Noon v. Beford

29 Mass. App. Dec. 98
CourtMassachusetts District Court, Appellate Division
DecidedAugust 28, 1964
DocketNo. 5902; No. 19407
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 29 Mass. App. Dec. 98 (Noon v. Beford) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts District Court, Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Noon v. Beford, 29 Mass. App. Dec. 98 (Mass. Ct. App. 1964).

Opinion

Parker, J.

This is an action brought by the executrix of one Leo J. Noon against the administrator of Elder J. Beford. The plaintiff’s testator, was the guest of the defendant’s intestate, riding in an automobile owned and operated by the defendant’s intestate. The accident occurred 15 May 1959 and is the same accident as is involved in the case of Novick, Admx. v. Beford, Appellate Division, Northern District #5901. The plaintiff’s testator and the defendant’s intestate were both killed in the accident.

The defendant’s answer is a general denial, contributory negligence and statute of limitations. The case was submitted on an “Agreed Statement of Facts.” The opening paragraph of this agreement states that the statement “is submitted as evidence herein, and constitutes a statement of all the evidence from which the court is to determine the facts forming the basis for its decision”.

From these “Agreed Statement of Facts” it appears that the defendant was duly appointed administrator of the estate of Elder J. Beford and his bond approved 18 April 1961. The plaintiff was appointed executrix of the estate of Leo J. Noon, 16 February 1960, and her bond approved 11 April 1960. [101]*101The date of the writ in this action is 6 November 1961 and service in hand was made on the defendant 10 November 1961.

The court found that the defendant’s intestate was negligent. The court ruled that the damages in the case depended upon the culpability of the defendant’s intestate and assessed damages in the amount of $8,000.00.

The defendant filed 20 requests for. rulings.

The defendant claims to be aggrieved:

(A) by the court’s denial of his requests numbered 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 18 and 20,

(B) by the refusal of the court to grant his requests numbered 8, 13, 13(a) and 14, and

(C) by the court’s finding with respect to liability and damages.

These requests, with the court’s action thereon, are as follows:

1. As a matter of law the plaintiff has failed to comply with the pertinent statutes of limitations regulating the time within which this action must be brought.

2. The evidence does not warrant a finding of negligence on the part of the defendant’s decedent.

10. On all the evidence, the plaintiff cannot recover.

11. As a matter of law the instant cause of action is not an action for death, the payment of the judgment in which is required to be secured by Chapter 90 of the Massachusetts General Laws.

[102]*10212. The provisions of Chapter z6o, Section to, of the Massachusetts General Laws, do not apply in this case.

xj. As a matter of law the evidence does not warrant a finding other than that the cause of the alleged accident is speculative and conjectural.

17. As a matter of law the evidence is speculative and conjectural with reference to the degree of culpability upon which damages in this action could be based.

18. The defendant’s decedent breached no legal duty owed by him to plaintiff’s testator.

20. The evidence does not warrant a finding for the plaintiff.

The court denied all these requests.

The defendant’s request #8 was a follows:

8. The evidence does not warrant a finding of compliance on the part of the plaintiff with the provisions of Chapter 229, Section 2 of the Massachusetts General Laws respecting the time within which this action must be commenced.

The court’s action on this request was:

“8. I rule that the plaintiff's action was commenced seasonably.''

The defendant’s requests #13 and #14 were as follows:

13. The burden of proof is on the plaintiff to show that the instant action was commenced within one year from date of the death.

14. As a matter of law the evidence does not warrant a finding other than that the instant [103]*103action was not commenced within one year from the date of death.

The court’s action on these requests was as follows:

“I rule that the action was commenced within two years after the giving of the bond.”

The defendant’s request #13(a) was as follows:

13(a). Even if the provisions of Chapter 260, Section 10 of the Massachusetts General Laws were applicable, the plaintiff has failed to comply with them.

The report does not state what the action of the court was on this request, other than to say that the defendant claims to be aggrieved by the refusal of the court to grant this request. Since the record does not disclose what the action of the court was thereon, we are unable to pass upon its action on this request.

This case is not a “case stated”. It is not an agreement upon all the material ultimate facts on which the rights of the parties are to be determined by law. It is a case tried on an agreement as to evidence. Duff v. Southbridge, 325 Mass. 224; King Features Syndicate, Inc. v. Cape Cod Broadcasting Co., Inc., 317 Mass. 652, 653; Pequod Realty Corp. v. Jeffries, 314 Mass. 713, 715; Fratti v. Jannini, 226 Mass. 430 (Leading case. Rugg, C. J.).

The issues raised by the defendant, the appellant, are three:

1. Was the plaintiff’s action barred by [104]*104applicable statutes of limitations?

2. Was the evidence sufficient to warrant a finding of negligence on the part of the defendant?

3. Were the damages awarded by the court based on speculation and conjecture?

The defendant’s requests ##1, 10, 11, 12, 20, 8, 13 and 14 raise the first issue. His requests ##2, 10, 15, 18 and 20 raise the second issue, while request #17 raises the third issue.

The First Issue'.

G. L. c. 260, §1-20 deals with the Limitation of Personal Actions in general; §4 deals with

"actions of tort.....for death the payment of judgments in which is required to be secured by Chapter ninety.....”,

and required as of 15 May 1959 that such actions

“shall be commenced only within one year next after the cause of action accrues”.

It is agreed by the parties that the plaintiff’s testator was a guest occupant in the motor vehicle owned and operated by the defendant’s intestate. The action accrued on 15 May 1959. Bartlett v. Hall, 288 Mass. 532; McLearn v. Hill, 276 Mass. 519, 522.

G. L. c. 90, §34A under the definition of “Motor Vehicle liability policy” expressly exempts from the provisions of a motor vehicle liability policy required under the compulsory Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance law, “a guest occupant of such motor [105]*105vehicle”. Accordingly, the plaintiff’s intestate is not .covered by the provisions of G. L. c. 260, §4.

The plaintiff’s action is covered by the provisions of G. L. c. 229, §2 as it existed 15 May 1959, the date of the accident, which provided that:

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Bluebook (online)
29 Mass. App. Dec. 98, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/noon-v-beford-massdistctapp-1964.