McKay v. Corwine

119 N.E. 471, 69 Ind. App. 208, 1918 Ind. App. LEXIS 130
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 1, 1918
DocketNo. 9,485
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 119 N.E. 471 (McKay v. Corwine) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McKay v. Corwine, 119 N.E. 471, 69 Ind. App. 208, 1918 Ind. App. LEXIS 130 (Ind. Ct. App. 1918).

Opinion

Caldwell, J.

Appellee brought this action, which is a companion case to McKay v. Corwine (1918), post 238, 118 N. E. 978, against appellant and others .to recover on certain promissory notes executed by appellant and Horace McKay, her husband, and to foreclose a mortgage on lot No. 208 in Cross’ Trustees Clifford Avenue Addition to Indianapolis, executed to secure the payment of the.notes. The lot at the time of the execution of the mortgage was held by appellant and her husband as tenants by the entire-ties. The husband died before tfie bringing of the suit.' A trial resulted in a finding and judgment against appellant for $746.30, the amount due on the notes, and in a decree foreclosing the mortgage as against all the defendants.

The substance of the pleadings in so far as necessary to a consideration of the questions presented is as follows: The complaint contains the usual averments, and, in addition, that by reason of default in the payment of one of the notes all were due by virtue of a provision of the mortgage to that effect, a copy of which is exhibited with the complaint. Hunt and Hunt, alleged to be subsequent purchasers of the real [212]*212estate, and the Capital Lumber Company, alleged to be asserting a lien thereon, were made parties defendant, and named as appellees here. The appeal has heretofore been dismissed as to all the appellees except Dessie M. Corwine.

Appellant answered in four paragraphs: The first a general denial; the second and third,, facts to the effect that appellant executed the notes and mortgage as surety for her husband; the fourth paragraph is an amplification of the second and third. Appellant filed also a cross-complaint against appellees repeating the averments of the fourth paragraph of answer, and praying the cancellation of the notes and mortgage, and all other proper relief. Appellee’s demurrer to th.e cross-complaint was sustained.

Appellee filed a reply in four paragraphs, the third being addressed to the second, third and fourth, paragraphs of answer. Appellant’s demurrer was sustained to the first and second paragraphs of reply, and also to the third as addressed to the third and fourth paragraphs of answer, and overruled as addressed to the second paragraph of answer. The fourth paragraph .of reply was a general denial. The substance of the third paragraph of reply was to the effect that Horace McKay died May 9, 1914, leaving no separate estate, real or personal; that he and appellant, his wife, owned real estate as tenants by the entireties of the value of $75,000, of which $10,000 in value was purchased after July 29,1909; that Horace purchased all of said real estate-with his own means, and caused it to be conveyed to himself and wife as tenants by the entireties for vthe purpose of defrauding his creditors, including appellee; that he did not retain any property wherewith appellee’s claim might have been paid at maturity; that appellant knew all [213]*213the facts, and that at the decease of Horace she succeeded to all of said real estate by right of survivor-ship. It is alleged that by virtue of the facts appellant was estopped from pleading suretyship.

It will be observed that the issues submitted for trial were suretyship, formed by the special answer and the general denial replied thereto, and estoppel, if the third paragraph of reply filed to the second paragraph of answer was sufficient to present such issue, a question not necessary to be determined, as-hereinafter appears.

1. It is urged that the court erred in sustaining the demurrer to appellant’s cross-complaint. It is conceded in appellant’s brief that the matter alleged in the cross-complaint was the same in substance as pleaded by the fourth paragraph of answer. The latter was pleaded in bar of appellee’s action, however, while by the former appellant sought affirmative relief. Since the facts pleaded by the cross-complaint were the same as pleaded by the answer, the sustaining of the demurrer of the former did not narrow the investigation. All the evidence that might properly have been heard under the cross-complaint was admissible likewise under the answer. Moreover, if the judgment here was properly rendered against appellant on the issues joined on the fourth paragraph of answer, it follows of necessity that the judgment rendered on the cross-complaint would likewise have been adverse to appellant, had-it remained as a pleading in the case. Under such circumstances it is held that the error, if any, is unavailing, because harmless. Hall v. Hedrick (1890), 125 Ind. 326, 25 N. E. 350; City of Covington v. Ferguson (1906), 167 Ind. 42, 78 N. E. 241; Horace F. Wood Transfer Co. v. Shelton (1913), 180 Ind. 273, [214]*214101 N. 3D. 718; Clause, etc., Co. v. Chicago, etc., Bank (1896), 145 Ind. 682, 44 N. E. 256.

Under some circumstances such, an error is held not to be harmless. Ross v. Banta (1895), 140 Ind. 120, 34 N. E. 865, 39 N. E. 732; Davis v. Brown (1903), 159 Ind. 644, 65 N. E. 908.

2. 1. It is our judgment that it was proper for appellant to proceed by cross-complaint for cancellation. She had a right to proceed affirmatively to determine her liability on the notes. However, without passing on certain technical points made respecting the sufficiency of the cross-complaint, we hold under authorities above cited, and for reasons above indicated, that the sustaining of the demurrer to the cross-complaint, if error, was not harmful to appellant, and therefore not available.

3. 4. As above indicated, we do not find it necessary to determine whether the court erred in overruling the demurrer filed to the third paragraph of reply, and in holding that paragraph good in its relation to the second paragraph of answer. It appears affirmatively that the court determined against appellee and in favor of appellant the issue sought to be presented by that paragraph of reply. The court’s finding, which was general rather than special, recites'that “the court further finds for defendant, McKay, on plaintiff’s affirmative reply ' herein.” It was proper for the court to in-elude in its finding, .although general, its disposition of that issue. See the following, applicable by analogy: Roush v. Roush (1899), 154 Ind. 562, 55 N. E. 1017; Shaw v. Barnhart (1861), 17 Ind. 183; 38 Cyc 1885. It follows that if there was any [215]*215error in the ruling on the demurrer to the reply it was cured by the finding.

We proceed to a consideration of the sufficiency of the evidence. This question involves the single inquiry whether in the transaction under investigation the court was justified in determining that appellant was a principal rather than surety. There was evidence to the following effect: Appellee resided in New York; for more than twenty-five years prior to August 24, 1909, Horace^ McKay, who resided in Indianapolis, was her agent. As such he loaned money for her on real estate security, made collections when due, reloaned the money, sent money to appellee, and received other money from her. In some manner not explained the agency resulted in her acquiring real estate in Indianapolis, it not appearing whether the legal title stood in her name or in Horace’s name. In 1909, apparently by reason of failing health, Horace decided to surrender the agency. There had been no full settlement between the parties for a number of years.

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Bluebook (online)
119 N.E. 471, 69 Ind. App. 208, 1918 Ind. App. LEXIS 130, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mckay-v-corwine-indctapp-1918.