Rosen v. Midkiff

Montana Supreme Court

Rosen v. Midkiff

DecidedFebruary 28, 1974

Docket12550

StatusPublished

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

Bluebook

Rosen v. Midkiff, (Mo. 1974).

Pincite

Opinion

No. 12550

I N T E SUPREME C U T O THE STATE O MONTANA H OR F F

IRMA ANN ROSEN, formerly IRMA ANN CRUM; GRACE J . WEEKS, formerly GRACE J. CRUM; and MARY ELLEN KOCH, formerly MARY ELLEN CRUM,

P l a i n t i f f s and A p p e l l a n t s ,

JOHN L. MIDKIFF, SR., and J . L. MIDKIFF, a l s o known a s J O H N L. MIDKIFF , J R . ,

Defendants and Respondents.

Appeal from: D i s t r i c t Court of t h e S i x t e e n t h J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t , Honorable A l f r e d B. Coate, Judge p r e s i d i n g . '1

Counsel of Record :

For Appellants :

Kenneth R. Wilson argued, Miles C i t y , Montana

For Respondents :

William F . Meisburger argued, F o r s y t h , Montana

Submitted : January 18, 1974

Decided : Ej3 Z 8 '874 I"EB 2 8 :ypf Filed: . Mr. Chief J u s t i c e James T . H a r r i s o n d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion of t h e Court.

T h i s i s a n a p p e a l by p l a i n t i f f s , Irma Ann Rosen, Grace

J. Weeks and Mary E l l e n Koch, from a judgment r e n d e r e d by t h e

d i s t r i c t c o u r t of t h e s i x t e e n t h j u d i c i a l d i s t r i c t i n and f o r t h e

c o u n t y of Rosebud upon t h e g r a n t i n g of a motion f o r summary judg-

ment made by t h e d e f e n d a n t s , John L . M i d k i f f , S r . and John L.

M i d k i f f , Jr.

There a r e two d i s t r i c t c o u r t f i l e s which by s t i p u l a t i o n

a r e before t h i s Court. I n 1955 a q u i e t t i t l e a c t i o n , John L .

M i d k i f f , e t a l . v . Irma Ann Rosen, e t a l . , was f i l e d i n Rosebud

County a s C i v i l No. 6253. I n 1969 a n o t h e r a c t i o n was commenced

by t h e d e f e n d a n t s i n C i v i l No. 6253 t o v a c a t e t h e judgment e n t e r -

ed i n C i v i l No. 6253 i n f a v o r of p l a i n t i f f s , M i d k i f f , e t a l . The

1969 a c t i o n was f i l e d i n t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t a s C i v i l No. 7453.

H e r e i n a f t e r , Irma Ann Rosen, Grace J . Weeks and Mary E l l e n Koch,

t h e d e f e n d a n t s i n C i v i l No. 6253, t h e p l a i n t i f f s i n C i v i l No. 7453

and a p p e l l a n t s h e r e i n w i l l be r e f e r r e d t o a s Rosens, and John L.

M i d k i f f , S r . and John L. M i d k i f f , J r . , t h e p l a i n t i f f s i n C i v i l

No. 6253, t h e d e f e n d a n t s i n C i v i l No. 7453 and r e s p o n d e n t s h e r e i n

w i l l be r e f e r r e d t o a s M i d k i f f s . The d i s t r i c t c o u r t f i l e i n C i v i l No. 6253 shows t h e

following p e r t i n e n t f a c t s : The c o m p l a i n t i n t h i s c a u s e w a s

answered by t h e Rosens. For r e a s o n s unknown, t h e c a s e remained

dormant f o r s e v e r a l y e a r s . On September 2 0 , 1967, p e t i t i o n and

a f f i d a v i t s i n s u p p o r t t h e r e o f w e r e f i l e d by M i d k i f f s p u r s u a n t t o

s e c t i o n 84-4158, R.C.M. 1947. On t h a t same d a y , t h e d i s t r i c t

c o u r t i s s u e d a n o r d e r d i r e c t i n g Rosens t o show c a u s e why t h e y

s h o u l d n o t be d i r e c t e d t o d e p o s i t t h e sum of $2,712.94 t o t h e

u s e of M i d k i f f s , a s t a x p u r c h a s e r s i n t h e e v e n t M i d k i f f s ' c l a i m

t o t h e r e a l property should n o t succeed. T h i s o r d e r was m a i l e d

t o R. C . Harken, E s q . , a t t o r n e y f o r Rosens and t o t h e Rosebud

County T r e a s u r e r . One p u b l i c a t i o n of t h e o r d e r was made i n t h e

- 2 - F o r s y t h I n d e p e n d e n t a s i s shown by a f f i d a v i t .

