Klutts v. Jones

21 N.M. 720
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedJune 13, 1916
DocketNo. 1871
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 21 N.M. 720 (Klutts v. Jones) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Klutts v. Jones, 21 N.M. 720 (N.M. 1916).

Opinion

OPINION OP THE COURT.

ROBERTS, C. J.

On April 6, 1914, an election was held in school district No. 30, Boosevelt county, N. M\, to determine whether the bonds of said district in -the sum of $5,000 should be issued for the purpose of building a sehoolhouse in said district. In the election 59 votes were east and counted for the issuance of the bonds, and 58 votes were cast and counted against ’the issuance of the bonds. The appellants, among other things, in tbeir second amended complaint, alleged that one vote cast and counted in said election for the issuance of the bonds, to wit, the vote of Willie.'Mae Culberson, now Elliott, was illegal, in that the said Willie Mae Culberson was not a resident of the said school district, and was not a qualified voter at said election; that on -account of said illegal vote the majority of the qualified electors and voters -of said district did not vote for the issuance of the bonds of said district; that the result of the election as declared by the directors of said district was erroneous and illegal; and prayed that the defendant treasurer .of Boosevelt county be enjoined from negotiating and selling the •bonds issued by the directors upon said election, and that" the 'bonds be declared void and canceled. The appellees 'denied ‘that the'said vote of Willie Mae Culberson was illegal, and contended that sbe was a resident of said district ■at' tbe time of said -election, and entitled to vote therein. This issue was -tried before Hon. .John T. Mdtfinre, District Judge, sitting within and for Eoosevelt county, on the 23d day of June, 1915, and resulted in a finding and judgment for the defendants. Prom the judgment of the district court the appellants have prosecuted this appeal.

The only question of inquiry on the appeal is whether or not the vote of Willie Mae Culberson was illegal. The sole question to be determined by this appeal is as to whether there is substantial evidence to support the finding of the trial court that Willie Mae Culberson, now Elliott, was, at the time of such election, a qualified elector of the Taiban voting precinct. In the case of Klutts et al. v. Jones et al., 20 N. M. 230, 148 Pac. 494, the question of the right of women, possessing the qualifications required by section 1, art. 7, of the Constitution, to vote at elections held for the purpose of voting bonds for the construction of a school building was resolved in the affirmative. The question here for determination is, Had Willie Mae Culberson “resided” within the Taiban voting precinct 30 days prior to this election, for it is conceded that she had resided within the state for 1 year and within the county of Eoosevelt 90 days, as required by section 1, art. 7, of the Constitution. The evidence-shows that she was more than 21 years of age in September, 1913, at which time she signed a contract with the directors of such school district to teach the Taiban school for the term beginning in September, 1913; that she had, for 4 years prior thereto, attended the Normal University at Las Vegas, N. M., her tuition and board having been provided for by her parents. She says that when she contracted to teach at the Taiban school, she took up her residence at Taiban, intending to make that place her permanent.home. cn In-n^ spe was there employed. When she went to Taiban she took all of her personal belongings with her, and says that she did not expect to call upon her parents for further financial assistance. In other words, she intended to make her own living, and did not exnect to .contribute toward the supnort of her father’s family or to receive aid from them. She became ill with typhoid fever shortly after she went to Taiban, and was taken to Portales by her mother while uncon! scions, and was there cared for until she recovered, which was apparently some time in November. While she was in Portales an election was held for the purpose of locating a county high school, in which both Portales and Taiban were seeking to secure such school. She worked at the polls during the day for the location of said school at Taiban, but did not vote, although asked to do so,' because, she stated, that her residence was in Taiban and she had no right to vote in Portales. In the summer of 1914 she visited her parents in Portales for a week or so, and then went to Las Yogas to attend the summer normal, returning to Taiban in August or September and teaching school there the following term. She was married in Taiban, at her home there, to a Mr. Elliott, and after her marriage she went with her husband to his home in Chaves county. The above afforded substantial evidence of the fact that the voter in question was legally' entitled to vote at such election, and the finding of the trial court in this regard will not be disturbed here.

Appellant argues that, because the witness testified that she did not intend to remain in Taiban should she find a .situation in some other place that suited her better, or should she fail to secure employment in the schools at that place, she was not a resident of such voting precinct' within the meaning of the Constitution. This is the extreme view, which finds some -support in the earlier cases! In the case of Berry v. Wilcox, 44 Neb. 82, 62 N. W. 249, 48 Am. St. Rep. 706, the court says:

“The older cases and some of the modern ones require as-an essential element the animus manendi, and construe this term as meaning an intention of always remaining.”

In this case, the question was as to whether or not a student at an institution of learning was a resident of the town in which such institution was located, and entitled to vote at elections held there. The opinion is so.-, instructive upon the point here raised, that we quote at. length, therefrom :

“That what place is any one’s domicile is a question of fact; that if a student have a father living; if he remain ai member of his father’s family; if he return to pass his vacations; if he be maintained by his father — these are strong circumstances repelling a presumption of change of domicile. But if he be separated from his father’s family, not maintained by him; if he remove to a college town and take up his abode there without intending to return to Ins former domicile' — these are circumstances more or less conclusive to show the acquisition of a domicile in the town where the college is situated. The same view was taken in Sanders v. Betchell, 76 Me. 158, 49 Am. Rep. 606, The Supreme Court of Ohio, quoting Story’s definition of ‘Domicile,’ adds: ‘It is not, however, necessary that he should intend to remain there for all time. If he lives in a place with the intention of remaining for an indefinite period of time as a place of fixed present domicile, and not as a place of temporary establishment, or for mere transient purposes, it is, to all intents and for all purposes, his residence.’ Sturgeon v. Korte, 34 Ohio St. 525.
“In Dale v. Irwin, 78 Ill. 170, the court said: ‘What is “a permanent abode?” Must it be held to be an abode which the party does not intend to abandon at any future time? This, it seems to us, would be a definition too stringent for a country whose people and characteristics are ever on the change. No man in active life in'this state can say, 'wherever he may be placed, This is and ever shall be my permanent above. It would be safe to say a permanent abode, in the sense of the statute, means nothing more, than a domicile, a home, which the party is at liberty to leave, as interest or whim may dictate, but without any present intention to change it.’

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

American Commerce Insurance v. Bachicha
256 F. Supp. 2d 1219 (D. New Mexico, 2003)
Klumker v. Van Allred
811 P.2d 75 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1991)
Apodaca v. Chavez
788 P.2d 366 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1990)
State v. Watkins
590 P.2d 169 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1979)
Perez v. Health and Social Services
573 P.2d 689 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1977)
City of Raton v. Sproule
429 P.2d 336 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1967)
Allen v. Allen
194 P.2d 270 (New Mexico Supreme Court, 1948)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
21 N.M. 720, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/klutts-v-jones-nm-1916.