Ray v. Ridpath

1930 OK 413, 291 P. 546, 145 Okla. 69, 1930 Okla. LEXIS 158
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedSeptember 16, 1930
Docket19721
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 1930 OK 413 (Ray v. Ridpath) 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
Ray v. Ridpath, 1930 OK 413, 291 P. 546, 145 Okla. 69, 1930 Okla. LEXIS 158 (Okla. 1930).

Opinion

EAGLETON, C.

T. H. Ray brought suit against M. T. Ridpath, sheriff of Lincoln county, and J. I. Case Plow Works Company, in the district court of Lincoln eoun- ' ty. to enjoin the enforcement of a judgment of the district court of Oklahoma county and the levy of an execution issued thereon; for the enforcement of a stipulation of settlement of the Oklahoma county lawsuit ; for the possession of certain collateral securities; and for damages. A demurrer to plaintiff’s evidence was sustained, and the cause was dismissed. Motion for new trial was overruled. Prom the judgment plaintiff brings this appeal.

The amended petition, as amended, sets forth: The Plow Works Company brought suit against Ray in the district court of Oklahoma county to recover on certain notes made by him to it, to adjudicate the ownership of certain purported collateral securities, and for possession thereof. Thereafter the suit for possession of the collateral securities was determined in favor of the company, and Ray filed his motion for new trial therein. In the suit for money judgment, Ray, before the action for possession of the collateral was determined, filed answer denying liability and cross-petitioned for money damages for the wrongful and malicious prosecution of the suit for possession of the collateral securities. After the judgment in the suit involving the possession of the collateral securities, to settle both these actions, a stipulation was entered into whereby the amount of indebtedness of Ray to the Plow Company was agreed upon. This included the amount due on his notes to the company including interest and attorney’s fees, the amount he had collected on the collateral securities, and failed to account for and pay to the company, and an adjustment of the expenses the company had incurred in endeavoring to collect on the collateral securities. It was agreed the collateral securities should remain the property of the company as security for the unpaid balance due from him to it, but should be kept in certain banks for convenience in collection, and that Ray as agent for the company should have the privilege of endeavoring to have the same renewed and to cause new securities taken therefor where possible. It was further stipulated that Ray should make certain definite cash payments in the liquidation of this obligation. The stipulation was captioned in the suit for money judgment and dated December 5, 1925. The cash payments were to be made $459.85 on December 12, 1925; $500 January 1, 1926; $500 January 20, 1926; and $500 on the 20th day of each month thereafter. It provided further that the suit for money judgment should be retained on the docket of the court “with the understanding that, if defendant (Ray) defaults in making any of the payments on the due date as herein provided, this plaintiff (the J. I. Case Plow Company) may file this stipulation with said court and obtain judgment for such deficiency as remains unpaid.”

The petition further alleged that the $459.-85 payment was made, and that on January 15, 1926, a further payment of $200 was accepted by the company; that, about February 1, 1926, a further agreement was entered into whereby Ray was to sell one of his stores and the company was to accept the obligation of the purchaser for the sum of $1,055.29 to satisfy to that extent his obligation under the stipulation; that, on February 20, 1926, the purchaser paid and the company accepted this sum of money and credited the same on two of the notes sued on in the action for money judgment, and returned these notes to the company paying them, and the canceled notes were thereafter delivered to him. These notes were attached as exhibits.

It alleged further that, on February 4, 1926, the company took the stipulation into the district court of Oklahoma county in the suit brought for money judgment, and caused judgment to he/ entered thereon; that this was done without his knowledge, in violation of his agreement with reference to the paymeht which the purchaser of his store was to make and did make; that by its conduct defendant company had misled him into believing that he would have the time allowed by the stipulation to make payment of his obligation, and that he had no thought that defendant company was going to declare all the money due. and take judgment against him by reason of his defaults ; that if defendant company had accepted the obligation of the company purchasing his store as payment, there was no default under the stipulation; that defendant company by its conduct was estopped from declaring a default, from taking the judgment, and from relying on the judgment taken; that by reason of the misleading conduct of defendant company, he was caused not to defend said suit; that fchq judgment was obtained by fraud; that it *71 was irregularly taken, was void and of no effect.

It further alleged that defendant company was threatening to enforce the judgment by the levy of an execution then in the hands of the defendant sheriff, and unless restrained and enjoined would so enforce it; that he had no adequate remedy at law and offered to do equity “upon adjudication of his claim for damage” in case any balance is found to be owing to defendant company.

In his second cause of action, he alleged that he had given to defendant company as collateral security for his obligations some $14,000 worth of notes secured by chattel and crop mortgages; that defendant company by its negligent handling of the collateral notes failed to make collection thereof, and that defendant company advised the makers thereof not to make payment to him for he “was attempting to obtain payment of said notes to himself and appropriate and embezzle the same,” which statements were false, and that he had been damaged by reason of the negligent and malicious acts of the defendant company in the sum of $10-000.

The defendants answered by general denial, and pleaded as an affirmative defense that plaintiff had sued in the action in the district court of Oklahoma county hy way of cross-petition, alleging the same cause of action he alleges in his second cause of action herein, and alleged that same had been finally adjudicated therein. They attached a copy of the pleading filed by Kay in the other action as an exhibit to their answer in this action. This answer was unverified.

Ray filed an unverified general denial as ■ a reply thereto.

Plaintiff first complains that he was entitled to judgment on his first cause of action on the pleadings. He reasons that the answer was not verified, so it was admitted by the pleadings that defendant company did not have the notes canceled in the judgment which it took on February 4. 1926; that it retained possession of the notes, continued to hold them as obligations of the plaintiff, and so the judgment is void. With this we cannot agree. It is true the unverified denial contained in defendants’ answer does not put in issue the qtiestion of the endorsement of payment which defendant company, by its attorney, placed on these two notes on February 20, 1926. Compiled Oklahoma Statutes, section 287; Berry v. Oklahoma State Bank, 60 Okla. 484, 151 Pac. 210; Spaulding v. Thompson, 60 Okla. 136, 159 Pac. 509; St. Louis & S. F. Ry. Co., v. Bruner, 52 Okla. 349, 152 Pac. 1103; First State Bank v. Lock, 113 Okla. 30, 237 Pac. 606. But what of it? There was no issue made in the case as to the'credits to which he was entitled. Defendant company did not deny that it had received this money. It is not necessary to introduce a note in evidence in the absence of an issue on it.

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Bluebook (online)
1930 OK 413, 291 P. 546, 145 Okla. 69, 1930 Okla. LEXIS 158, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ray-v-ridpath-okla-1930.