Prichard v. Bickley

175 S.W.2d 614
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 1, 1943
DocketNo. 2406.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 175 S.W.2d 614 (Prichard v. Bickley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Prichard v. Bickley, 175 S.W.2d 614 (Tex. Ct. App. 1943).

Opinion

GRISSOM, Justice.

Adelle Bickley sued Roy E. Prichard, administrator of the estate of C. A. Bick-ley, deceased, on a note alleged to have been executed by C. A. Bickley to Mrs. Bickley (then and now a widow), on August 31, 1940. Judgment was rendered for plaintiff for $17,869.15, and the claim established and ordered paid in due course of administration. Defendant has appealed.

Defendant’s points 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 assert that the court erred in permitting John F. Bickley, Jr., an heir of C. A. Bick-ley, deceased, and son of plaintiff, to testify in substance that he saw C. A. Bick-ley write, sign and deliver the note sued on to plaintiff. As illustrative of said points and others, the first point is hereinafter copied as a typical example of the points presented in order that it may not be necessary to quote, or state the substance, of many of the points presented. Point 1 is as follows: “The error of the trial Court in permitting the witness John F. Bickley to testify, over the objections of the defendant, ‘That I saw C. A. Bick-ley fill out and sign the note herein sued upon and I am familiar with G A. Bick-ley’s signature and I saw him write the note out and sign it to my mother for the amount of $14,834 and some cents.’ (All as more fully shown on Pages 11, 12 and 13 S.F.)”

The substance of the objections urged to such testimony was that witness was an heir of C. A. Bickley, deceased, and disqualified to testify as to any transaction with or statement by deceased. Defendant says in his1 brief that said witness’ was disqualified because he was interested in plaintiff’s recovery as to her prospective heir and was not an “opposite party” to plaintiff. Defendant further says that the witness, though not named ass a party to the suit, is interested as a defendant “for the reason that the administr itor is representing his interest,” and tha', he is also “arrayed identically and allied with the plaintiff.” The latter contention seems to be based upon the fact that witness is a prospective heir of plaintiff. We agree with the contention that said witness should be considered as a defendant with reference to the question whether he could be called by the plaintiff as an “opposite party” tot testify relative to transactions with deceased. We do not think the witness is shown to be “arrayed identically and allied with the plaintiff” by reason of the fact that he is a prospective heir of his mother.

Art. 3716, insofar as it is here applicable, provides that in actions against administrators, in which judgment may be rendered for or against them as such, neither party shall be allowed to testify against the others as to any transaction with or statement by deceased, unless called to testify thereto by the “opposite party.” This is certainly an action against an administrator wherein a judgment may be rendered for or against* him as such. The testimony of John F. Bickley, Jr., that he saw deceased fill in, sign and deliver the •-note to plaintiff, and as to what deceased said at the time was relative to statements by and transactions with deceased. Such testimony was not admissible, unless the witness was called to testify by the “opposite party.” Although the witness was not named as a party to the suit, he was a party defendant thereto, so far as Art. 3716 is concerned, by virtue of the representation of the heirs of C. A. Bickley, including said witness, by the administrator. He wasl bound by the judgment against the administrator. As an heir of deceased, the amount of his inheritance was de *616 creased by plaintiff’s recovery. Perhaps, despite this financial loss,/his feelings were with his mother. It is possible that eventually such a loss may be recouped by witness inheriting more from his mother. However, if the record discloses such a situation it has not been called 'to our attention. These possibilities do not prevent said witness from being an opposite party to plaintiff, and, therefore, such a party as plaintiff may call to testify relative to transactions with deceased.

In Dodson v. Watson, Tex.Civ.App., 225 S.W. 586, 587, Rebecca Rawlins, an heir of the deceased, offered to testify as. to a transaction with the deceased, without being called to testify by the opposite party. The court said: “And the fact that Rebecca Rawlins was not nominally a party to the suit made no difference, since she Was essentially a party through the plaintiff, Adam Parker, who was suing as administrator of the estate of Pallie Watson,’ and therefore as representative of- all the heirs and creditors. Clark v. Briley [Tex.Civ.App.] 193 S.W. 419; Leahy v. Timon, 110 Tex. 73, 215 S.W. 951; Perdue v. Perdue, 110 Tex. 209, 217. S.W. 694, 220 S.W. 322; Ross v. Kell [Tex.Civ.App.] 159 S.W. 119.”

In Williams v. Kincannon, Tex.Civ.App., 265 S.W. 925, 928, the court said: “One not a party to the suit is still disqualified as a witness under the above statute, unless called by the adverse party, when he is a constructive party thereto by representation, is interested in the subject-matter of the suit, and bound by whatever judgment may be rendered therein.”

With reference to our conclusion that said witness is an “opposite party” to plaintiff and not shown to be allied with plaintiff, we call attention to Sanders v. Kirbie, 94 Tex. 564, 566, 63 S.W. 626, 627. There William and S. G. Kirbie, in a suit by an heir against an executor and devisees to set aside a will, refused to join as plaintiffs and, consequently, were made defendants. Though they answered by a general denial, they testified that they desired that the will should be set aside, as sought by the plaintiff. Notwithstanding shch desires and the feeling that the plaintiff should prevail, they were permitted to be called by plaintiff as opposite parties to testify as to transactions with the deceased. The court said: “Whatever may have been their feelings, their relation to this issue was that of parties opposed.to appellant.”

In Lehman v. Howard, Tex.Civ.App., 133 S.W.2d 800, 801, Justice Alexander said: “We recognize that the above statute applies to all who would be bound by the judgment even though they may not be actual parties thereto.”

In Davidson v. Gray, Tex.Civ.App., 97 S.W.2d 488, 491, this court said: “The true test seems to be whether, though not named expressly as a party, the judgment will be res adjudicata of any claim the witness may have in the subject-matter of the suit or action.”

The language of Judge Speer in Mitchell v. Deane, Tex.Com.App., 10. S.W.2d 717, 718, answers directly defendant’s contention that the witness was not an opposite party, but allied to plaintiff, because witness was plaintiff’s only child and, therefore, a prospective heir: “Interest in the suit does not disqualify. In the case of community property, the wife has a vested right, and under the statute the- husband is made her agent for purposes of control, including ■ suit, where necessary, and she is therefore a party by actual representation. This is not true with respect to the husband’s suits concerning his separate property. The wife has no vested right in the husband’s separate property; her rights are at best potential and contingent upon there being realized a profit by way of rents, revenues, or increase.

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175 S.W.2d 614, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/prichard-v-bickley-texapp-1943.