Leach v. Nelson

196 N.W. 755, 50 N.D. 538, 1923 N.D. LEXIS 3
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 8, 1923
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 196 N.W. 755 (Leach v. Nelson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Leach v. Nelson, 196 N.W. 755, 50 N.D. 538, 1923 N.D. LEXIS 3 (N.D. 1923).

Opinion

Nuessle, J.

This is the second appeal of this ease. The opinion in the. former case is reported in 48 N D. 1046, 189 N. W. 251. The law of the case ivas laid down in that opinion. The facts on the present appeal are substantially identical with those on tlie former. Immediately prior to tbe second trial which was bad to a jury, the defendants asked for leave to amend their answer. Over objection leave was granted. However, on tbe trial tbe court sustained the plaintiff’s objection to all evidence sought to be offered under tbe amendment, so that tbe issues of fact on tbe second trial were identical with those as made and determined on tbe first trial. On tbe second trial the defendants had a verdict. From the judgment entered thereon the plaintiff appeals.

The appellant assigns some seventy-six errors. He predicates error on account of the admission or rejection of evidence offered; on account (tf alleged misconduct of the respondents’ counsel; and by reason of instructions given to tbe jury.

Tbe testimony offered by tbe respondents on the second trial was [540]*540substantially that offered on the first trial. Two of the witnesses who were present and testified at the first trial were inaccessible and were not present at the second trial. So their testimony as given at the first trial was introduced. The appellant, when this testimony was read, in addition to the objections taken on the first trial interposed other and additional objections, some of which were well grounded, and doubtless would have been sustained had they been taken in the first instance. The trial judge, overruling such objections, stated as reasons for his ruling, “. . . it appearing that this is a transcript of the evidence given on a former trial in which these same attorneys appeared, and there was no objection made at that time. You had an opportunity to make an objection at the former trial and failed to do so.” And again, when ruling, the trial judge said, “The court concedes that some of these questions were vulnerable to objection on certain grounds if an objection had been made when the evidence was introduced. It appears that the attorneys in this case were present at the former trial, and made no such objection and it is too late at this time to object to that evidence under the circumstances of this case. The objection is overruled.” There was no objection to reading in evidence the testimony taken at the former trial, all parties apparently agreeing that the same -was admissible on the showing as made that the witnesses wore beyond the jurisdiction of the court.

Appellant, however, contends that the issues on the second trial were not the same as those on the first by reason of amendments allowed by the trial court. It is true that an amendment was allowed to the second paragraph of the answer. But when in the course of the trial respondents sought to introduce evidence in support of the matters pleaded in this amendment, objections interposed thereto were sxistained and the evidence rejected. Thus, in fact, the case was tried and submitted on the identical pleadings and issues as made on the first trial, and the parties were the same. It is true that on the second trial the appellant may have had a different theory of law, but we do not believe that on the record that fact alone justifies the contention that the issues were different.

Appellant further contends that the same rule applies to evidence of this character that applies to depositions as regards exceptions on the grounds of incompetency and irrelevancy, and that under § 1900, [541]*541Comp. Laws 1913, providing, “Exceptions to a deposition on tbe ground*of incompetency or irrelevancy may be made at tbe time tbe same is offered in evidence; otlier exceptions to a deposition must be made in writing, specifying tbe grounds of objections and filed in tbe •cause before tbe commencement of tbe trial,” objections on tbe grounds of incompetency or irrelevancy may be made at tbe time the deposition is offered in evidence. We need not here consider tbe rule prescribed by § 7906, supra, or its practical application. It is sufficient to say that appellant is mistaken in his contention. The evidence in question was not a deposition. It was admissible regardless of the statutory provision as to the taking and admission of depositions. It was taken under oath on a former trial, the parties and issues were identical, the plaintiff was given full opportunity to cross-examino, and to interpose such objections as he saw fit. See State v. McCarty, 49 N. D. 912, 194 N. W. 335 and authorities cited; Felton v. Midland Continental R. Co. 32 N. D. 223, 155 N. W. 23 and cases cited; Robertson v. State, Ann. Cas. 1913C, 440 and note (63 Tex. Crim. Rep. 216, 142 S. W. 533) ; Smith v. State, 15 A.L.R. 490 and note (147 Ga. 689, 95 S. E. 281) ; Edgeley v. Appleyard, Ann. Cas. 1914D, 474 and note (110 Me. 337, 86 Atl. 244); Ilorwitz’s Jones Ev. §§ 336 et seq. Where testimony t aken at a former trial is admissible and used in a later trial by reason of tlie inaccessibility of a witness, objections not taken on the first trial may not be interposed on tbe second. Sherman Gas & E. Co. v. Beldon, 103 Tex. 59, 27 L.R.A.(N.S.) 237, 123 S. W. 119.

Tbe respondents, by tbe testimony complained of, were endeavoring to establish by parol evidence, first, that certain real property had been sold, and second, that tbe purchaser, one Sharf, bad assumed and agreed to pay respondents’ note secured by a second mortgage on such property. Appellant states bis own position in that connection as follows : “Plaintiff was and is trying to recover bis $1,000 and interest, lie does not believe tbat Rev. Sharf assumed and agreed to pay bis note secured by his second mortgage. The only competent evidence of this pretended assumption by Rev. Sharf is tbe deed itself which, it is claimed, was delivered to him and which be accepted. In no event would parol evidence of tbe contents of this deed be admissible until it was shown clearly and persuasively that the instrument or a certified copy of it was not available to them as testimony. Nearly all of [542]*542the errors complained of in this subdivision go to that point.” Appellant’s contention is that the deed convoying the property in question to Sliarf is not produced in evidence, nor is there any proof of inability to produce it; that the contract of assumption must be within the deed; that, parol evidence as to the contents of the deed is inadmissible on the proof as made; and that, therefore, the assumption cannot be shown. The whole point of the appellant's contention is based on the proposition that the only competent evidence of such assumption must be within the deed itself. In this the appellant is mistaken. The contract by which a grantee assumes the payment of existing encumbrances is separate and distinct from the conveyance. Such a contract may be embodied in the deed, it may be by separate writing, or it may rest entirely in parol. Moore, v. Booker, 4 N. D. 543, 62 N. W. 607, and cases cited; Ordway v. Downey, 18 Wash. 412, 63 Am. St. Rep. 892, 51 Pac. 1047, 52 Pac. 228; see also Erickson v. Wiper, 33 N. D. 193 at p. 208, 157 N. W. 592. No foundation for the objections was laid by the appellant by a showing that the contract of assumption was contained within the deed, or that it was in writing. Therefore, in any event, the objections in this behalf were properly overruled.

Appellant’s second proposition is that the trial court erred in sustaining objections, to certain testimony offered by him through the witness Wimber.

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Bluebook (online)
196 N.W. 755, 50 N.D. 538, 1923 N.D. LEXIS 3, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/leach-v-nelson-nd-1923.