Taylor v. Leesnitzer

31 App. D.C. 92, 1908 U.S. App. LEXIS 5586
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedMarch 31, 1908
DocketNo. 1808
StatusPublished

This text of 31 App. D.C. 92 (Taylor v. Leesnitzer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Taylor v. Leesnitzer, 31 App. D.C. 92, 1908 U.S. App. LEXIS 5586 (D.C. Cir. 1908).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Robb

delivered the opinion of the Court.

This is an appeal from a decree passed upon a bill filed by appellee, Mary J. Leesnitzer, against Margaret E. Taylor [the appellant] .in her own right and as executrix of her deceased husband, Elizabeth E. Padgett, and Franklin C. Padgett, her husband, averring that the testator acquired the real estate described in the bill subsequently to the execution of his will, and that at his death said real estate vested in his heirs, said Mary J. Leesnitzer and said Elizabeth E. Padgett, his half sisters; that appellant had not renounced under the will within the time fixed by law, and that she had thereby become barred of dower right in said real estate; whereupon the bill prayed [94]*94that said real estate might be sold and the proceeds divided between said heirs.

Appellant interposed a demurrer to said bill, which being overruled and appellant electing to stand thereon, the court decreed said real estate to be sold and the proceeds divided between said heirs, without dower to appellant.

A motion has been made to dismiss the appeal because “Elizabeth E. Padgett, one of the defendants to the original bill, and having a substantial interest adverse to appellant in the maintenance of the decree appealed from in this cause, and who will be affected by its modification or reversal, has not been joined either as an appellee or appellant, or as a party hereto;” and “that there has been no summons and severance, or service of notification of appeal upon said Elizabeth E. Padgett.”

Mrs. Padgett and her sister have a joint interest in the subject-matter of the decree appealed from, but Mrs. Padgett was not made a party to the appeal. These facts bring this case within the rule. Godfrey v. Roessle, 5 App. D. C. 299; Slater v. Hamacher, 15 App. D. C. 294; Masterson v. Herndon (Mastersan v. Howard) 10 Wall. 416, 19 L. ed. 953; Cruit v. Owen, 21 App. D. C. 391.

We are constrained to dismiss the appeal with costs, and it is so ordered. Appeal dismissed.

On April 21, 1908, the appellant filed a motion to vacate the dismissal of her appeal, or for a modification of the decree of dismissal.

The motion was denied June 9, 1908, Mr. Chief Justice Shepard delivering the opinion of the Court:

The appellant has filed a motion to set aside the decree dismissing her appeal, and for a hearing on the merits, or else modifying the same so that she be permitted to correct her record by citing the omitted parties, or giving an additional bond.

This is not a case of a judgment or decree against two or [95]*95more defendants whose interests are inseparably involved, in which case to authorize an appeal by one alone there must be a summons and severance. The interests of complainant and the defendant Padgett were the same, and the latter was made a party defendant for the purpose of obtaining partition of the lands claimed by her and complainant as tenants in common. Her interests were antagonistic to those of the chief defendant, and identical with those of the complainant. She was a necessary party to the suit, and, so far as defendant Taylor was concerned in the subject-matter of the controversy, occupied the attitude of the complainant. In equity, parties one in interest may be arrayed as plaintiffs and defendants, nominally; but their true relations are taken into consideration throughout the entire proceeding. Having admitted the allegations of the bill and thereby arrayed herself in interest with the plaintiff and against- the other defendant, the decree gave her all that she could expect. She had nothing that she could appeal from, and it was not necessary that defendant Taylor should obtain a severance from her in order to prosecute an appeal. That appeal, to be effective, must be against her as well as against the complainant. The decree running in favor of both, and being inseparable, it is not perceived how it could be reversed as to the one and not as to the other, or how the question involved could be adjudicated in the case of one without seriously affecting the interests of the other. The reason, therefore, for requiring both to be made parties to one appeal, is even stronger than that which requires two defendants affected alike by a decree to join in an appeal, or else sever in case one be content to abide by the result. If the notice of appeal given in open court was intended to include Mrs. Padgett also, it was as effectual against her as against the complainant. But if intended to be included, the required supersedeas bond was as important to her as to complainant, and intended equally for the protection of her interests. This bond is not copied in the transcript, as the rules do not permit it under ordinary _ conditions. The simple recital is: “June 2, 1901 — Appeal bond filed.” An inspection [96]*96of the original bond in the office of the clerk of the court below shows that it was conditioned solely for the benefit of the complainant, Leesnitzer; the defendant Padgett is not mentioned in it.

It is contended that this court has no right to look beyond the transcript as filed, and that the presumption must be indulged that the bond is complete in all respects. Martin v. Hunter, 1 Wheat. 304, 361, 4 L. ed. 97, 111, is cited in support of this contention. Without pausing to consider the difference between the statute regulating writs of error from the Supreme Court of the United States, which was under consideration in that case, and the rule providing for appeals to this court, the proposition may be conceded as sound under ordinary conditions. But, under the conditions of this case, the presumption as regards the recitals of the bond operates rather against, than in favor of, the appellant. When the transcript in this case was filed, July 17, 1907, it was entitled, Margaret E. Taylor, etc. v. Mary J. Leesnitzer, and was so entered upon the docket. The usual appearence signed by counsel for appellee was executed under that title. The record was printed as filed, and in September a copy was delivered to counsel for Mrs. Leesnitzer, who also entered his appearance for her. A few days before the case was called for hearing, counsel for the appellant informed the clerk that the case had not been properly docketed, as Mrs. Leesnitzer was not the only appellee, and requested that the docket and cover of the records be corrected, making the title appear as follows: “Margaret E. Taylor, etc. v. Mary J. Leesnitzer, Elizabeth E. Padgett, and Franklin C. Padgett.” This was done and the cover of the printed record was changed and reprinted as requested. No application was made to the court for leave to do this. The caption of the transcript as it came from the court below remains unaltered. Another ' copy with the amended title on the cover was then delivered to counsel for Leesnitzer. The motion to dismiss was made within twenty days thereafter. The title given by the clerk below to the transcript was the correct one if the bond ran only in favor of Mrs. Leesnitzer, [97]*97and the presumption is that he followed the obligation of the bond. The ex parte amendment of the docket entry and the title on the cover of the printed record cannot have the effect to raise the counter presumption contended for. The appeal was therefore correctly dismissed.

The suggestion made on the argument of the case, that, in the event the motion be held to be well taken, the appellant may be allowed to file an additional supersedeas bond and have a citation to Mrs.

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

Related

Martin v. Hunter's Lessee
14 U.S. 304 (Supreme Court, 1816)
Masterson v. Herndon
77 U.S. 416 (Supreme Court, 1870)
Ex Parte Sawyer
88 U.S. 235 (Supreme Court, 1875)
Peugh v. Davis
110 U.S. 227 (Supreme Court, 1884)
Estis v. Trabue
128 U.S. 225 (Supreme Court, 1888)
Inland & Seaboard Coasting Co. v. Tolson
136 U.S. 572 (Supreme Court, 1890)
Mason v. United States
136 U.S. 581 (Supreme Court, 1890)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
31 App. D.C. 92, 1908 U.S. App. LEXIS 5586, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/taylor-v-leesnitzer-cadc-1908.