Wagner v. Downey

99 P.2d 761, 151 Kan. 505, 1940 Kan. LEXIS 219
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedMarch 9, 1940
DocketNo. 34,644
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 99 P.2d 761 (Wagner v. Downey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wagner v. Downey, 99 P.2d 761, 151 Kan. 505, 1940 Kan. LEXIS 219 (kan 1940).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Hoch, J.:

This was an action to subject the farm upon which defendant lived to payment of a money judgment. Motion was filed [506]*506to quash the execution on the ground that the farm was defendant’s homestead and that the plaintiffs had waived any alleged purchase-money lien. The motion was sustained and a motion for a new trial overruled. Plaintiffs appeal.

The principal question presented is whether the court erred in holding that the defendant could claim homestead exemption as against the judgment.

On October 10, 1938, the plaintiffs, as executors of the estate of Winfield Downey, deceased, filed an amended petition asking judgment on a promissory note given to the deceased by his son, the defendant, L. J. Downey, on February 3, 1927. The petition alleged that on February 17, 1936, Winfield Downey and his wife, in connection with a property division made in contemplation of a divorce, sold to their son, the defendant, an eighty-acre farm in Miami county, Kansas, for $4,000; that the defendant paid to the mother $2,000 which was in settlement of her property interests in the estate of her husband, and that by payments thereafter made he reduced the debt to his father to $1,173, and on February 3, 1937, executed a promissory note to his father for that amount. The petition further alleged that $130 had subsequently been paid and there was then due on the note $1,043 as principal and $52.50 as interest,' which the defendant had refused to pay. Further allegations and the prayer of the petition were as follows:

“Plaintiffs further state that defendant, immediately upon sale and conveyance of said property to him, took full possession thereof as owner and continues in possession and claim of ownership. That by reason thereof and the fact that said note represents and evidences a part of the purchase price of said property, defendant is not entitled to any exemption therein as a homestead as head of a family or in any other character, and that plaintiffs are entitled to a vendor’s lien upon said property for the amount due from defendant on said note prior and paramount to any right, claim or interest of defendant and to special judgment thereon against said property.
“Wherefore plaintiffs ask judgment in the sum of $1,095.50, with interest thereon at 10 percent from February 3d, 1938, to date of judgment and for the costs of this action and for a vendor’s lien upon said property, prior, superior and paramount to defendant’s right, title, claim or interest thereon or thereto and for special judgment therefor and execution thereon.”

While the action was pending negotiations for settlement were carried on between the parties and an agreement was reached. In consideration of defendant’s agreement to confess judgment, if certain credits and claims which he had-were deducted, the plaintiffs agreed to omit all reference to waiver of exemptions and claim for [507]*507a lien as set out in the petition. Journal entry embodying this agreement was prepared by plaintiffs’ attorney and approved by counsel for defendant. The judgment recited that—

“. . . the parties announced in open court that this action be settled by the plaintiffs taking judgment against the defendant in the sum of nine hundred ninety-seven & 88/100 dollars (8997.88), and the defendant waiving any and all claims he may have against the estate of Winfield Downey, deceased, including the specific legacy described in the will.”

The judgment entered October 21,1938, contained no reference to waiver of exemptions or claim for a lien.

About four months thereafter, on February 11, 1939, execution was issued upon the judgment and returned unsatisfied on March 13, 1939. On May 23, 1939, plaintiffs brought proceedings in aid of execution, and the defendant appeared on June 5, 1939, and testified concerning his property. He testified, in substance, that the note ■was given for the balance due on the place; that he bought the place from his father and mother jointly, and that he had no other property. No order was made on June 5, but on the same day execution was issued and levied upon the farm. On June 7, 1939, the defendant’s attorney wrote to the attorney for plaintiffs, stating that the court would hear additional testimony on the matter on the following Monday if that was satisfactory, and if not, at some other near date in the future. Plaintiffs’ attorney replied, stating, in effect, that the hearing had been merely a hearing in aid of execution, that the defendant had appeared and answered and that the proceeding was at an end. However, on June 12 the defendant and attorney appeared before the court and cross-examination of L. J. Downey, the defendant, was permitted. Neither plaintiffs nor their attorney appeared. It is not necessary to recite the defendant’s further testimony in full. Suffice it to say that he testified that he did not give either his father or mother a note at the time he re-, ceived the deed and that he also bought from his father a $300 team of horses, wagon, harness, implements and half of the household furniture. He said that no note was asked for at the time and that no note was given until a year later w'hen his father asked for his money, and that the note was for the amount then due on all of the property that had been sold to him. The defendant’s mother testified that she did not know whether her husband got a note or not, that the son bought the team, the implements and other things on the farm.

[508]*508On June 17 defendant filed a motion to quash the levy of execution on the ground that he was head of a family and that the farm was his homestead, and a hearing was held upon this motion on June 26. The motion was supported by affidavits, the plaintiffs objecting to the procedure. The defendant’s affidavit not only recited facts showing the place to be a homestead, but also contained the statement that “the judgment mentioned in the execution is not an obligation contracted for the purchase of such premises or the erection of improvements thereon.” The defendant also offered transcript of the testimony of the defendant and the testimony of the register of deeds taken on June 12, 1939, to which plaintiffs objected on the ground that the defendant was on the stand on June 5, was not cross-examined at that time, and that no further hearing had been set by the court and no notice of such hearing given to the plaintiffs. A rather lengthy colloquy between the attorneys followed, and plaintiffs’ objection to the introduction of the testimony was overruled. Plaintiffs then called several witnesses to testify as to conversations had with Winfield Downey for the purpose of showing that he said that the note was given for the purchase of the farm, but objection .to introduction of this testimony was sustained.

On July 6, 1939, the court made findings of fact, conclusions Of law and entered judgment. The findings of fact were in part as follows:

“1. The court finds that in the amended petition of the plaintiffs, filed herein on October 10, 1938, plaintiffs sought recovery of $1,095.50 with interest thereon at 10 percent from February 3, 1938, and for costs of action and for vendor’s lien upon the property of the defendant, L. J. Downey, described as the west one-half of the southwest quarter of section 25, township 16, range 23, Miami county, Kansas.
“2.

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

Related

DePriest v. Ransom
193 P.2d 191 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1948)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
99 P.2d 761, 151 Kan. 505, 1940 Kan. LEXIS 219, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wagner-v-downey-kan-1940.