Smith v. State Ex Rel. Barry

1921 OK 387, 203 P. 1040, 84 Okla. 283, 1921 Okla. LEXIS 442
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedNovember 22, 1921
Docket11711
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 1921 OK 387 (Smith v. State Ex Rel. Barry) 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
Smith v. State Ex Rel. Barry, 1921 OK 387, 203 P. 1040, 84 Okla. 283, 1921 Okla. LEXIS 442 (Okla. 1921).

Opinion

JOHNSON, J.

This is an action in the nature ct quo warranto brought in the name of J. W. Barry, county attorney of Woods county, against Otis H. Smith, Hugh Weir, and Otis Smith, pretended clerk, Hugh Weir, pretended member, and Guy Jefferies, pretended directory of consolidated school district No. 1, and against said consolidated district, praying dissolution of such consolidated school district, and that said officers be enjoined and restrained from acting as such officers.

The allegations of the plaintiff’s petition, in so far as the same are material, 'were as follows:

“Plaintiff alleges that said consolidated school district was never legally organized, and that school districts numbers seventeen, sixty-one, sixty-two, and eighty-seven were never legally disorganized, and that said last-named school districts still exist because of the fact that there never was any legal election had or called, or any special meeting of the voters of the said last-named school districts for the purpose of consolidating said districts, because petitions for said special .election, or meeting, to vote upon said consolidation were not signed by the legal voters of the said school districts sought to be consolidated, according to law, by one-half of the legal voters residing in each of the school districts of the territory proposed to be included in the said consolidated school district, and—
“Because notices of said special meeting or election were not posted in five public places in each of the said school districts proposed to be consolidated for two consecutive weeks prior to the said special meeting or election, and—
“Because notices of said special meeting or election were not mailed by the county superintendent of Woods county, Oklahoma, to each voter residing in the said school districts proposed to be consolidated.”

The defendants answered, in which answer they admitted the holding of the election and that they were elected officers of said district; but specifically denied that such proceedings were illegal, irregular, or void, but alleged the same were held according to law; and further alleged, in substance, that they were acting as officers of said consolidated district.

The cause was tried to the court, and at the conclusion of the trial the findings of the court that are material were as follows:

“That notices were not mailed to all of the resident voters of the district * * * and that if notices had been mailed to them and they had attended the meeting, it would have been likely to have changed the result of that election. And to my mind that is fatally defective, and there is another objection to the manner in which these notices were mailed, to my mind. Notices to husband and wife were contained in one envelope and mailed to the husband. * * * So, for both of these reasons, I think the notice was fatally defective and the meeting was illegal, and the finding will be generally in favor of the plaintiff, and judgment for the plaintiff.”

The -plaintiffs in error’s assignments of error are as follows:

“First. In overruling the motion of- the plaintiffs in error for a new trial and reexamination of the issues in said action.
“Second. Because the decision, finding, and judgment of the court herein are nor sustained by sufficient evidence.
“Third. Because the rulings, finding, decision and judgment of the court herein are contrary to law.
“Fourth. Because the • petition herein failed to state a cause of action in favor of the plaintiff (defendant in error) and against the defendants (plaintiffs in error) or either of them.
“Fifth. Because the said action is not brought against the real party in interest as defendant.
“Sixth. Because of errors of law occurring at the trial and duly at the time excepted to by plaintiffs in error.”

These assignments of error will be considered together.

The plaintiff’s petition alleged that the consolidated district was never legally organized because petitions for said special flection or meeting to vote upon said consolidation were never signed by the legal voters of the said districts sought to be consolidated, according to law, by one-half of the legal voters residing in each school district in the territory proposed to be included in said consolidated district. The trial court made no findings of fact upon that proposition.

The record discloses, from the petition presented to the county superintendent from district No. 17 and the exhibits attached thereto, that there were 40 legal voters in said district, and that the petition for the election for consolidation contained the names of 34 of such voters; for district No. *285 61 the petition and exhibits disclosed that there were 45 voters residing in said district and 24 signed the petition; in district No. 62 there were 45 voters and 34 signed the petition; in district No. 87 there were 43 voters and 29 signed the petition. These petitions were presented to the county superintendent beginning on June 19, 1919, and were all before her and filed at the time she made the order for the election on June 21st thereafter, to be held at the schoolhouse in district No. 87 on Monday, the 7th day of July, 1919; the notices to be posted in the districts were mailed out on June 21st and 22nd, 1919, and thereafter posted in their respective districts. The record discloses that the election for consolidation was held on July 7, 1919, and that 37 votes were cast for the consolidation and 25 against it, and that on the 8th day of July, 1919, the county superintendent made the following order:

“Now, on this 8th day of July, 1919, upon receipt of the report of the clerk of the special meeting held in district 87, on the 7th day of July, 1919, under provisions of article VII, chapter 150, of the Session Laws of 1917, which report of said clerk of said special meeting was filed in my office on July ■8th, 1919, on page 121 of the county superintendent’s record.
“I do hereby declare said districts named in the petition and upon which a vote was ■had, and as follows: Districts Nos. 17, 61, ■62, and S7, twps. 24 and 25, range 13, Woods county, Oklahoma, disorganized and do hereby declare said districts a consolidated district composed of the several districts above described voting to unite; ,md I do hereby declare said districts a consolidated district •consisting of the above-described districts and territory so voting to unite and so consolidated, shall be known as consolidated district No. 1, county of Woods, state of Okla.
“July 8, 1919.
“Amanda E. McDaniel,
“County Superintendent.
“Notices mailed June 21st, 1919, to Clerks of Dists., and individual members.”

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

CATHEY v. BD. OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR McCURTAIN COUNTY
2024 OK 50 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 2024)
Gammill v. Shackelford
1970 OK 42 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1970)
In Re Consolidation of School Districts Nos. 14 & 20
1937 OK 388 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1937)
School District No. 1 v. School District No. 45
37 P.2d 873 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1934)
Board of Com'rs v. Woodford Consolidated School Dist. No. 36
1933 OK 138 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1933)
King v. State Ex Rel. Gossett
1927 OK 240 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1927)
In Re East Bay Etc. Water Bonds of 1925
239 P. 38 (California Supreme Court, 1925)
East Bay Municipal Utility District v. Hadsell
196 Cal. 725 (California Supreme Court, 1925)
Kent v. School District No. 28, Stephens County
1925 OK 60 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1925)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1921 OK 387, 203 P. 1040, 84 Okla. 283, 1921 Okla. LEXIS 442, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-state-ex-rel-barry-okla-1921.