Rodenkirch v. Layton

189 Iowa 430
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedMarch 23, 1920
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 189 Iowa 430 (Rodenkirch v. Layton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rodenkirch v. Layton, 189 Iowa 430 (iowa 1920).

Opinion

Ladd, J.

l. appeal and certified restenographfc' of evidence. I. ' No certified transcript of the evidence was filed within the time allowed for appeal. But a duly certified shorthand report of the evidence was. Under the original Section 3652 of the Code of 1897, appellant was, therefore, not entitled to review de novo. But he contends that, under an amendment to that statute, said filing of shorthand report gives the right to such review. Appellees insist that the amendment has not changed the law, and that the timely filing of certified transcript is still essential. The amendment to the statute is:

“But this section shall be so construed as to include the evidence taken in shorthand, when the reporter’s notes of such evidence have been certified to by the judge and reporter within the time herein provided.”

Appellees argue that public records must be in the English language, and in such form as that the layman who is able to read English can read such record, and that it is a mere form to have a trial judge certify a shorthand report which he is unable to read. But does that prove the deduction that the legislature lacks the power to add to that requirement of the original statute which, demands [432]*432that the evidence must be taken down in Avriting a modification that a duly certified shorthand report shall be considered Avriting? Grant that it was impolitic or unwise to treat a shorthand report as written evidence, yet that does not affect the poAver to make such provision. The legislature had poAver to permit appellate revie\Ar, though the evidence were not taken doAvn in Avriting at all. On the laAV side, it has been held that the appellant may prepare his abstract from his OAvn private memorandum. The legislature had poAver to permit such to be the basis of review de novo. It had power to make the basis for such review whatever it pleased, provided this fell short of denying a trial de novo. It Avas under no compulsion to enact that the eAddence should be certified, and had poAver to say within AAdiat time it should be certified, and Avlien, if at all, it need be filed. It folloivs that it had poAver, after providing as a basis for review that the evidence must be taken doAvn in Avriting, to define AAdiat should constitute Avriting. If it could dispense Avitli all certifying, it could make a merely formal certificate a sufficient basis for reAdew. The only question is whether it has made a qualification that makes the certified stenographic report the-equivalent of a taking down in writing. If it did not intend to do that, the amendment Avas utterly idle; and Ave must not presume it was framed to accomplish nothing. We think it was intended to enact that the filing of such report might be the basis for appellate revieAV. And, granting that certifying of the shorthand notes by the judge is a mere, ceremony, there does come a time when he certifies the transcribed evidence, and at that time, his certification Avill not be a mere ceremony. The only real difference effected by the statute change is that the old-fashioned written evidence, the certified transcript, may be filed later than Avithin the period allowed for appeal. So that the mischief that might be done, if there Avere no basis but the stenographic report, is but an imaginary mischief. What it all comes to is that.it is a sufficient basis for appellate [433]*433review to file tlie shorthand report, duly certified, and within the six months, and that, the basis being laid, a longhand transcript is later to be furnished, if required to settle conflict in the abstracts.

While the question now before us was not, in strictness, decided by Richardson v. Fitzgerald, 132 Iowa 253, that which was said on the point now here in consideration lay in the pathway of the decision, and gives some support to our holding.

The cause was heard on depositions, and the recital in shorthand was merely of the offering of these in evidence, the objections thereto, and the reading of the same. The transcript, therefore, could be of little service in the preparation of the abstracts, but was duly certified and filed, when its omission was called to the attention of counsel for appellant. This was in time, though more than six months subsequent to filing of the decree.

2. Fraud : gross deception and inadequacy of px*ice. II. One of the plaintiffs, Mathias Rodenkirch, acquired certain lots with a double, two-story building and dwelling house thereon, in Castalia. Their value was estimated to be $12,800. He desired to exchange this property for a small farm, near a church and school of his own faith, and employed A. J. Schuler as agent, with the understanding that the latter should have a commission of 5 per cent, if a deal were effected. Schuler returned, shortly after this talk, and told Rodenkirch that he had met a man on the train, whom he did not know, who had 240 acres of land near Arlington, for which he could trade his property, and that he (Schuler) could exchange the 240 acres for 80 acres in Minnesota, at $75 to $78 per acre. No mention was made of the then owner I). D. Layton; for one of the Laytons had shown Rodenkirch an 80-acre tract south of Lime Springs, several months before, at $175 per acre, worth less than half that amount, and he had informed Schuler that he would have nothing further to do with them. It was arranged that they meet at Postville, the Monday morning following, which they did, and, accompanied by Long, the [434]*434three proceeded to the farm. Layton reached the farm earlier, and had offered Culver,- who was in possession as receiver under foreclosure proceedings, “$50 to help put the farm onto the man they were going to bring out,” and told Fox, son-in-law of White, who was foreclosing, that, “if he said a good word for the place, he would slip him $50.” Fox, with his wife and Mrs. White, was then in charge of the buildings during the haying season. On the arrival of the parties previously mentioned, Layton, who was about 29 years of. age, posed as a Scandinavian, and was introduced to Rodenkirch by Schuler as “Gullickson.” The latter told Rodenkirch, in broken English, that the farm was worth $150 per acre and could be sold for that, and Schuler intervened with the statement that he had an uncle, living a mile and a half distant on the other road, of whom he could inquire. “Gullickson” explained that the people there were in bad shape; that they formerly owned the farm; went to Dakota, where the young man wrecked his father financially; and that the latter was then in the hospital for the insane in that state; that they wanted to buy the farm back, but were not financially able, and he allowed them to live there (all of which was false, save that White had owned the land); that, when he bought the farm, he thought he would be exempted from the war, as he had a wife and child, but found out that he would not be exempted, and was selling on that account. On their return to Arlington, Schuler called Rodenkirch to one side, and advised him to inquire of the banker the price of land; and, on asking a person in the bank, he was informed that it was $150 per acre “around here.” While at the farm, Schuler inquired of Culver “what farms were selling for about- the country,” to which Culver responded, “$85 or $90 per acre.” Schuler also cautioned Culver not to let Rodenkirch know Layton’s name, and gave another by which to designate him. The parties then proceeded to Castalia, to examine the lots with buildings thereon, and, these being satisfactory to “Gullickson,” Schuler and Rodenkirch went

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189 Iowa 430, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rodenkirch-v-layton-iowa-1920.