Schmidt v. Wright

88 Ind. 56
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1882
DocketNo. 9397
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 88 Ind. 56 (Schmidt v. Wright) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schmidt v. Wright, 88 Ind. 56 (Ind. 1882).

Opinion

Franklin, C.

— This was an application by appellants against appellees for an injunction against the opening of a certain public highway. Appellees answered by a general denial. There was a trial by the court, and, at the request of the-plaintiffs, the court stated the facts and its conclusions of law thereon. The plaintiffs excepted to the conclusions of law, and appealed to the general term of the court, assigning as errors that the court in special term erred in its conclusions of law on the special facts stated, and erred in dismissing the complaint herein. The court in general term affirmed the judgment in special term, and the plaintiffs appealed the case to this court, assigning as errors that the court in general term erred in affirming the judgment of the special term, and in affirming the judgment and findings of the court in special term.

The record and assignment of errors were filed in this court April 23d, 1881. The case was submitted by appellant May 25th, 1881. Appellants’ brief was filed June 3d, 1881. Appellees’ brief was filed January 27th, 1882.

On the 22d of March, 1883, appellees filed a special appearance, and moved to dismiss the appeal for the want of’any notice of the appeal having been served upon the appellees» This motion is based upon the fact that the appeal was taken at the time of the rendition of the judgment, and fifteen days,, at that time, were given in which to file an appeal bond; but the bond was not filed within the fifteen days. Appellees were, therefore, entitled to notice of the appeal. Although the bond was not filed within the fifteen days, yet, within that time, and during the same term of the court, the time within which to file a bond was extended ten days longer, and the bond was filed within that time.

We think that the time within which to file an appeal bond may be given at any time during the term of the trial, and during that term may be extended. See Pitzer v. Indianapolis, etc., R. W. Co., 80 Ind. 569. Whether this be so or not, appellees’ motion came too late to prevail. By unconditionally filing their brief on the 27th day of January, 1882, [58]*58they entered a general appearance and waived all objections ■on account of notice. , They can not subsequently, after more than a year had elapsed since the entering of a general appearance, be permitted to enter a special appearance, and object on account of want of notice of the appeal. The motion to- dismiss the appeal is overruled.

The special findings of the co.urt are as follows:

“On March 13th, 1875, one John Becker died seized of ■certain real estate, which is more particularly described in the complaint herein, situate in Wayne township, Mai’ion ■county, Indiana, leaving surviving him his widow, Margaret Becker, one of the plaintiffs herein, who was afterwards, to wit, .in March, 1877, married to the other defendant herein, Joseph Schmidt, and the following named children, viz.: Katharine, Elizabeth, Maggie, John, Jacob, Mary, Emma, Charles and Delia. Said John Becker died testate, and by his last will devised his real estate hereinbefore described to the plaintiff Margaret Schmidt, who has ever since remained the owner thereof.
“ On June 16th, 1876, David J. Bobinson and twelve others, twelve of whom were freeholders of said Marion' county, Indiana, and six of whom resided in the immediate neighborhood of the proposed highway hereinafter mentioned, presented to the board of commissioners of said county a petition for the location of a public highway therein described, a copy ■of which said petition is incorporated in the plaintiffs’ complaint herein, marked Exhibit A.’
“Notices of said petition, exactly like the copy which is inserted in the plaintiffs’ said complaint, marked ‘ Exhibit B,” were duly posted up in three (3) of the most public places in the neighborhood of such proposed highway for more than twenty (20) days before the meeting of the said board, which said petition was presented to said board, but the plaintiff Margaret Schmidt had no actual knowledge of said notice’s, nr of the pendency of the said petition, until after the order made by said board for the opening of said highway; nor were .notices posted or given other than as above mentioned.
[59]*59Proof of the posting of said notices was made to said board by the affidavit of one Alexander Jameson, who had posted the same, and who was then and there one of the said county commissioners and a member of the said board. Thereupon three persons were appointed by said board to view such proposed highway, who, after having been duly notified, as by statute provided, proceeded to view the said proposed high’way, and, deeming the same to be of public utility, laid out the same on the line proposed in said petition, and so reported to said board, at the next ensuing session thereof. No objection having been made to such proposed highway, said board caused a record thereof to be made, and ordered the same to be opened and kept in repair, a copy of which order was duly transmitted to the defendant Jesse "Wright, who was then, and until after the commencement of this action continued to be, the trustee duly elected and qualified of said "Wayne township; and who, at the time of the commencement of this action was about to cause said proposed highway to be opened and worked in the manner provided by statute. True copies of all the proceedings of said board and of the report of said viewers are set forth in the plaintiffs’ complaint herein.
“At the time of the presenting of the said petition there was not, nor has there at any time since been, any railroad known as the ' Indianapolis and Vandalia railroad,’ but there was and still is a railroad known as the 'Terre Haute and Indianapolis railroad,’ over the lands of which the line of said proposed highway runs.
“The defendant John W. Julian has no interest in this action other than this, viz., that at the time of the commencement of this action he was the supervisor of the road district through which the proposed highway runs, and was about to ■open the same pursuant to directions from the said Wright, trustee as aforesaid.
“The line of said proposed highway runs through Margaret Schmidt’s (the said plaintiff’s) premises, which have been fenced and cultivated for more than ten (10) years last past; and the [60]*60opening of said proposed highway through said premises will cause the said plaintiff irreparable damages.
Upon the foregoing facts the court finds the following conclusion of law: That the foregoing facts are not sufficient Reconstitute any cause of action in favor of the plaintiffs and against the defendants, or either of them.”

Under the exceptions to this conclusion of law appellants’ counsel have presented various objections to the sufficiency of the petition and the proceedings before the board of commissioners, but we do not think it necessary to discuss such questions as do not arise upon the facts found and stated by the court.

The court found as a fact that the notices were posted and proof thereof made by a member of the board of commissioners, and this fact is insisted upon as rendering the proceedings of the boardvoid.

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Bluebook (online)
88 Ind. 56, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schmidt-v-wright-ind-1882.