People v. Gorman

158 P.2d 267, 69 Cal. App. 2d 54
California Court of Appeal·Decided April 30, 1945·No. Civ. No. 7053·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

PEEK, J.

This appeal is the outgrowth of a controversy between appellant June Knapp, her husband E. W. Knapp, and T. G. Watterson, regarding the ownership of certain real property situated in Mono County, which property the State of California, through its Department of Public Works, had condemned for highway purposes, and will be hereinafter referred to as the Mono County case. A second action is also involved and will be designated as the Inyo County case. The facts and circumstances surrounding the two eases are as follows:

The Inyo County case: Approximately two weeks after the state filed its complaint in eminent domain in Mono County, T. G. Watterson filed a complaint in Inyo County wherein he alleged a joint venture between himself and Mr. Knapp and prayed for an accounting and division of the assets thereof. The Knapps joined in a cross-complaint by which they sought, among other things, to quiet their title to the parcels of land involved in said action, which included the property in controversy in the Mono County case. At the conclusion of the hearing on the issues so raised the trial court found “ . . . that the defendant, June Knapp, has not now and never did have any right, title, interest, claim, demand or possession, in or to said lands and appurtenances, adverse to plaintiff and defendant, Wannell Knapp. ...” The judgment of the trial court dissolved the joint venture, partitioned the assets thereof, and quieted the title of both parties to the real property so partitioned. From said judgment the defendants appealed to the District Court of Appeal in and for the Fourth Appellate District, which court, on October 23, 1939, filed its opinion* affirming the judgment of the trial court. It appears from said opinion that said joint venture began approximately ten years prior to the filing of plaintiff’s complaint, and had as its principal object the purchase of land and the right to purchase land in Inyo and Mono Counties with the [56] expectation of selling said property at a profit to the Water Department of the City of Los Angeles. Both parties devoted some time and money to the enterprise. Fee title to two tracts was acquired. Certificates of purchase of a number of parcels of state lands were also obtained. Title, or the purchase right, was taken in plaintiff’s name to two parcels. The larger number were taken in the name of Wannell Knapp, and in almost every instance he, with June Knapp, his wife, immediately assigned or conveyed an undivided one-half interest' in the certificates and the lands to plaintiff. Throughout the entire period the joint adventure was in operation Mr. Knapp, through mesne conveyances, placed title in his wife to all certificates and the lands originally standing in his name. Mrs. Knapp joined with her husband in written assignments and deeds of interest in various parcels of lands to Watterson. These documents and her letters show that she knew of the joint adventure, of many of its properties and of plaintiff’s interest in them. The evidence does not suggest that she ever claimed to be more than the holder of the bare record title to- the various parcels, except to one which she was permitted’ to ■ keep. Under these circumstances she was merely a trustee holding the record titles to various parcels for the joint adventurers. The court concluded that she was not prejudiced by being divested of those bare record titles, and affirmed the judgment of the trial court.

The Mono County case: On August 19, 1935, the state filed its action in eminent domain, and among other things alleged that the real property in question was owned by defendants June Knapp as to an undivided one-half interest, and T. G. Watterson as to an undivided one-half interest. On September 3, 1936, June Knapp answered, admitting the one-half interest and denied on information and belief that Watterson was the owner of the other one-half interest. Her husband also answered but disclaimed any interest in the property. The defendant Watterson, by his answer filed on August 26, 1937, denied that June Knapp was the owner of an undivided oné-half interest, and affirmatively alleged that he was the sole owner thereof. He further alleged that the interests of all parties' were subject to the Inyo County action, and in support thereof attached to his answer a certified copy of the judgment roll in that proceeding. According to the briefs on file herein, on or about September 20, 1937, or approximately one week before the trial date, counsel for the parties [57] appeared in court and requested that the cause he dropped from the calendar awaiting the decision on the appeal of the Inyo County case which was then pending. The order made by the trial court pursuant to such request was the source of previous appellate proceedings in this court. (People v. Gorman, 65 Cal.App.2d 482 [150 P.2d 962].)

Judgment in condemnation was entered on June 18, 1940, in favor of Watterson, awarding to him the entire sum of money then on deposit with the clerk of the Superior Court of Mono County pursuant to a stipulation previously entered into between Watterson and the state calling for payment to be made in accordance with the final determination of title in the Inyo County case.

On August 20, 1940, appellant’s claim was heard, and at the conclusion thereof the trial court determined that she had no interest in the property and that the proceedings should be dismissed as to her. However, no judgment was entered, and on September 14, 1942, pursuant to an order vacating the previous proceedings in regard to her claim, a further hearing was had and additional evidence taken. The trial court thereafter entered judgment against appellant. Her appeal from that judgment is the case now before this court.

Appellant herein contends (1) that inasmuch as findings of fact and conclusions of law were not waived as stated in the judgment, and as no findings were in fact made, the judgment must be reversed, and (2) that the Inyo County case, upon which the trial court herein predicated its judgment, was not properly before the court; and if it was, it was not decisive of the question of title to the Mono County property in that the Superior Court of Inyo County did not and could not consider the merits of the condemnation case in Mono County; that the parties were not the same, and that res judicata as a defense must be affirmatively alleged.

It is true the record discloses no waiver of findings nor do findings as such appear therein. It is also true that at the time of the argument before this court on appellant’s motion to augment the record, this fact was admitted by counsel for the respondent. However, an examination of the judgment of the trial court does disclose the following:

"The Court finds that the District Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, in the action titled T. G. Watterson, Re[58] spondent vs. Wannell Knapp et al., Appellants (35 C.A.2d 283 [95 P.2d 154]), decided that June Knapp did not have any right, title or interest in and to the NW ]4 °f the NE ^4 of Section 16, T. 4 S., E. 27 E., M.D.B.&M., which decision is binding on this Court and decisive of the issues here involved. ...”

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People v. Gorman, 158 P.2d 267, 69 Cal. App. 2d 54 (Cal. Ct. App. 1945).

158 P.2d 267 (People v. Gorman) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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