On September 29, 1967, t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t q u i e t e d t i t l e

i n M i d k i f f s a s t o a l l d e f e n d a n t s , e x c e p t t h e Rosens. The h e a r i n g

on t h e o r d e r t o show c a u s e was h e l d on October 11, 1967. As to

t h i s h e a r i n g t h e m i n u t e e n t r y of t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t r e a d s :

"Hearing on Order t o Show Cause. A f f i d a v i t of P u b l i c a t i o n h a s been f i l e d h e r e i n showing due n o t i c e g i v e n . W i l l i a m F. Meisburger sworn and presented proof. Order r e q u i r i n g a d e p o s i t of $2,712.94 from t h e answering d e f e n d a n t s i s s i g n e d . D e p o s i t t o be made no l a t e r t h a n November 1 2 , 1967. L e t t h e r e c o r d show t h a t M r s . Roe, of Lewistown, I d a h o , one of t h e de- f e n d a n t s named i n t h e above e n t i t l e d c a u s e f o r m e r l y b e a r i n g t h e name of Rosen, a p p e a r e d i n c o u r t by h e r c o u n s e l , R. C . Harken and made no o b j e c t i o n t o t h e P e t i t i o n f o r t h e r e q u i r e - ment o f D e p o s i t , w i t h t h e u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h a t t h e d e f e n d a n t s would s t i l l have t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o a p p e a r i n s a i d c a u s e and answer and c o n t e s t t h e c l a i m of t h e p l a i n t i f f . Order i s s i g n e d . "

N d e p o s i t was made w i t h i n t h e t i m e r e q u i r e d . o By s u p p l e -

m e n t a l and f i n a l d e c r e e o f November 1 7 , 1967, t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t

e n t e r e d a judgment f o r M i d k i f f s and a g a i n s t Rosens q u i e t i n g t i t l e

t o t h e lands i n d i s p u t e i n t h e Midkiffs.

The d i s t r i c t c o u r t f i l e i n C i v i l No. 7453 r e v e a l s t h a t

on October 21, 1969, t h i s c a u s e w a s commenced by Rosens t o a t t a c k

t h e judgment e n t e r e d i n C i v i l No. 6253. I n A p r i l 1970, M i d k i f f s

f i l e d t h e i r answer and a motion f o r summary judgment. On J u n e 26,

1970, Rosens f i l e d a motion f o r l e a v e t o amend t h e c o m p l a i n t and

a n amended c o m p l a i n t was f i l e d on December 1 5 , 1972, which i n

substance alleged: t h a t t h e o r d e r t o show c a u s e i s s u e d on Septem-

b e r 2 0 , 1967, was m a i l e d t o R . C . Harken, a t t h a t t i m e a t t o r n e y

f o r t h e Rosens and t h a t p e r s o n a l s e r v i c e was n o t made o f t h i s o r d e r

. on Rosens n o r was t h e o r d e r p o s t e d a s r e q u i r e d by s e c t i o n 84-4158,

R.C.M. 1947; t h a t R. C . Harken, by l e t t e r o f October 7 , 1967,

forwarded a copy of t h e o r d e r t o e a c h of t h e a p p e l l a n t s b u t t h a t

o n l y o n e o f them Irma Ann Rosen, r e c e i v e d t h e l e t t e r p r i o r t o t h e h e a r i n g d a t e ; and t h a t by t h e d e c r e e of t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t de-

f a u l t judgment was e n t e r e d a g a i n s t Rosens w i t h o u t n o t i c e of

w r i t t e n a p p l i c a t i o n f o r judgment, a s p r o v i d e d by Rule 5 5 ( b ) ( 2 ) ,

M.R.Civ.P. and t h a t n e i t h e r R . C . Harken n o r t h e Rosens r e c e i v e d

n o t i c e of e n t r y of judgment a s r e q u i r e d by Rule 7 7 ( d ) , M.R.Civ.P.

On December 20, 1972, M i d k i f f s f i l e d t h e i r answer t o t h e

amended c o m p l a i n t and a c o u n t e r c l a i m . Midkiffs denied t h a t

p e r s o n a l s e r v i c e was n o t made and t h a t t h e r e was no p o s t i n g a s

r e q u i r e d by t h e s t a t u t e , and d e n i e d t h a t t h e o r d e r of October 11, 1967 was n o t s e r v e d . The o n l y new a l l e g a t i o n i n ~ i d k i f f s ' c o u n t e r -

c l a i m was t h a t t h e judgment a g a i n s t Rosens i n C i v i l No.

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