Micco v. Huser

1938 OK 655, 91 P.2d 1069, 185 Okla. 394, 1938 Okla. LEXIS 524
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 20, 1938
DocketNo. 28618.
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 1938 OK 655 (Micco v. Huser) 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
Micco v. Huser, 1938 OK 655, 91 P.2d 1069, 185 Okla. 394, 1938 Okla. LEXIS 524 (Okla. 1938).

Opinions

RILEY, J.

This is an original action seeking a writ of prohibition, commanding E. Huser, county judge of Okfuskee county, Tom Hazlewood, special county judge, R. L. Davis and J. H. Doggett, respondents, to desist and refrain from further jn'oceedings in. a case in the Okfuskee county court entitled “In the matter of the Guardianship* of Peter Micco, an Incompetent,” and to-terminate said guardianship proceedings.

The case presents a conflict in jurisdiction) between the county court of Tulsa county and the county court of Okfuskee county, as-to the appointment of a guardian for Peter Micco, an Indian incompetent. It appears, that on March 23, 1938, George Deer, as a friend of Peter Micco, filed his petition in the county court of Okfuskee county, asking-for the appointment of a guardian over the person and estate of said Peter Micco. The-petition was regular in form and was duly verified. The petition prayed for the appointment of R. L. Davis as such guardian. E.. Huser was and is the county judge of Ok-fuskee county, and on the same day the petition was filed, entered an order for hearing-thereon for March 31, 1938, and directing that notice thereof be given to Peter Micco, at least five days before said hearing. Notice-was issued and served upon Peter Micco in, person on the same day.

The hearing was continued from time to. *395 time until May 19, 1938. In the meantime, upon request of Sam Clammer, appearing as attorney for Peter Micco, E. Huser had certified his disqualification as county judge, and Tom I-Iazlewood was elected as special county judge.

In the meantime, on the 12th day of May, 1938, Hettie Blicco, wife of said Peter Micco, joined by Joe Brown, probate attorney, and as a friend of Peter Blicco, filed in the county •court of Tulsa county a petition for the appointment of a guardian for the said Peter Blicco, and on Blay 18, 1938, when said petition coming on for hearing in said court in Tulsa county, an order was made and entered appointing Hettie Blicco guardian of the person and estate of said Peter Blicco. She qualified as such guardian that day. On May 19, 1938, appearing specially, she filed a motion in the case in Okfuskee county to dismiss proceedings therein for appointment of a guardian, setting up the proceedings theretofore had in the county court of Tulsa county wherein Hettie Blicco had been appointed by the county court of Tulsa county.

At the same time Dennie H. Petty, probate attorney of district No. 2, which includes Okfuskee county, appeared and orally objected to further proceedings in Okfuskee county. The motion to dismiss and objections •of the probate attorney were denied and hearing was had resulting in an order appointing B. L, Davis and J. H. Doggett as .guardians of the person and estate of said Peter Blicco.

Petty, probate attorney, gave notice of appeal to the district court. Whether the appeal has been perfected does not appear.

Thereupon Hettie Micco, as guardian of rsaid Peter Blicco, filed herein the petition for writ of prohibition. Alternative writ was issued, and respondents have filed their response and a supplemental response. In the supplemental response, respondents request that Sam Clammer, J. A. Brown, United States Probate Attorney, and Jerome Eischer, .judge of the county court of Tulsa county, be made parties to this action, to the end that they may be prohibited from acting further in the matter of the guardianship in Tulsa county.

By the response it is made to appear that •on the 18th day of Blay, 1938, and before hearing in the Tulsa county case, George Deer asked and obtained leave to file “amicus ■curiae” application to dismiss the proceedings in Tulsa county for want of jurisdiction. Therein he set up substantially all the proceedings theretofore had in Okfuskee county ; it was also alleged:

«* * * That after the filing of the said petition and the issuance and service of said notice hereinabove mentioned, it is the opinion of your petitioner that Peter Micco was induced to attempt to change his residence temporarily by designing persons, in an attempt to defeat the jurisdiction of the county court of Okfuskee county, Okla., and that your petitioner verily believes that said sojourn in Tulsa county, Okla., is temporary and has been brought about in an attempt to defeat the jurisdiction of the county court of Okfuskee county, said Okfuskee county being the actual residence of the alleged incompetent and the county in which his property is located and situated. * * *
“Your petitioner further states that Ok-fuskee county, Okla., is the actual residence of the alleged incompetent, and that the county court of Okfuskee county, Okla., took jurisdiction of this subject matter on the 23rd day of March, 1938, and that said matter has been pending in said court of Ok-fuskee county, Okla., since said time, and that Tulsa county, Okla., is not the residence of said alleged incompetent, and that this court does not have jurisdiction of the person and estate of the said alleged incompetent, for the reason that the jurisdiction of the county court of Okfuskee county. Okla., had attached before the filing of the petition herein and for the further reason that Tulsa county, Okla., is not the actual residence of the alleged incompetent.”

Thus purporting to act “as friend of the court” rather than in his own behalf, he raised the question of the county of the actual residence of said Peter Micco at the time of said hearing, contending that his residence was in Okfuskee county at that time.

It is conceded, of course, that guardians appointed in both counties cannot administer the estate at the same time.

It appears to be conceded that Peter Blicco was an actual resident of Okfuskee county at the time petition was filed and the notice served in that county, and that he moved to Tulsa county on or about the 4th day of April, 1938. It is not conceded, however, that he has been an actual resident in good faith' of that county. But the county court of Tulsa county necessarily found that he was a resident of Tulsa county. Although appeal was perfected to the district court of Tulsa county, we must treat said finding and judgment as final and binding until the same has been reversed or modified on appeal.

Petitioner contends that the rule in such matters is that where the county court of one county has found as a fact and then judicially determined the jurisdictional facts necessary to proceedings in the appointment of a guardian, and has by order appointed a guardian, the jurisdiction there acquired is exclusive, and that such order is a bar to *396 guardianship proceedings in any other county of this state.

It was so held in Powers v. Brown, 122 Okla. 40, 252 P. 27. But in that case the proceedings were first commenced in Latimer county, and the first order appointing was made in that county, and its order was upheld as against a subsequent order appointing a guardian in another county on proceedings begun after the commencement of proceedings in Latimer county. The decision, however, is not based alone upon priority of commencement of proceedings. In the opinion it is said:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Taylor v. Appling
1977 OK CIV APP 30 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1977)
In Re Wilkins' Estate
1943 OK 234 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1947)
In re Micco's Estate
59 F. Supp. 434 (E.D. Oklahoma, 1945)
Gutensohn v. McGuirt
1944 OK 161 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1944)
Merrell v. United States
140 F.2d 602 (Tenth Circuit, 1944)
Brooks v. Dillard
1942 OK 153 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1942)
Of School District No. 112 v. Linn
1941 OK 416 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1941)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1938 OK 655, 91 P.2d 1069, 185 Okla. 394, 1938 Okla. LEXIS 524, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/micco-v-huser-okla-1938.