principal amount of $544.38 for damage to plaintiff’s automobile, on a second cause of action.

The judgment roll also discloses that an unverified answer was filed upon behalf of both defendants, consisting of a general denial (except for admitting that the defendant, Jerell W. Hawkins, was driving the Hawkins automobile at the time of the collision alleged in the petition), coupled with pleas of contributory negligence and unavoidable accident; and that the plaintiff replied by way of a general denial.

The journal entry of the judgment involved herein, which bears the “OK” of the attorneys for both parties, recites that the plaintiff appeared by her attorney (naming him) and the defendants appeared by their attorney (naming him), and that, a jury having been waived by the parties, the court proceeded to hear the evidence of witnesses and argument by counsel, and “finds that the plaintiff has sustained the allegations of her petition and is entitled to judgment accordingly.” It orders, adjudges and decrees that the plaintiff, Marjorie M. Hurst, have judgment against the defendants, Jerell W. Hawkins and Foy E. Hawkins, in the principal amount of $4,-999.00 on her first cause of action and in the principal amount of $544.38 on her second cause of action.

The “Application to Reform Judgment and, in lieu thereof, Petition for Breach of Contract,” filed by the defendant, Foy E. Hawkins, alleges, in substance and effect, that, after the defendants had been served with summons in the action, their attorney (named therein) and the plaintiff’s attorney (named therein, but not the one who represented her at the hearing on this instrument) held a conference, at which the defendants’ attorney informed the plaintiff’s attorney that, at the time of the collision alleged in the petition, the defendant, Jerell W. Hawkins, was 18 years of age, was possessed of a valid Oklahoma driver’s license, and was driving the father’s car to school at Edmond, Oklahoma, with the father’s permission, but was not acting as the father’s agent, servant or employee and was not engaged in any joint adventure with the father. It was also alleged that defendants’ attorney told the plaintiff’s attorney that the insurance company which carried the liability insurance on the father’s car, with the father as the insured, had notified the father that the collision was not covered by their policy and that they would not pay any claim, or defend any action, arising out of such collision, but that the father and the defendants’ attorney felt that the insurance company should be made to pay the plaintiff’s claim within the limits of such policy.

The instrument then alleges, in substance and effect, that, in order to lay a foundation for a later claim against the father’s insurance company, the defendants’ attorney agreed, orally (with the plaintiff’s attorney), that he would file an answer on behalf of both defendants without pleading the father’s “absolute defense,” mentioned in their conversation, and would allow an agreed judgment, within the policy limits, to be rendered against both of the defendants, and would stipulate that the written medical reports of a named physician, concerning the plaintiff’s injuries and physical condition, could be received as evidence thereof, without any oppor *162 tunity to cross-examine the doctor, and would also do everything possible to aid in collecting such judgment from the father’s insurance company.

In consideration of these agreements on the part of the defendants’ attorney, the instrument alleges, the plaintiff’s attorney, as her “agent,” agreed that, in the event no money was recovered from the insurance company, he would not proceed further but would release the judgment as against Foy E. Hawkins. However, at the hearing, the defendants’ attorney testified that the agreements on his part were made “with the understanding that if we didn’t prevail against the insurance company that he would not levy or execute on my client.”

The instrument further alleged full' compliance with the contract on the part of Mr. Hawkins and his attorney, and, in connection therewith, alleged that, subsequent to the rendition of the judgment in this case, within the limits of Mr. Hawkins’ liability insurance policy and in accordance with a journal entry prepared by the two attorneys before trial, Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
1970 OK 56, 467 P.2d 159, 1970 Okla. LEXIS 327, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hawkins-v-hurst-okla-1970.