Tullis v. Pratt

42 P.2d 222, 86 Utah 244, 1935 Utah LEXIS 109
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 12, 1935
DocketNo. 5644.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 42 P.2d 222 (Tullis v. Pratt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tullis v. Pratt, 42 P.2d 222, 86 Utah 244, 1935 Utah LEXIS 109 (Utah 1935).

Opinion

ELIAS HANSEN, Chief Justice.

Plaintiff filed in this court a verified petition praying for a writ of prohibition. She seeks to prohibit the district court of the Second judicial district of the state of Utah and the Hon. Eugene E. Pratt, one of the judges thereof, and A. M. Hammon, sheriff of Weber county, Utah, from enforcing a judgment against her in favor of Charlotte B. Jacobs for the restitution of a tract of land located in Weber county, Utah. Upon filing the petition, an alternative writ of prohibition issued directing the defendants to desist until the further order of this court from further proceeding in the cause of Charlotte B. Jacobs v. Ellen M. Tullis, and to show cause why they should not be permanently prohibited from enforcing the judgment in such cause. Within the time fixed in *246 the alternative writ of prohibition so issued, defendants appeared and answered.

It is made to appear from the pleadings so filed that on March 14, 1927, Murray K. Jacobs, predecessor in interest of Charlotte B. Jacobs, entered into a written agreement with the petitioner whereby Murray K. Jacobs agreed to sell and plaintiff agreed to buy, for the sum of $1,740, a tract of land situated in Weber county, Utah; that upon the execution of such agreement petitioner went into possession of the land therein described; that petitioner paid a substantial amount (there is a dispute as to the exact amount) upon the purchase price of the property which she agreed to buy; that petitioner has made some permanent improvements thereon; that on August 1, 1984, Charlotte B. Jacobs, as successor in interest of Murray K. Jacobs, caused a notice to be served upon petitioner reciting that the real estate contract between her and Murray K. Jacobs was terminated by reason of default in payments of the money owing thereon; that such notice demanded that plaintiff, her husband, and her son Victor, vacate, within five days, the premises described in the real estate contract and in the notice; that at the time such notice was so served the plaintiff was in arrears in the sum of $600 in the payment of the interest on her real estate contract with Murray K. Jacobs, and was also in arrears in the payment of the taxes levied against the premises; that on August 14, 1934, plaintiff filed a petition in the United States District Court for the District of Utah, praying for relief under section 75 of the Act of Congress of March 3, 1933, entitled, “Provisions for the Relief of Debtors” (chap. 8, Bankruptcy Act, 11 USCA § 203). In that petition she prayed for a composition or extension of time to pay her debts pursuant to said act; that on August 18, 1934, Charlotte B. Jacobs filed an action in the district court of the second judicial district of the state of Utah, in and for the county of Weber, for the recovery of possession of the real estate described in the contract between plaintiff and Murray K. Jacobs; that petitioner filed in said cause a *247 motion to abate the action so instituted by Charlotte B. Jacobs, which motion was denied; that thereafter plaintiff filed an answer to the complaint of Charlotte B. Jacobs in which answer plaintiff alleged that prior to the commencement of the action by Mrs. Jacobs in the district court of Weber county the plaintiff had filed a petition in the United States District Court of Utah for relief under section 75 of the Bankruptcy Act; that after such answer was filed a trial was had and on November 20, 1934, a minute order was entered granting Mrs. Jacobs judgment for the restitution of the premises in question; that on December 8, 1934, upon petition of Charlotte B. Jacobs, she was, by an order of the Hon. Tillman D. Johnson, judge of the United States District Court for the District of Utah, granted leave to prosecute the action pending in the state district court of Weber county for the purpose of determining the respective rights of the parties to the real property in controversy; that thereafter findings of fact, conclusions of law, and judgment were made and entered in the cause pending in the state district court of Weber county; that the judgment so made and entered granted to Mrs. Jacobs the right to the property in question; that thereafter a writ of restitution was issued directing the sheriff of Weber county to place Charlotte B. Jacobs in possession of the property in dispute. There are other allegations in the pleadings in this cause, but sufficient of the substance thereof has been recited to indicate the questions of law which divide the parties to this proceeding.

This proceeding was brought to prohibit the execution of the writ of restitution issued by the state district court of Weber county, Utah. It is plaintiff’s contention that upon the filing of her petition for debtor’s relief in the federal District Court the state district court could not acquire jurisdiction of either the person or property of plaintiff in the absence of an order of the federal District Court granting leave to bring such an action in the state district court. In support of her position in such respect, reliance is had upon the provisions for relief of debtors contained in section 75 *248 of the Act of Congress of March 3, 1933 (chapter 8, Bankruptcy Act, 11 USCA § 203). Provision is made in section 75 of the act for the relief of farmers who are insolvent or unable to meet their debts as they mature. Subdivision (o) of section 75, 11 USCA § 203 (o), provides:

“(o) Except upon petition made to and granted by the judge after hearing and report by the conciliation commissioner, the following proceedings shall not be instituted, or if instituted at any time prior to the filing of a petition under this section, shall not be maintained, in any court or otherwise, against the farmer or his property, at any time after the filing of the petition under this section, and prior to the confirmation or other disposition of the composition or extension proposal by the court:
“(1) Proceedings for any demand, debt, or account, including any money demand;
“(2) Proceedings for foreclosure of a mortgage on land, or for cancellation, rescission, or specific performance of an agreement for sale of land or for recovery of possession of land;
“(8) Proceedings to acquire title to land by virtue of any tax sale;
“(4) Proceedings by way of execution, attachment, or garnishment;
“(5) Proceedings to sell land under or in satisfaction of any judgment or mechanic’s lien; and
“ (6) Seizure, distress, sale, or other proceedings under an execution or under any lease, lien, chattel mortgage, conditional sale agreement, crop payment agreement, or mortgage.”

The act further provides, by the following subdivision, that:

“(p) The prohibitions of subdivision (o) shall not apply to proceedings for the collection of taxes, or interest or penalties with respect thereto, nor to proceedings affecting solely property other than that used in farming operations or comprising the home or household effects of the farmer or his family.

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Related

Miller v. Mangus
125 F.2d 507 (Tenth Circuit, 1942)
Atwood v. Cox, District Judge
55 P.2d 377 (Utah Supreme Court, 1936)
Adams v. Pratt, District Judge
48 P.2d 444 (Utah Supreme Court, 1935)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
42 P.2d 222, 86 Utah 244, 1935 Utah LEXIS 109, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tullis-v-pratt-utah-1935.