Karn v. Hayes

530 P.2d 156
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 9, 1975
DocketNo. 4469
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 530 P.2d 156 (Karn v. Hayes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Karn v. Hayes, 530 P.2d 156 (Wyo. 1975).

Opinion

District Judge MAIER

delivered the opinion of the court.

Louise H. Karn, appellant here and one of the defendants below, has filed this appeal from the judgment of the District Court of Uintá County which had enjoined the county clerk of Uinta County from issuing to appellant a certificate of nomination and required said clerk to issue such certificate to a candidate who had received fewer votes than appellant in the municipal primary election held in the city of Evans-ton on August 20, 1974.

At the outset, it should be noted that the parties evidently proceeded under the assumption that this was an “election contest” within the purview of § 22.1-242(a) (ii), W.S.1957, 1973 Cum.Supp.1 This section provides:

“(a) A qualified elector may contest the right of a person declared elected to an office in the elector’s county, city, district or precinct, other than the office of state legislator, on the following grounds:
⅜ ⅛ ⅜ ⅜ ⅜ ⅜
“(ii) The person whose election is contested is not eligible to hold the office * * * ”

It would at least appear debatable whether this case involved the contest of the right of “a person declared elected to an office” since the action was filed after the primary but before the general election.

A review of the plaintiffs’ complaint makes it clear, however, that a claim of in-junctive relief and for declaration of rights under a statute, or statutes, was in fact stated. And the trial court so interpreted the claim, as evidenced by the judgment and decree, awarding injunctive relief, the effect of which was to declare appellant ineligible to be a candidate on the municipal election ballot at the general election on November 5, 1974, and to direct the submission of the next-high candidate on such ballot, pursuant to § 22.1-327, W.S.1957, 1973 Cum.Supp.2

[158]*158Conceivably, similar relief might have been sought, and afforded, under the provisions of § 22.1-92, W.S.1957, 1973 Cum. Supp.3; but this need not be, and is not, here decided. It is clear that a proper procedure was available under the declaratory judgment statute, §§ 1-1049 through 1-1064, W.S.19S7. The fact, if it be a fact, that the parties proceeded under a misapprehension as to the proper theory of the case does not deprive the trial court of jurisdiction to render a judgment which the pleadings and proof in fact support. Rule 54(c), W.R.C.P.; Walton v. Atlantic Richfield Co., Wyo., 501 P.2d 802; 49 C.J.S. Judgments § 48, p. 111; 49 C.J.S. Judgments § 40, pp. 99, 100.

Proceeding, then, to the merits of the appeal, we will consider the appellant’s argument which is founded entirely on the proposition that, as she asserts, the trial court’s finding that Kara (appellant) is not a qualified elector or resident of the city of Evanston is (1) contrary to the evidence, and (2) contrary to the prevailing law of this jurisdiction.

In considering whether the finding is contrary to the evidence, -i '•evKvv' of the record discloses, first, that this is a very brief record, and, second, that there is little, if any, conflict as to the facts. Briefly summarized, the material and relevant facts are as follows :

The individual plaintiffs (appellees) are qualified electors of the city of Evanston, Wyoming. The appellant, on July 5, 1974 executed a nomination petition and delivered the same to the city clerk of Evans-ton, and as a result the city clerk caused appellant’s name to be placed on the ballot as a candidate for mayor of the city of Evanston for the primary election held August 20, 1974. Including appellant, there were three candidates listed on said primary election ballot. Following said primary election, the official canvass certified the result of the vote to be :

Dan South 638 votes
Louise H. Kara, 537 votes (appellant herein)
Robert Burns 434 votes

This action was filed in the District Court of Uinta County on September 5, 1974, and resulted in the entry of a judgment by that court on October 25, 1974, which contained the finding that “[Appellant] is not a qualified elector or resident of the City of Evanston, Wyoming, and by reason thereof is not qualified to appear as a candidate for the office of mayor on the ballot for the municipal election * * The judgment, following this finding, enjoined the county clerk of Uinta County from issuing to appellant a certificate of nomination, and decreed that said county clerk issue a certificate of nomination to Robert R. Burns.

The record further discloses that appellant and her husband moved to Evanston in 1959, where the husband assumed his employment at the Wyoming State Hospital, which employment has .continued to the present time; that the dwelling of appellant and her husband is furnished by the state of Wyoming, and is located on state land and constitutes a part of the Wyoming State Hospital enclave; that appellant's husband is required to reside therein, as a condition of his employment; that the dwelling occupied by them from 1959 until 1967 was located within the corporate limits of the city of Evanston; that in 1967 they moved to a new dwelling constructed by the state on property still a part of the State Hospital enclave, but outside the cor[159]*159porate limits of the city of Evanston, and that they have continued to live in said dwelling from 1967 to the present time; that appellant owns no real property within the municipal limits of the city of Evans-ton ; that appellant voted, since 19S9 and at all times prior to August 20, 1974, in a precinct within the municipal boundaries of the city of Evanston, but that she voted, at the primary election on August 20, 1974, at a precinct which is not within said municipal boundaries, at the direction of the county attorney; that appellant is a citizen of the United States, a resident of the state of Wyoming, has registered as a voter in Uinta County, Wyoming and is over the age of 18 years; that appellant has for many years served the community interests of Evanston, Wyoming by service in and for many civic and community organizations and endeavors; that appellant’s dwelling is connected to water and sewer services of the city of Evanston, and has on at least one occasion been furnished police protection from the Evanston police department; and that since 1967 the county assessor has assessed personal property taxes to appellant and her husband, a portion of which has been returned to the city of Evanston; and appellant testified she considered Evanston her home and intended to remain there.

Based on the foregoing facts, appellant contends the same to be insufficient as a basis for the court’s finding that she “is not a qualified elector or resident of the City of Evanston.” The first, and most direct, answer 'to this contention is paragraph 7 of the stipulation, which states unequivocally : “That since 1967 defendant Karn and her hysband [sic] have continued to maintain and live in the dwelling place located outside of the municipal boundaries of the City of Evanston.”

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