Light of Truth Spiritualist Church v. Davis

1947 OK 191, 181 P.2d 969, 198 Okla. 694, 1947 Okla. LEXIS 549
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 17, 1947
DocketNo. 32705
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1947 OK 191 (Light of Truth Spiritualist Church v. Davis) 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
Light of Truth Spiritualist Church v. Davis, 1947 OK 191, 181 P.2d 969, 198 Okla. 694, 1947 Okla. LEXIS 549 (Okla. 1947).

Opinion

CORN, J.

This is an appeal by defendant from a judgment rendered by the district court of Tulsa county in an action in ejectment and for possession of real property, and to quiet plaintiff’s title upon a county commissioners’ deed, based upon a resale tax deed.'

Presented herein is the second appeal of this case. We reversed and remanded the cause with directions on the former appeal, for the reason that the record disclosed that judgment was rendered for plaintiffs without the introduction of any evidence. See Light of Truth Spiritualist Church, etc., v. Davis et al., 192 Okla. 284, 135 P. 2d 35.

Plaintiffs filed their action June 7, 1939, claiming title and right to immediate possession of:

“West one-half (%) Lot ten (10) and Lot eleven (11) Block Five (5) Washington Addition to the. City of Tulsa, State of Oklahoma.”

Plaintiffs alleged legal and equitable ownership by virtue of a county deed, based upon a resale deed from the county treasurer, to Davis; that Oklahoma State Colored Spiritualist Association was an Oklahoma corporation, and defendant Light of Truth Spiritualist Church was a voluntary, unincorporated association.

Further, that defendants claimed some interest in the property, and that same had been cancelled by plaintiffs’ deed; that defendants had obtained a judgment against tenants in possession of the property (in an action wherein plaintiffs were not parties) and defénd-ant Crabaugh, a constable, was threatening to dispossess said tenants, and asked a temporary restraining order, which was granted. Crabaugh claimed no interest in the property, and it is unnecessary to further consider his part in these proceedings.

Praecipe for summons was issued as follows:

“Oklahoma State Colored Spirituálist Association, a corporation, Light of Truth Spiritualist Church of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a voluntary Association, and E. O. Crabaugh, Robinson. Building, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“For Light of Truth, see Mrs. A. Frazier, 1417 N. Madison PL, Tulsa, Oklahoma.”

The sheriff’s return of service of summons showed service upon defendants as follows:

“Received this Writ June 7, 1939, at _________ o’clock ________M., And served the same upon the following persons, defendants, within named, at the time following, to-wit:
“A. O. Crabaugh on June 7th, 1939.
■ “Light of Truth Spiritualist Church of Tulsa, Oklahoma by serving Mrs! A. Frazier, Church Trustee on June 9th 1939.”

A further return of service showed the Oklahoma State Colored Spiritualist Association was not found, ánd this defendant is not further concerned in this appeal.

Defendant appeared specially and moved to quash service of summons, because not issued. and served as required by law, which motion was overruled. Defendant then moved to require plaintiffs to make the petition more definite and certain, • which motion was overruled, and defendant then filed a demurrer to plaintiffs’ petition, which was overruled.

Defendant filed answer and cross-petition. Upon trial'of the cause plaintiffs had judgment, and that judgment was reversed and remanded on appeal to this court.as noted heretofore.

Upon remand to the trial court the matter was heard upon the same pleadings. Defendant’s motion to,quash was overruled and defendant then appeared specially,, objecting to. the introduction of any testimony. This motion was overruled, and plaintiffs introduced : their evidence (by introduction-of the resale deed and the commissioners’, deed) rat0 [696]*696which defendant demurred as insufficient to constitute a cause of action. The trial court overruled this demurrer and rendered judgment for plaintiffs.

Defendant has again appealed, presenting herein questions raised on the first appeal, but not considered in our former opinion. Defendant makes three contentions for reversal of this judgment: (1) error in overruling the motion to quash the summons and service thereon; (2) error in overruling defendant’s motion to make more definite and certain and in overruling the demurrer-to the petition; (3) overruling of the motion for new trial.

Defendant first contends that it was error to overrule the motion to quash service of the summons, and defendant’s objections .to jurisdiction, the ' service being insufficient to confer jurisdiction upon the trial court.

Our. statute, 12 O, S. 1941 § 182, provides for service of summons in such instances as follows:

. . Provided, further, that service' may be had upon any common law trust or any other unincorporated association or trust of individuals designating themselves as a trust or represented by an individual as trustee, by service upon any one of such individuals as may be designated as trustee for said trust, the same as in any other civil action.”

The petition alleged defendant to be a voluntary, ’ unincorporated association. The summons likewise designated defendant in this manner. On appeal, defendant admits its existence as such an association. Thus the question simply is whether the service had upon the defendant was sufficient to confer jurisdiction upon the trial court.

Supporting this argument defendant cites and relies upon United Brotherhood of Carpenters, etc., v. McMurtrey, 179 Okla. 575, 66 P. 2d 1051, wherein we held, under section 182, supra, that to obtain personal service upon such an association, service had to be upon some member of the association; and that service upon “A. B. Martin, business ágent of Local 329” was not such service, since nothing in the sheriff’s return, or in the record, justified a finding that the person named was a member of the named association.

Admittedly the defendant herein was a voluntary, unincorporated association, Was sued and served as such, and the service made was upon the party designated as church trustee. A similar situation was presented in Board of Trustees of the Full Gospel Temple v. Oklahoma City ex rel. Rauch, 196 Okla. 491, 166 P. 2d 91. In that case it was shown that title to the property in question was in the board of trustees of the Full Gospel Temple and that service- of summons was had upon the pastor, who was chairman of the board of trustees. Therein it was pointed out that .the' McMurtrey Case, supra, and similar cáses involving personal liability of members of unincorporated associations, were- inapplicable.

Defendant was sued by name, service being made upon one designated as a church trustee. On the face of the record such service was sufficient, trader the requirements of the statute, to confer jurisdiction, in the absence of a showing to the trial court that the party so designated and-served as a trustee was1,--ih.fact,- not a proper person to be served in súch- capacity.

The second proposition is based upon the alleged error in. overruling defendant’s motion to make more definite and certain,’ and in overruling defendant’s demurrer to the petition. Defendant insists the motion to make more definite and certain is important in that plaintiffs should have been required to deraign-their, title. The argument supporting the alleged errors may be considered in two parts.

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Bluebook (online)
1947 OK 191, 181 P.2d 969, 198 Okla. 694, 1947 Okla. LEXIS 549, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/light-of-truth-spiritualist-church-v-davis-okla-1947.