Miller v. Miller

91 N.E.2d 804, 56 Ohio Law. Abs. 280, 1949 Ohio App. LEXIS 811
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 4, 1949
DocketNo. 4312
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 91 N.E.2d 804 (Miller v. Miller) 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
Miller v. Miller, 91 N.E.2d 804, 56 Ohio Law. Abs. 280, 1949 Ohio App. LEXIS 811 (Ohio Ct. App. 1949).

Opinion

OPINION

By THE COURT.

This is an appeal on questions of law from the judgment of the Common Pleas Court of Franklin County, Ohio, overruling a motion filed during term to vacate and set aside a default judgment and to grant a new trial in an action for divorce.

On March 31, 1949, the plaintiff filed his action for divorce, alleging that the defendant had been guilty of gross neglect of duty. The defendant employed counsel, who conferred with counsel for the plaintiff in an effort to effect a settlement. After several conferences, negotiations were broken off on April 19, 1949. On May 18, 1949, the case was set for hearing as an uncontested case, at which time the plaintiff and two character witnesses appeared in court and gave their testimony. The court granted a divorce to the plaintiff and counsel for the plaintiff immediately presented an entry to the court which was approved and journalized on May 18, 1949.

The record shows that the defendant was in default for answer and that at the time the testimony was given before the court counsel for the plaintiff stated that he had conferred with counsel for the defendant sometime prior to the trial for the purpose of negotiating a settlement. No notice was given to the defendant or her counsel that the case had been assigned for trial, or that the plaintiff intended to present his evidence on a given date.

The record further shows that on the same day that the decree was filed counsel for the defendant learned of the fact that the case had been tried and the decree granted. The record further shows that on the next day, May 19, 1949, the defendant filed a motion “to vacate and to set aside the order and decree of this court entered herein on May 18, 1949 granting a divorce to the plaintiff, and to grant a new trial and to permit this defendant to file her answer herein in[282]*282stanter”. The answer, which shows a valid defense, was attached to and filed with the motion. The motion was based on five grounds: One, irregularity was practiced by the prevailing party in obtaining said decree; two, the final decree is not sustained by sufficient evidence; three, fraud was practiced by the plaintiff in obtaining his judgment or decree; four, fraud was practiced by the plaintiff and his witnesses in the presentation of evidence in that all of the evidence was not presented to the court, and material evidence was withheld; five, other reasons which will more fully appear upon the hearing. At the hearing counsel for the defendant substituted for the fifth ground of his motion the following: Failure of counsel for plaintiff to submit to counsel for defendant a copy of the decree filed herein in violation of Rule •8 of the Common Pleas Court. Counsel for the defendant then added the sixth ground, as follows: Failure to give to defendant, or her counsel, notice of the hearing herein had on May 18, 1949. The motion was heard on May 24, 1949, at which time plaintiff and the only two character witnesses who testified at the original hearing at the time the divorce decree was granted were examined and cross examined at length with reference to the testimony which they gave at the original hearing, for the reason that there was no record taken of the testimony at the original hearing. At the hearing on the motion the defendant and other witnesses testified relative to the relationship which existed between the plaintiff and the defendant and their conduct toward each other. Counsel for the plaintiff testified relative to the negotiations for settlement which had been conducted between counsel. The court at the end of the hearing overruled the motion. The entry overruling the motion was„ journalized on June 2, 1949. The notice of appeal was filed on June 3, 1949. The notice of appeal states that the order appealed from is the “judgment and decree rendered by the Common Pleas Court in the above entitled cause on the 18th day of May, 1949, and from an order overruling defendant-appellant’s motion to vacate and set aside said order and decree, for a new trial and to permit her to file - her tendered answer instanter”. The notice of appeal is sufficiently definite to show that the appeal is taken from not only the judgment and decree dated May 18, 1949, but also from the order overruling the motion to vacate and for a new trial, under date of June 2, 1949. In either case the notice of appeal was filed within time as required by the provisions of §12223-7 GC. Both orders were final orders from which an appeal may be taken. Sec. 12223-2 GC; McAtee v. The Western and Southern Life Insurance Co., [283]*28382 Oh Ap 131, 81 N. E. (2d) 225; Williams v. Martin, 82 Oh Ap 395, 81 N. E. (2d) 806; Caswell v. Lermann, 85 Oh Ap 200.

The defendant-appellant has assigned twelve separate grounds of error. Counsel has not discussed the errors assigned separately, but has been content to discuss them generally. The court does not believe a discussion of the separate grounds is required. In substance the errors assigned are: That the court erred in rendering judgment and in granting a decree to the plaintiff at the original hearing; that said-judgment and decree was not supported by sufficient evidence; that the testimony of the plaintiff was not corroborated; that the court erred in overruling the motion to vacate the judgment and decree and to grant a new trial; that the court, erred in excluding testimony offered by the defendant and admitting testimony offered by the plaintiff at the hearing on the motion; that the court erred in finding that there was. no irregularity on the part of the plaintiff or his counsel in obtaining the judgment or order dated May 18, 1949; that the judgment of the court below is contrary to the law.

After an examination of the record it is apparent that the-court and counsel at the hearing on the motion regarded the motion solely as a motion to vacate a judgment during term. The vacation of a judgment during term'lies within the sound discretion of the trial court. A reviewing court. will not reverse the judgment of the trial court in overruling a motion to vacate a judgment during term unless an. abuse of discretion has been shown. The trial court found that there was no fraud practiced by the plaintiff or his. witnesses in the presentation of the evidence at the original hearing, with which we agree. We find no error committed on the admission or exclusion of evidence. Furthermore, the-record does not support the contention of counsel for the defendant that a copy of the decree was required to be submitted to him for approval under Rule 8 of the Common Pleas Court, or that the defendant or her counsel were entitled to-notice of the hearing. The record shows that the defendant was in default for answer and her counsel had not entered an appearance in any manner whatsoever. In the light of the-factual situation which has developed in this case the court properly proceeded to hear the matter as an uncoritested case without notice either to the defendant or her counsel.

The defendant, on the hearing on the motion, failed to-show any legal reason for her failure to file an answer within rule or make defense at the hearing.

The motion filed by the defendant was essentially a motion for new trial which was seasonably filed. Since the amend[284]*284ment to §§11576 and 11578 GC, which became effective October 11, 1945, the sustaining of a motion for new trial necessarily requires the vacation of the previously entered judgment. Caswell v. Lermann, supra; McAtee v. The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, supra, and Williams v. Martin, supra. Both matters are embraced in the motion.

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Bluebook (online)
91 N.E.2d 804, 56 Ohio Law. Abs. 280, 1949 Ohio App. LEXIS 811, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/miller-v-miller-ohioctapp-1949.