Varnadore v. Novak

287 P. 438, 41 Wyo. 494, 1930 Wyo. LEXIS 28
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedMay 6, 1930
Docket1631
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 287 P. 438 (Varnadore v. Novak) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Varnadore v. Novak, 287 P. 438, 41 Wyo. 494, 1930 Wyo. LEXIS 28 (Wyo. 1930).

Opinion

*496 Blxjme, Chief Justice.

This case, in which L. A. Yarnadore was plaintiff and J. M. Novak was defendant, was commenced in justice court before IT. H. Walker, justice of the peace, on January 31, 1929. Upon affidavit of prejudice, the venue in the case was changed to S. H. Puntenney, justice of the peace. A jury was empanelled and the case was tried, and a verdict was returned against the defendant and in favor of the plaintiff on February 1, 1929. Judgment was entered on the verdict on the same date, in the amount of $82, and costs were taxed at the sum of $33.80. The docket of the justice of the peace Puntenney shows that J. M. Novak, defendant, appeared on February 13, 1929, and filed notice and undertaking on appeal, and that the appeal was granted. A transcript of the docket was filed in the District Court on February 20, 1929. The notice of appeal filed as above mentioned is as follows:

“State of Wyoming, County of Natrona, ss.
In the Justice Court of S. H. Puntenney, Justice of the Peace in and for District No. 2, in City of Casper, in said County and State.
L. A. Yarnadore,
Plaintiff,
vs.
J. M. Novak,
Defendant.
NOTICE OF APPEAL.
J. M. Novak, the defendant above named, hereby makes and files this, his notice, that he desires to take, and is this day and hereby, proceeding to take an Appeal to the District Court of the Eighth Judicial District, in and for *497 Natrona County, Wyoming, from tbe judgment heretofore on December 31, 1928, rendered against him and in favor of said plaintiff in the above entitled court and cause.
/s/ J.M. NOVAK.”
The undertaking on appeal, filed as above mentioned, is as follows:
“State of Wyoming, County of Natrona, ss.
In the Justice Court of S. H. Puntenney, Jiistice of the Peace in and for District No. 2, in City of Casper, in said County and State.
L. A. Varnadore,
Plaintiff,
vs.
J. M. Novak,
Defendant.
UNDERTAKING ON APPEAL.
Whereas, in said court and cause, the said plaintiff on December 31, 1928, did obtain judgment against said defendant in the sum of $82.00 and $33.80 costs of said action. And Whereas, said defendant desires and intends to appeal from said judgment to the District Court of said county and state and said appeal is allowed upon his giving an undertaking in approved surety in the sum of $231.60. Now, Therefore,” etc.

On August 15, 1929, the plaintiff by his attorney moved the court for an order dismissing the appeal of the defendant for the reason “that said appeal has not been perfected according to law and that the court has no jurisdiction over the cause.” On October 18, 1929, the court sustained the motion to dismiss upon the ground that the appeal should have been taken from the court of H. H. Walker, justice of the peace, instead of from the court of S. H. Puntenney, justice of the peace.

It appears to be conceded by counsel for the plaintiff that the reason given by the court for sustaining the *498 motion was not correct, for it was beld in tbe case of Campbell v. Weller, 25 Wyo. 65, 164 Pac. 881, that an appeal from justice court should be taken from the court of the justice of the peace to which the change of venue has been taken, and before whom the judgment was rendered, rather than from the court of the justice of the peace before whom the case was commenced. It is argued, however, that though the reasons of the court were wrong, nevertheless the motion was properly sustained because the notice of appeal, as well as the bond on appeal, gave the wrong date on which the judgment was rendered, both referring to a judgment rendered on December 31, 1928, which was before the ease was even commenced, instead of February 1, 1929. And it is necessary, accordingly, to determine as to whether or not the mistake thus made was material. Courts are not agreed as to the effect of such a mistake. 16 R. C. L. 403, 35 C. J. 767, 776. In Clay, et al. v. Superior Court, 32 Cal. App. 189, 162 Pac. 416, the court held that the erroneous recital of the date of the judgment in an undertaking on appeal from a justice of the peace was immaterial where the notice of appeal was correct, the undertaking being given in aid of that appeal. The notice and the undertaking were, accordingly, construed together. In 35 C. J. 767, it is said, speaking of the bond required in such case:

“But such undertaking is sufficient if it appears that it was given to secure an appeal from the judgment set out in the transcript, and a misrecital or omission as to parties or the court from which the appeal is taken, or as to the date or amount of the judgment, is usually held immaterial if it is otherwise sufficiently identified.”

And again, in 35 C. J. 776, it is said:

“But the object of a notice of appeal is accomplished when the appellate court can ascertain from an inspection of the notice what particular judgment the appellant complains of. Thus a failure to state, or an erroneous state *499 ment of, the date, or amount, of the judgment, does not vitiate the notice if such judgment is otherwise sufficiently identified therein.”

In Judd v. Superior Court, 29 Cal. App. 671, 157 Pac. 566, it was held that a mistake as to the date in the notice of appeal and in the bond was immaterial. In the ease of Davenport etc. Works v. Shelley, 280 Ho. 393, 217 S. W. 267, it was held that a notice which in fact did notify the parties was sufficient, notwithstanding the fact that the date and the amount mentioned- therein were not correct. In 16 R. C. L. 403 it is said:

“In other jurisdictions it is held that the notice of appeal should he liberally construed, and that jurisdiction of the appeal will be conferred by its service, if, by a fair construction or reasonable intendment, the court can ascertain therefrom that an appeal is taken from the judgment in a particular action, and strict accuracy in a notice of appeal is by no means necessary in order to confer jurisdiction upon the appellate court. Mistakes, however numerous, are immaterial if the notice yet contains enough fairly to identify the judgment, the parties, and the court, and to show that it was made by the party appealing,” etc.

Section 6533, Wyo. C. S.

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Bluebook (online)
287 P. 438, 41 Wyo. 494, 1930 Wyo. LEXIS 28, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/varnadore-v-novak-wyo-1930.