Leonard v. Childers

1917 OK 486, 170 P. 247, 67 Okla. 222, 1917 Okla. LEXIS 391
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 9, 1917
Docket8424
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 1917 OK 486 (Leonard v. Childers) 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
Leonard v. Childers, 1917 OK 486, 170 P. 247, 67 Okla. 222, 1917 Okla. LEXIS 391 (Okla. 1917).

Opinion

*223 HARlDX, J.

This action was commenced in- the district court of Tulsa county by Nola. Childers, a minor, as plaintiff, by her guardians, Lee Clinton and Daniel B. Hors-ley, against O. H. Leonard, defendant, seeking to enjoin Mm from interfering with the possession of plaintiff and her said guardians of certain lands described, and to restrain him from acting, or attempting to act, as plaintiff’s'guardian and to cancel certain orders of the county courts of Tulsa and Creek counties. The case was transferred to the superior court of Tulsa county, where trial resulted in judgment for plaintiff granting the relief prayed, from which defendant prosecutes error.

It is contended that the district court was without jurisdiction of the case, that the order transferring same to the superior court was void, and that said superior court acquired no jurisdiction in the premises. In support of this contention, counsel argue that certain sections of the Constitution and various provisions of the statutes confer exclusive probate jurisdiction upon the county courts of this state, and from this premise they conclude that the district and superior courts were without jurisdiction. The answer to his contention is that this is ■not a probate proceeding, but is equitable in its nature, and is a proceeding of which the county courts had no jurisdiction. Ozark Co. v. Berryhill, 43 Okla. 523, 143 Pac. 173; Elrod v. Adair, 54 Okla. 207, 153 Pac. 660. The district and superior courts are courts of general jurisdiction, possessing the powers of courts of equity to grant equitable relief in proper cases. Elrod v. Adair, supra; Brown v. Trent, 36 Okla. 239, 128 Pac. 895; Johnson, Adm’r, v. Filtsch et al., 37 Okla. 510, 138 Pac. 165. And if the petition stated facts which would entitle plaintiff to equitable relief, the district court in the first instance had jurisdiction, and when the case was .transferred to the superior court that court likewise obtained jurisdiction. The petition alleges that plaintiff is the owner of certain lands situated in Tulsa county; that Lee Clinton and Daniel B. Horsley are guardians of her person and estate by virtue of certain orders of the county court of Osage county; that ever since December 25, 1913, plaintiff was over 14 years of age; that prior to April 25, 1910, the county court of Creek county had wrongfully assumed to appoint a guardian of her person and estate; that on said last-mentioned date a final judgment in prohibition had 'been entered in the district court of Creek county, perpetually enjoining said Creek county court and the judge thereof from further assuming or further attempting to exercise jurisdiction of the guardianship of her persqn or estate; that said judgment had never been appealed from, vacated, or modified, and is a valid and subsisting judgment; that notwithstanding the existence. 'Of said judgment, and notwithstanding the fact that plaintiff was over the age of 14 years, and with full knowledge by defendant that th.e county court of Osage county had and was exercising jurisdiction of the estate of plaintiff, and had long prior thereto appointed a guardian thereof, said defendant, on March 27, 1914, wrongfully and fraudulently procured the county judge of Creek county, in violation of said judgment in prohibition, to appoint said defendant guardian of plaintiff, and falsely > and fraudulently represented and caused said court to find that plaintiff was 13 years of age; that said order was wrongfully and fraudulently procured; was made .without notice to plaintiff or any of her next of kin, and that said defendant is a stranger to plaintiff; and that she does not desire him to act as her guardian or to represent her in any way. It is further alleged that after his appointment was procured said defendant falsely and fraudulently represented to the county judge of Creek county that plaintiff was a resident of Tulsa county, when in truth and in fact plaintiff was not and never had been a resident of such county, and that upon such representations he procured an order in1 violation of said judgment in prohibition, transferring said guardianship proceedings to the county court of Tulsa county; that said orders and each of them and all proceedings had in said matter in the county court of ¡Creek county subsequent to April 25, 1910, wete unwarranted and void and that said defendant is wrongfully attempting to exercise the powers of a guardian under the appointment so falsely and fraudulently procured; that he has attempted to interfere with her lawful guardians in the possession of her lands, -situated in Tulsa county which are described in said petition, and has offered to rent parts thereof to various persons, and has filed a petition in-the county court of Tulsa county, asking authority to sell and convey a part of said lands; that he has held himself out as plaintiff’s guardian, and is now claiming to be such; that .his acts as such seriously interfere with the administration of plaintiff’s estate by her lawful guardians, and makes it impossible for them to proceed therewith rncl realize the necessary funds to protect plaintiff from a forced sale of her lands for *224 delinquent taxes in tlie sum of several thousand dollars due to the state and its various subdivisions, which taxes are long past due, and which lands, or a part thereof, are imminently liable to be sold to pay said taxes; that if defendant is allowed to sell the land of plaintiff or lease the same to many different persons, as he is assuming to do, and plaintiff’s lands are sold to satisfy the taxes 'thereon aforesaid, and if defendant is permitted to secure an 'Order of sale from the Tulsa county court, plaintiff will be forced to bring a large number of suits to protect her title !in said lands; that plaintiff has already established her title to said lands in a certain proceeding determined in the district court of Tulsa county,' wherein one Ed, 0. Reynolds, claiming to be the guardian of plaintiff under appointment of Creek coffnty court, of whom defendant claims to be the successor, filed his written motion, asking said court to substitute him as legal guardian of said plaintiff to prosecutejsaid case, whereupon plaintiff’s guardians filed in said case a written motion -to strike the motion of said Reynolds, which upon consideration was sustained, and the court found that said Reynolds was acting without authority of law and was not the guardian of xjlaintiff; that plaintiff has not a plain, speedy, and adequate remedy at law, and, if the acts of defendant are peimitted to continue, will cause plaintiff irreparable injury and damages; that a .transcript of the proceedings had in Creek county court have been filed in the county court of Tulsa county, and the pending application of said Leonard for an order of sale and the other proceedings in said matter constitute and will hereafter constitute a eloua upon plaintiff’s title to the land above described, and will greatly lessen the market value thereof.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1917 OK 486, 170 P. 247, 67 Okla. 222, 1917 Okla. LEXIS 391, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/leonard-v-childers-okla-1917.