Sousa v. Sinsheimer

144 P.2d 82, 62 Cal. App. 2d 107, 1943 Cal. App. LEXIS 740
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 27, 1943
DocketCiv. No. 14038
StatusPublished

This text of 144 P.2d 82 (Sousa v. Sinsheimer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sousa v. Sinsheimer, 144 P.2d 82, 62 Cal. App. 2d 107, 1943 Cal. App. LEXIS 740 (Cal. Ct. App. 1943).

Opinion

YORK, P. J.

This is an action in partition with respect to four parcels of real property situate in the county of San Luis Obispo, to wit:

1. A group of eight lots in the town of Horro;
2. A 1,204-acre tract, called the “Mountain Ranch”;
3. A 193-acre tract, known as “Lot 23”;
4. A 755-acre tract, referred to as the “Home Ranch.”

Defendant L. F. Sinsheimer had no interest in parcel 1, but owned an undivided 6/44th part of parcels 2, 3 and 4; and defendant Sinsheimer Bros, owned an undivided 4/44ths interest in parcels 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The trial court appointed three referees to sell parcel 1 and to partition the remaining three parcels in kind among the plaintiffs and defendants. Parcel 1 was sold for an aggregate sum of $2,880. The two defendants, L. F. Sinsheimer and Sinsheimer Bros., a corporation, stipulated that any property partitioned to them be set apart to them jointly as tenants in common in the proportion of 3/5ths to L. F. Sinsheimer and 2/5ths to the corporation.

After making its findings of fact, the trial court concluded that the proceeds of the sale of parcel 1 “should be paid by said referees to the clerk of this court to be held subject to the further order of this court.”

The interlocutory decree in partition sets out the respective interest of each party in the four parcels of land, and then decrees as follows:

“II. That there are no Valid liens or encumbrances against said property, except taxes” against parcels 2, 3 and 4, which, including penalties, amounted to the sum of $1,888.67.
“III. That the services of Messrs. Schauer, Ryon & McMahon, as counsel for plaintiffs, and of O. P. Kaetzel, Esq., as counsel for defendant Sinsheimer Bros., a corporation, and of Albert Nelson, Esq., as counsel for the defendant, L. F. Sinsheimer, together with the plaintiffs’ expense of title of the Security Title Insurance and Guarantee Company, costs of partition, compensation of the Referee . . . and costs of the suit of the respective parties are all for the mutual benefit of the owners of said property, and the compensation and costs thereof are by this court adjudged as a lien against said property and the proceeds of sale thereof; that pursuant to stipulation between counsel for plaintiffs and defendants, the court reserves the right to receive proof and make its order in reference to said compensation, costs and expense.. ..
[109]*109“VII. That said referees are hereby directed to sell said parcel One at public auction to the highest bidder for cash upon notice given in the manner required by law for the sale of real property on execution, and after making said sale said referees are hereby directed to report to the court . . . and that the proceeds of said sale are hereby directed to be paid by said referees to the clerk of this court to be held subject to the further order of this court.”

The final judgment of partition makes no order distributing the proceeds of the sale of said parcel 1, but it does (1) confirm the sale thereof for an aggregate sum of $2,880, and (2) partitions parcels 2, 3 and 4 by allotting to the plaintiffs Sousa parcel 2 (the Mountain Ranch), and requires them to pay certain owelties to the other cotenánts in order to equalize the partition; allots to defendants Sinsheimer parcel 3 (Lot 23) and 154 acres of parcel 4 (the Home Ranch), and awards to the other plaintiffs the balance of parcel 4, each allotment being made “subject to all liability for delinquent and/or current property taxes thereon and liens therefor,” without segregating or stating the specific amount of said taxes accruing against the various allotments. Said judgment also allows referees’ fees and expenses totaling $1,096.58, surveyor’s fees in the sum of $602.69; fixes the fees of plaintiffs’ counsel at $3,230 and the fees of defendants’ counsel jointly at $1,000; adjudges all of said fees and expenses a charge against the “real property described in the complaint and the proceeds thereof, and that the same be paid by the parties hereto receiving partition of said real property, in the proportion that the partitioned share of each bears to the whole thereof”; and finally awards costs in specified amounts to the parties to the action. (Emphasis added.)

Both defendants, L. F. Sinsheimer and Sinsheimer Bros., a corporation, appeal separately from said final judgment of partition, and by stipulation made for that purpose, said appeals are presented upon one clerk’s and one reporter’s transcript.

Among the contentions made by appellants, respondents concede that the following three points are well taken and consent to a modification of the judgment with respect thereto, to wit:

1. That the final judgment should provide for allotment [110]*110of appellants’ respective proportionate interests in the land allocated to them in accordance with their stipulation, i. e., 3/5ths to L. F. Sinsheimer and 2/5ths to Sinsheimer Bros., a corporation.
2. That counsel fees should not have been awarded to the respective attorneys but to the parties to the action for such fees as had been incurred by them, citing section 796 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and Chavez v. Scully, 62 Cal.App. 6 [216 P. 46].
3. That it was error to award attorneys’ fees to appellants’ counsel jointly, because appellants were represented by different attorneys and their liability for such fees was separate and should have been segregated.

In addition to the above points, the corporate appellant claims that when proceeds from the sale of real property in a partition are paid into court, the trial court must adjudge and determine the respective claims of the parties thereto (sec. 774, Code Civ. Proc.); and that since it was entitled to a portion of such proceeds, it “is injured if its portion thereof is confiscated by the judgment to pay expenses of litigation charged to L. F. Sinsheimer, who had no interest in the land sold.”

In the same vein, appellant L. F. Sinsheimer urges' that the court erred in making all of counsel fees and costs, and referees’ fees and expenses a charge upon his property, thereby burdening him with the fees and expenses incurred for the benefit of parcel 1 in which he had no interest, and that these fees and expenses should have been determined separately and apportioned among the various cotenants (sec. 768, Code Civ. Proc.), in proportion to their respective interests. (Sec. 796, Code Civ. Proc.)

Both appellants also claim, in effect, that the court erred 'in failing to ascertain and adjudge the amount of taxes due as against each separate allotment.

Section 774, Code of Civil Procedure, provides “When the proceeds of the sale of any share or parcel belonging to persons who are parties to the action, . . . are paid into courts, the action may be continued as between such parties, for the determination of their respective claims thereto, which must he ascertained and adjudged hy the court. Further testimony may be taken in court, or by a referee, at the discretion of the court, and the court may, if necessary, require such [111]*111parties to present the facts or law in controversy, by pleadings, as in an original action.” (Emphasis added.)

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Related

Chavez v. Scully
216 P. 46 (California Court of Appeal, 1923)
Capuccio v. Caire
277 P. 475 (California Supreme Court, 1929)

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Bluebook (online)
144 P.2d 82, 62 Cal. App. 2d 107, 1943 Cal. App. LEXIS 740, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sousa-v-sinsheimer-calctapp-1943.