Liebbrand v. Butler

97 N.E.2d 80, 88 Ohio App. 185, 58 Ohio Law. Abs. 523, 44 Ohio Op. 215, 1950 Ohio App. LEXIS 638
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 2, 1950
Docket4436
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 97 N.E.2d 80 (Liebbrand v. Butler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Liebbrand v. Butler, 97 N.E.2d 80, 88 Ohio App. 185, 58 Ohio Law. Abs. 523, 44 Ohio Op. 215, 1950 Ohio App. LEXIS 638 (Ohio Ct. App. 1950).

Opinion

OPINION

By WISEMAN, J.

This is an appeal on questions of law from the judgment of the Common Pleas Court of Franklin County, Ohio, sustaining defendant’s motion to set aside the verdict and judgment entered thereon.

*524 *523 Defendant-appellee contends that the order appealed from *524 is not a final order from which an appeal may be taken under §12223-2 GC. We do not agree. After §§11576 and 11578 GC, were amended, effective October 11, 1945, a motion for new trial is not only directed to the verdict but to the judgment entered on the verdict. In sustaining the motion for new trial the court not only sets aside the verdict of the jury, but also vacates the judgment. An order of the trial court sustaining a motion for new trial, in actions commenced after October 11, 1945, is a final order from which an appeal may be taken. In the instant case, the action having been commenced after October 11, 1945, the Code provisions in effect since the amendment control, and the order appealed from is a final order. For a more extended discussion of this question see McAtee v. Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, 82 Oh Ap 131, 81 N. E. (2d) 225; Haffner v. Schmeidl, 87 Oh Ap 143; Dyer v. Hastings, 87 Oh Ap 147, and State, ex rel. Simons v. Kiser, Case No. 684, Darke County, decided by this court on August 22, 1950, 58 Abs 257.

The plaintiff-appellant contends the court erred in sustaining defendant’s motion for new trial. The motion for new trial was based on five grounds. The first, second, third and fourth grounds of the motion were not considered by the court. The fifth ground was based on newly discovered evidence. The fifth ground was regarded by the trial court as dispositive and was sustained. The newly discovered evidence was presented to the court in the form of an affidavit, the substance of which is incorporated in the journal entry sustaining the motion for new trial. The error complained of appearing on the face of the record, the affidavit need not be brought before the court in the form of a bill of exceptions.

The newly discovered evidence was to the effect that plaintiff was adjudicated a bankrupt after the action was instituted but before trial. The trial court held that after adjudication and appointment of the trustee in bankruptcy, “to all intents and purposes in this suit the plaintiff became legally dead and has no further right to prosecute this action,” in his own name. Thereupon, the court vacated the verdict and judgment and ordered a new trial.

Did the trial court commit reversible errors? We think so. If the plaintiff transfers his interest in the action after the suit is instituted, the procedural steps which may be pursued are controlled by §11261 GC, the pertinent part of which provides as follows:

“On any other transfer of interest, the action may be con *525 tinued in the name of the original party, or the court may allow the person to whom the transfer is made to be substituted for him.”

The verdict of the jury had been rendered and judgment entered thereon before the court was apprised of the fact that the plaintiff had been adjudicated a bankrupt, and no effort has been made to comply with the provisions of §11261 GC.

In Cullen & Vaughn Company v. Bender Co., 122 Oh St 82, 170 N. E. 633, the fifth paragraph of the syllabus is as follows:

“The assignment by plaintiff of his interest in a controversy made during the pendency of a suit to recover is not a defense to the action, but the cause may proceed in the name of such plaintiff.”

The court, on page 87, states:

“Another element was injected into the case during the course of the trial. It developed that, after the suit was begun the Cullen & Vaughn Company assigned its right to recovery to the receivers of the R. L. Dollings Company. It is therefore contended that the Cullen & Vaughn Company is no longer the party in interest, and for that reason could not further maintain the action after such assignment. . This position is untenable, and we need only refer to a former decision of this court, which, if sound, is controlling and decisive. Lowry v. Anderson, 57 Oh St, 179, 48 N. E. 810. The syllabus reads:
“ ‘Upon the transfer by a plaintiff, during the pendency of an action, of all his interest therein, the action may proceed in the name of such plaintiff, or the court may allow the person to whom the transfer is made to be substituted; but such transfer is no defense to the action.’ ”

In Detroit & Ironton Rd. Co. v. Vogeley, 21 Oh Ap 88, 153 N. E. 86, the third paragraph of the syllabus is as follows:

“Under §11261 GC, if settlement between plaintiff, suing railroad for damage to her automobile, and insurance company, took place after commencement of action, cause could proceed against railroad in name of original plaintiff, notwithstanding subsequent assignment or transfer of right of action.”

*526 On page 90 the court in its opinion stated:

“We think the second defense was insufficient and demurrable for the reason that it did not contain an averment that the alleged settlement between the plaintiff and the insurance company took place prior to the commencement of the action in the court of common pleas. If such settlement took place after the commencement of the action, the cause could proceed in the name of the original plaintiff, under §11261 GC, notwithstanding subsequent assignment or transfer of a right of action.”

In Bonding Co. v. Bank, 22 C. C. N. S. 177, the court in its opinion, on page 190, states:

'“Defendant urges, however, that the decision in Lowry v. Anderson, 57 Oh St 179, had been modified and distinguished by the several cases reported together under the name of Insurance Co. v. Carnahan, 63 Oh St, 258, and for that reason can not be regarded as authority here. We fail to agree with this contention. In some of the cases in Insurance Co. v. Carnahan it was found that the rights of the plaintiffs had been assigned before the commencement of the action, and that the action was therefore not brought in the name of the real party in interest. The actions were all brought by a partnership in the firm name and during their pendency one of the partners died and there was no proper revivor or substitution of the representative or successor in interest in place of the partnership. It was therefore held that the action was in abeyance and could not proceed. The case does not go to the extent of abrogating the provision of §11261 GC, for a continuance of the action in the name of the original party where transfer of interest is made after the commencement of the suit, nor can the fourth proposition of the syllabus as claimed by counsel for defendant be so construed.

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Bluebook (online)
97 N.E.2d 80, 88 Ohio App. 185, 58 Ohio Law. Abs. 523, 44 Ohio Op. 215, 1950 Ohio App. LEXIS 638, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/liebbrand-v-butler-ohioctapp-1950.