Jackson v. Porter

87 Okla. 112
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 13, 1921
DocketNo. 11539
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 87 Okla. 112 (Jackson v. Porter) 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
Jackson v. Porter, 87 Okla. 112 (Okla. 1921).

Opinions

KENNAMER, J.

Earler Jackson, plaintiff in error, commenced this proceeding in the -county court of Okmulgee county against M. E. Porter and A. L. Watson by filing her petition attacking the validity of a guardianship salo made by M. E. Porter, as the legal guardian of the petitioner, wherein the said M. E. Porter, as guardian, conveyed 80 acres of the allotment of the petitioner, who was a Creek freedwoman citizen, enrolled as such opposite roll No. 5218 upon the approved rolls of the members of the Creek Tribe of Indians.

The guardianship deed was executed pursuant to the order of the probate court confirming the sale, and conveyed the lands to A. L. Watson, as purchaser at the guardianship sale. The petitioner attacks the validity of the sale upon numerous grounds, to wit: That the county court was without jurisdiction to order the sale of the real estate; that a proper petition was not filed showing the necessary reasons for the sale; that a hearing on the petition for the sale was not had as required by law; that proper notice of sale was not given;. that the court was without jurisdiction to confirm the purported" sale; that fraud was practiced by the guardian in colluding and conspiring with the purchaser that the sale be made for the special benefit of the guardian: that the sale of the real estate made is a fraud upon the rights and interests and the title of the petitioner to the real estate. The petitioner prayed the judgment of the court decreeing the sale and order of confirmation be declared null and void, and for order canceling, setting aside, and holding for naught the guardian’s deed, for cost, and for such other and further relief as is just, right, and equitable. The petition alleged that the petitioner, according to the enrollment record, became of age on March 19, 1919, the petition being filed in the county court of Okmulgee county, October 27, 1919, being filed about six months subsequent to the petitioner’s obtaining her majority, a transcript of the probate proceedings under which the sale was made being attached as. exhibits to the petition of the petitioner.

A citation was issued directed to M. E. Porter and A. L. Watson to appear in answer to the petition. Porter and Watson appeared and filed a motion attacking the jurisdiction of the county court of Okmulgee county sitting in probate upon the ground that the court had no jurisdiction over the subject-matter of the action as set forth in the petition. This motion was by the court sustained.

The petitioner, Earler Jackson, appealed from the judgment and decree of the county court dismissing her petition for want of jurisdiction to the district, court of Okmulgee county. In the district court on appeal the same motion was presented by Porter and Watson to dismiss the petition for want of jurisdiction, which motion to dismiss was by the district court sustained and the petition of Earler Jackson dismissed for want of [114]*114jurisdiction. The petitioner^ Earler 'jack-son, has appealed from the judgment of the district court of Okmulgete county and said cause is here for review. The petitioner, Earler Jackson, will be referred to as appellant;; the (respondents, Mj. E. Porter and A. L. W.atson, will be referred to as appellees.

Numerous assignments of error are presented in the petition in error, but there is but one single question presented to this court for decision, and that is, Did the county court of Okmulgee county have jurisdiction of the proceedings, or was it vested with jurisdiction to grant the relief prayed for in the petition of the appellant? Section 11, art. 7, of the Constitution of Oklahoma, provides: ‘toiqre is hereby established in each county in this state a county court, which shall be a court of record. * * *” Section 12, art. 7, of the Constitution provides:

“The county court, co-extensive with the county, shall have original jurisdiction in all probate matters, and until otherwise provided by law. shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in civil cases in any amount not exceeding one thousand dollars, exclusive of interest; provided, that the county court shall not have jurisdiction in any action for malicious prosecution, or in any action for divorce or alimony, or in any action against officers for misconduct in office or in actions for slander or libel, or in actions for the specific performance of contracts for the sale of real estate, or in any matter wherein the title or boundaries of land may be in dispute or called in question; nor to order or decree the partition or sale of real estate, not arising under its probate jurisdiction. Í Bunn’s Ed., sec. 182.1”

The remainder of section 12, not herein set out, vested the county court, with appellate jurisdiction on appeal from judgment of justices of the peace in civil and criminal cases as might be provided by law or in the Constitution.

Probate courts, orphans’ courts, and courts of similar jurisdiction 'are judicial tribunals -fhat are said to be the offspring of the common law and are usually classed as courts of limited jurisdiction, but, as a rule, under the trend of modern decisions, such courts in the exercise of their probate jurisdiction are classed as courts of general jurisdiction; but the extent of the power and jurisdiction of probate court's depends upon the constitutional and statutory grant of power. The jurisdiction and authority of such courts are dependent in each particular state upon the constitutional and statutory provisions of the respective states. 15 O. J. 11011 and 11012.

It is clear from an examination of the record in this case that the subject of the action was to determine the ' title, to that part of the allotment of the appellant which had been sold through a probate proceeding by her guardian to the appel-lee Watson. The petitioner sought, under the allegations of her petition, to'have the title to the lands in controversy of the ap-pellee Watson decreed invalid. This was not a probate proceeding, but was in the nature of a civil action to quiet the petitioner’s title to the .lands described in her petition. The petition did not invoke the probate jurisdiction of the court. It was not a proceeding asking for the appointment of a guardian, the removal of a guardian, directing the guardian to make an accounting, appointment of an administrator or executor, probation of a will, or in any manner invoking the probate jurisdiction of the court on a probate matter. Under the provisions of section 12, art. 7, of the Constitution, supra, in plain and unambiguous .language, jurisdiction is specifically withheld from the county court to determine any action or any matter wherein the title or boundaries to land may be in dispute or called in question. We have carefully examined the briefs filed herein by able counsel, and in addition made an independent investigation, in vain to find any authority where a probate court is vested with jurisdiction to cancel a deed or conveyance of real estate executed pursuant to an order of confirmation and delivered to the purchaser. The general rule, as stated -in 16 C. J., par. 428, pg. 1016, is as follows:

“Although the jurisdiction of courts of probate primarily covers personal estate only and does not technically 'extend to real estate, they have certain powers in regard to real estate, -and may order the sale of land to pay debts, or legacies, or to satisfy a mortgage lien or other incum-brance, or partition land according to the will, where no question of title is to be tried.

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Bluebook (online)
87 Okla. 112, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jackson-v-porter-okla-1921.