Sayler v. Sellers

2 Ohio App. 439, 26 Ohio C.C. Dec. 225, 19 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 206, 1914 Ohio App. LEXIS 204
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 14, 1914
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 2 Ohio App. 439 (Sayler v. Sellers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sayler v. Sellers, 2 Ohio App. 439, 26 Ohio C.C. Dec. 225, 19 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 206, 1914 Ohio App. LEXIS 204 (Ohio Ct. App. 1914).

Opinions

The amended petition filed by the plaintiff, Lucy E. Sellers, in the court below concluded with an alternative prayer for one of three different orders or judgments — first, for an order compelling the defendant executor to deliver to her one hundred and fifty shares of the capital stock of The First National Bank of Cincinnati; second, “if this relief can not by law be granted that she recover of defendant the sum of $37,500, the value of said shares;” third, if such relief can not be granted that she recover from defendant the sum of $28,921, being the value of her services less the amount received by her with interest from August, 11, 1909. There were allegations in the amended petition upon which this alternative prayer was predicated.

[440]*440Answers were filed by each of the defendants, setting forth substantially the same defense to the amended petition of the plaintiff. The answers are long, containing eight separate defenses, which we will not take space to set out verbatim. The contents of the answers will sufficiently appear from the discussion which follows.

The prayer for delivery of the bank stock or judgment for the value thereof was based upon a written instrument signed by Mr. Van Wormer on the 16th day of September, 1907, of which the following is a copy:

“Sept. 16, 1907.
“In addition to the seven thousand dollars invested in 3% per cent. Cin’ti viaduct bonds, one hundred dollars invested in a United States Government bond and sixty shares of Cin’ti Street Railway stock, I Asa Van Wormer, give and bequeath to Lucy E. Sellers for taking care of me and my home, at my death, one hundred and fifty shares of First National Bank stock. If Lucy E. Sellers should die before I do, then at my death the one hundred and fifty shares of First National Bank stock goes (.o her daughter Stella Sellers.
“(Signed) Asa Van Wormer.”

This was not witnessed, and although testamentary in form no claim is made that it should be treated as a codicil to testator’s will. It is claimed, however, in the amended petition that, at the time of its execution, Mr. Van Wormer agreed to make a codicil to his will incorporating its provisions and bequeathing to Mrs. Sellers the bank stock therein mentioned. It is upon this alleged promise that [441]*441the prayer for the delivery of the stock is based, the claim being that the executor, since the death of Mr. Van Wormer, has held said stock in trust for Mrs. Sellers.

The testator, Asa Van Wormer, died on the 11th day of August, 1909. John R. Sayler, named as executor in the will, was appointed September 18, 1909. On September 22, 1910, Mrs. Sellers presented to said executor a claim for $28,921 for labor performed and services rendered to Asa Van Wormer from April 13, 1897, until August 11, 1909. This claim was disallowed October 20, 1910, and on November 30, 1910, the original petition of Lucy E. Sellers, plaintiff below, was filed against said Sayler, executor, in which she sought to recover said sum of $28,921, with interest from August 11, 1909.

The defendant below admitted in his amended answer the'presentation and rejection of this claim. In his sixth defense he admits that plaintiff, Lucy E. Sellers, exhibited to him a paper purporting to be the original of said instrument of date September 16, 1907, set out above, and says that:

“Thereupon this defendant orally disputed and rejected the same, and said to the plaintiff that the instrument was of no validity, and refused to indorse thereon his allowance of it as a valid claim against the estate.”

Further answering, he claims:

“That the said plaintiff failed to bring an action against this defendant on a cause of action growing out of a failure and neglect on the part of Asa Van Wormer to perform any agreement under or [442]*442evidenced by said instrument with respect to one hundred and fifty shares of The First National Bank stock within six months thereafter.
“That no other exhibition of said instrument or of a claim under said instrument was made to this defendant.
“Wherefore this defendant says that any claim growing out of or evidenced by said instrument is barred.”

In the seventh defense the executor denies that said Asa Van Wormer agreed to make a will giving plaintiff at his death one hundred and fifty shares of stock of The First National Bank of Cincinnati, or that he agreed with the plaintiff that he would have a codicil to his will executed in due form, etc.'

In the eighth defense the executor says that he was appointed on the 18th day of September, 1909; that he caused notice of his appointment to be published in a newspaper of general circulation, commencing on the 19th day of September, 1909, as required by statute; that the said plaintiff failed to bring action against said defendant within two years, on a cause of action growing out of a failure and neglect on the part of Asa Van Wormer to perform an agreement, as set out in the petition.

We think these defenses as to the agreement to make a will or codicil giving Mrs. Sellers the bank stock are a bar to her recovery upon that claim, as it is conceded that the amended petition in which said claim was first sued upon was not filed until more than two years after the appointment of the executor and more than six months after the rejec[443]*443tion of said claim by him; the court below was therefore not warranted in basing its judgment in favor of the plaintiff upon this alleged agreement.

The case was submitted below upon all the issues joined, without the intervention of a jury. We say this mindful of the fact that it is contended by counsel for plaintiff in error that the case was tried below only upon the new matters set up in the amended petition, viz., upon the claim for the bank stock or its equivalent.

The record, however, discloses that evidence was offered in the trial below as to the terms of the contract of employment, and not only described the services rendered thereunder by Mrs. Sellers for twelve years as the nurse and housekeeper for Mr. and Mrs. Van Wormer, but detailed with particularity the arduous and exacting labor and constant attention that were required of Mrs. Sellers. We can see no reason why it should have been considered necessary by plaintiff to offer this testimony nor by the court to spend the time in receiving it, unless it was to be applied to a determination of the claim for services upon quantum meruit as originally presented to the executor and as alone sued upon in the original petition and incorporated in the amended petition in the action in the court below. The court in the judgment entry found as follows:

“This cause having heretofore been heard upon the pleadings and evidence and submitted to the court, the court upon consideration thereof finds the issues joined in favor of the plaintiff and that the facts stated in her amended petition are true.”

[444]*444This language is not ambiguous, and embraces with certainty a finding for plaintiff on her claim for quantum meruit as well as upon other issues.

There is no rule which authorizes a reviewing court to reverse a judgment simply because the court which rendered it erred in a matter of law or logic. Section 11364, General Code, provides:

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Bluebook (online)
2 Ohio App. 439, 26 Ohio C.C. Dec. 225, 19 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 206, 1914 Ohio App. LEXIS 204, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sayler-v-sellers-ohioctapp-1914.