Helms v. Cook

108 N.E. 147, 58 Ind. App. 259
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 12, 1915
DocketNo. 8,984
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 108 N.E. 147 (Helms v. Cook) 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
Helms v. Cook, 108 N.E. 147, 58 Ind. App. 259 (Ind. Ct. App. 1915).

Opinion

Felt, J.

This suit was brought by appellee for the possession of, and to quiet the title to certain real estate. She obtained a verdict in her favor on January 16, 1914, and appellants filed a motion for a new trial on February 14, 1914. On February 21, 1914, the motion for a new trial was overruled, exceptions were reserved by appellants jointly and 120 days were given in which to file all bills of exceptions. On the same day the court rendered judgment for appellee. On April 4, 1914, the 72d day of the January term, the same term at which the motion for a new trial was overruled and the judgment rendered, the appellants prayed and were granted an appeal to this court. The bond was fixed at $6,000, the sureties named and approved and the bond filed on the same day. Precipe for transcript was filed on April 1, 1914. On June 2, 1914, at a subsequent term of court, the bill of exceptions containing the evidence was filed and made a part o.f the record, and appellants then suggested the death of Elva A. McDonald, one of the de[261]*261fendants, and without notice to appellee, and without an appearance by her, obtained an order of the Hamilton Circuit Court substituting for said McDonald, as her only heirs at law, Homer C. Cox, Lillie Leopard, Rose M. Runyan, her children, and- Henry McDonald her husband. On the same day the transcript with assignment of errors was filed in this court. The assignment of errors includes among the appellants the substituted parties aforesaid, and “Alfred Johnson, guardian of Elva A. McDonald”, who was a party defendant prior to the death of his ward.

Appellee has entered a special appearance and moved to dismiss the appeal. One of the grounds of the motion is that the substitution of parties made in the lower court after the appeal was granted and the bond filed, is unauthorized by law, and further that, if authorized by law, it could not be made at a term of court subsequent to that at wdiich the judgment was rendered without notice to the appellee; that no notice was given and she did not appear thereto and had no knowledge thereof. Also< that no substitution of parties has been attempted, or made in this court, and the assignment of errors does not show that said substituted parties are made appellants in the place of Elva A. McDonald, deceased, or as her heirs at law.

It is also claimed that the precipe filed on April 1, 1914, did not authorize the clerk to include in the transcript the appeal bond, the record of the proceedings of June 2, 1914, for substitution of parties, or the bill of exceptions containing the .evidence. It is also alleged in the motion to dismiss that the motion for a new trial was joint and the exception to the court’s ruling thereon was taken jointly by all the defendants; that the naming of the substituted parties aforesaid in, the assignment of errors is of no avail and the joint exception not being good as to part of the appellants named in the assignment of errors, the joint assignment of errors is insufficient to present any question for decision by this court; that there being no separate exceptions, the [262]*262separate assignment of errors, if otherwise sufficient, presents no question because the exception to the overruling of the motion for a new trial is joint, and the only error assigned is 'the overruling of the motion for a new trial; that no steps have been taken in this court to substitute appellants, to give notice, or to otherwise perfect a vacation appeal; that the transcript has been on file and the appeal has been docketed in this court for more than 90 days, and the appeal should be dismissed under Rule 36.

1. The first question relates to the validity of the substitution of appellants in the Hamilton Circuit Court, at a term subsequent to that at which the motion for a new trial was overruled, the judgment rendered, the appeal granted and the bond filed.

Section 272 Burns 1914, §271 R. S. 1881, provides for substitution of parties before judgment. Sections 677, 678 Burns 1914, §§636, 637 R. S. 1881, are as follows: 677. “In case of the death of any or all the parties to a judgment before $n appeal is taken, an appeal may be taken by, and notice of an appeal served upon, the persons in whose favor and against whom the action might have been revived, if death had occurred before judgment.” 678. “The death of any or all the parties shall not cause the proceedings to abate; but the names of the proper persons being substituted, upon consent or upon notice, the cause may proceed. ’ ’ These sections clearly make provision for an appeal where death of any of the parties occurs after judgment is rendered and “before an appeal is taken”. The two sections are to be construed together, and the latter provides for substitution of parties “upon consent or upon notice” to the adverse party.

In the case at bar there was an attempted substitution of the heirs of Elva A. McDonald, deceased, at a term subsequent to that at which the judgment was rendered, the appeal granted and the bond filed. Appellants do not claim that any notice was given appellee or that she appeared in [263]*263the proceedings for substitution but contend that notice was not necessary. It is fundamental that a party claiming the benefit of a statute must bring himself within its provisions. Appellants rely on the statute which authorizes substitution, but have failed to comply with the provision which authorizes substitution only upon notice, or by consent of the adverse party or parties. Pabst Brewing Co. v. Shuster (1914), 55 Ind. App. 375, 103 N. E. 950; Continental Ins. Co. v. Gue (1912), 51 Ind. App. 232, 98 N. E. 147; Brown v. Brown (1907), 168 Ind. 654, 80 N. E. 535. The term of court having passed at which the judgment was rendered and the appeal granted, it would seem that on general principles of jurisprudence, aside from the statute, the adverse party should have had notice before the record was changed by the substitution of parties, or otherwise. But the statute is plain and those invoking it must comply with its provisions before they can claim the rights and benefits which it confers.

2. There seems to be some room for contention as to where the jurisdiction lies for the purpose of substitution of parties after judgment and before the transcript and assignment of errors are filed in the appellate tribunal. The statute does not definitely settle the question but the weight of authority on analogous questions leads to the conclusion that the jurisdiction of the trial court may be invoked on proper notice, or by consent, at any time before the appeal is perfected by the filing of the transcript and assignment of errors, and the giving of notice when necessary. Western Union Tel. Co. v. Adams (1902), 28 Ind. App. 420, 427, 63 N. E. 125; Branham v. Johnson (1878), 62 Ind. 259; Ragle v. Dedman (1910), 45 Ind. App. 693, 695, 91 N. E. 615; Lake Erie, etc., R. Co. v. Watkins (1902), 157 Ind. 600, 603, 62 N. E. 443; Moore v. Slack (1895), 140 Ind. 38, 41, 39 N. E. 237; Bruiletts Creek Coal Co. v. Pomatto (1909), 172 Ind. 288, 294, 88 N. E. 606; 2 Cyc. 778, 779. It has been decided many times that neither of our courts of last resort acquires jurisdiction of an appeal [264]*264until all the steps required by the statute authorizing the appeal have been taken in conformity therewith, including the filing of the transcript and the assignment of errors. Shedd v. American Maize, etc., Co.

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Bluebook (online)
108 N.E. 147, 58 Ind. App. 259, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/helms-v-cook-indctapp-1915.