Hines v. Armstrong

1938 OK 55, 77 P.2d 671, 182 Okla. 344, 1938 Okla. LEXIS 548
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJanuary 25, 1938
DocketNo. 27611.
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 1938 OK 55 (Hines v. Armstrong) 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
Hines v. Armstrong, 1938 OK 55, 77 P.2d 671, 182 Okla. 344, 1938 Okla. LEXIS 548 (Okla. 1938).

Opinion

GIBSON, J.

This proceeding originated in the county court of Ottawa county, and arose upon settlement of the final account of the defendant in error as guardian of her minor ward. After hearing had upon the exceptions and objections to said account duly interposed by plaintiffs in error, the county court entered its order surcharging defendant in error with certain alleged unauthorized investments. Upon appeal to the district court by the aforesaid guardian, the order of the county court was modified and reversed in part. From the latter judgment the objectors have appealed to this court. The defendant in error will be hereafter referred to as defendant, and the plaintiffs in error as plaintiffs.

Defendant’s motion to dismiss the appeal has heretofore been overruled. However, in her brief on the merits she revives her argument in support of the motion without first obtaining an order .permitting renewal thereof. Since considerable space is devoted to the question in the brief, the court will assign its reasons for its former action.

Defendant urges a number of grounds in support of her motion. It is sufficient, without specific enumeration, to say that all are based upon the alleged failure of the case-made to contain a proper journal entry. of judgment overruling motion, for new trial.

As shown by the clerk’s minutes incorporated in the case-made, the court overruled plaintiffs’ motion for new trial on May 26, 1936, wherein is shown notice of their intention to appeal to this court, and an extension of time to make, serve, and settle case-made. On September 21, 1936, the parties signed a stipulation to the effect that the case as served was in all respects correct. On the following day, September 22, without further notice, it was presented to the court for settlement, at which time an order overruling motion for new trial was prepared and inserted therein. The order was based upon and included all the matters contained in the aforesaid minutes, including the date.

It is not denied that the order overruling motion for new trial was valid, and related back to the date of the .pronouncement of judgment on said motion. The written judgment or journal entry is only the record thereof. See Taliaferro v. Batis, 123 Okla. 59, 252 P. 845. The minutes are no part of the record, and in the absence of an order overruling motion for new trial, where motion is necessary, the record is insufficient to bring the appeal before this court for review. Bigpond v. Davis, 121 Okla. 44, 247 P. 676.

It is the duty of the- trial judge to incorporate in the record for appeal all orders and other matters essential to a proper case-made. Friar v. McGilbray, 45 Okla. 597, 146 P. 581. The order in question was an essential part of the record. Had the ease-made when filed here not contained the order, on timely motion it could have been withdrawn 'and corrected to include such order under section ■ 535, O. S. 1931. Defendant’s legal rights were not prejudiced by the inclusion of the order, and defendant’s motion to dismiss the appeal is again overruled.

The items objected to by plaintiffs in *346 county court consisted of the principal of a real estate loan in the sum of $1,000, and insurance, taxes, and other expenditures upon the property after default of the mortgagors. Plaintiffs state as ground for objection that said investment had not been approved or authorized by the county court. The defendant filed in said court her motion for an order nunc pro tunc approving the loan, which motion was overruled May 3, 1935. Hearing was then had upon final account, and the loan together with other items of expense upon the mortgaged premises were surcharged to defendant. Appeal from the latter order was taken to the district court by defendant in due time.

Although the time for appeal from the aforesaid action of the county court on motion for order nunc pro tunc had expired (sec. 1400, O. S. 1931), defendant included that matter in her statutory notice (sec. 1401, O. S. 1931.) and would appeal therefrom. Plaintiffs moved in district court to strike that portion of the notice and to dismiss the appeal as to that matter. The motion was overruled, and plaintiffs say the action of the court constituted error.

Defendant sought by her motion in county court to have entered nunc pro tunc an alleged order approving the loan, which order, she says, was made at the time the loan was consummated. The ruling of the county court was to the effect that no such order of approval had ever been made, and refused to enter one as requested. Eighty days, or more, went by before an 'appeal was attempted from this order. If the order was one affecting a substantial right (see. 1397, O. S. 1931), it was appealable and, if appealable, the notice was filed too late and the district court acquired no jurisdiction of the nunc pro tunc matter. The statute is mandatory (secs. 1400-1401, O. S. 1931); Sutter v. Sockey, 97 Okla. 107, 223 P. 161.

The order presently in question did affect a substantial right. The county court on the motion tried out the question of whether an order authorizing the investment had ever been made. Its judgment was that no such order had been made. The county court had jurisdiction to determine that issue and its judgment thereon was final unless appealed from. Courtney v. Barnett, 65 Okla. 189, 166 P. 207. The county court, in probate, is a court of record and as such has inherent power to make its records speak the truth, and by nunc pro tune order may, on proper application, cause entry of its orders and judgments made by the court which through mistake or inadvertence have been omitted from the records. Orders so made on motions are not open to collateral attack, and the same become final unless appealed from (Id.) ; whether the motion is sustained or overruled, the issue is settled in final, though appealable, judgment.

In the instant case no appeal was taken from the order on the motion as provided by law. The district court was without jurisdiction to determine the issues raised by that motion.

Defendant says, however, that the action of the district court on the motion to strike is not here for review since, so she asserts, the ruling was not assigned in the petition in error. Whether assigned or not, the matter is jurisdictional. Want of jurisdiction is shown upon the face of the record and the error may be considered by the court without assignment.

In view of the foregoing, it stood as an admitted fact in the district court that the original loan of $1,000 was unauthorized by the county court.

The order of the county court entered on final accounting surcharged defendant with the sum of $1,000, the principal of the loan, and interest thereon at 6 per cent, from July 1, 1930, the date thereof, and the further sum of $484.64, representing taxes, insurance, and repairs, expended on the mortgaged premises, totaling the sum of $1,787.11. Defendant was credited with the sum of $98.33, income from the property, leaving a total surcharge of $1,688.98.

The district court on appeal made a general finding that the surcharge was excessive and reduced the same to $254.81 and entered judgment accordingly.

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Bluebook (online)
1938 OK 55, 77 P.2d 671, 182 Okla. 344, 1938 Okla. LEXIS 548, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hines-v-armstrong-okla-1938.