Walker v. Lyles

45 S.W.2d 315
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 19, 1931
DocketNo. 4176
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 45 S.W.2d 315 (Walker v. Lyles) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Walker v. Lyles, 45 S.W.2d 315 (Tex. Ct. App. 1931).

Opinion

LEVY, J.

(after stating the case as above).

The new act of 1931 in nowise undertakes, as is apparent from its terms, to change or modify the time allowed for taking or perfecting appeal or writ of error. The separate and distinct articles bearing upon the prosecution of appeal remain as they were and unchanged. Article 2253 (as amended by Acts 40th Leg. c. 15 [Vernon’s Ann. Civ. St. art. 2253]), and arts. 2255, 2092, § 31, Rev. St. And neither can the new act be regarded as in the nature of legislation taking away certain grounds of appeal, as, for instance, in Cotton Ass’n v. Lennox (Tex. Civ. App.) 296 S. W. 325. For the amended act and its purpose relate to matters purely of legal procedure, of the time for the filing of the transcript of the record of the cause as certified to the appellate court. A transcript is but a certified copy of the proceedings had in the trial court. Article 2278; Escavaille v. Stephens, 102 Tex. 514, 119 S. W. 842. And the filing of a transcript in the appellate court is merely a step in the prosecution of the appeal after the appeal is taken and perfected. 3 Tex. Jur. § 488. Therefore questions respecting the jurisdiction of the courts to hear an appeal or rights of parties to have an appeal or of vested rights of parties are matters entirely apart from the present question involving only procedure. The new act being one purely of regulation of procedure on appeal, as within the power of the Legislature to enact (36 Cyc. p. 1213, par. 2), the decision of the present motion must depend solely upon whether or not the new act has application to cases pending at the time it took effect. For, as admittedly appears, if the new act does not have application, then the filing of the record in this appeal has not overrun the ninety days allowable by the act before its amendment to file same with the clerk of this court. As will be observed, the new act expressly repeals “all laws and parts of laws in conflict herewith,” and has no saving clause as to actions or appeals then pending, nor any provisions which are ordinarily considered (36 Cyc. p. 1204b) as indicating the purpose and intention of declaring that it is not retrospective. The rule of construction generally applied is that an act dealing with matters classed as procedure only applies, unless the contrary intention is expressed, to all actions and proceedings falling within its terms, whether commenced before or after its passage. The following citations support the rule: 1 Lewis’ Sutherland Stat. Con. (2d Ed.) § 285; 36 Cyc. p. 1228g; Cooley on Con. Lim. (7th Ed.) p. 528; 3 Tex. Jur. § 516; 25 R. C. L. § 24, p. 778; Elliott v. Ferguson, 100 Tex. 418, 100 S. W. 911; Pierce v. Watkins, 114 Tex. 153, 263 S. W. 905; Plummer v. Van Arsdell, 117 Tex. 200, 299 S. W. 869; De Cordova v. City of Galveston, 4 Tex. 470; Odum v. Garner, 86 Tex. 374, 25 S. W. 18; Garce v. Buffington (Tex. Civ. App.) 25 S. W. 317; Rwy. v. Pruter (Tex. Civ. App.) 220 S. W. 797; Rwy. v. Carter (Tex. Civ. App.) 225 S. W. 592; Zarate v. Cantu (Tex. Civ. App.) 225 S. W. 285; Karczmarzyk v. Kerr (Tex. Civ. App.) 3 S.W.(2d) 928. Legislation of this character, however, which changes or affects remedies of causes then pending, has the limitation imposed upon it, as operating upon its validity, that its terms must not either work a denial altogether of any remedy, or of denial of a reasonable time for the prosecution of the rights before the bar takes place. Cooley on Con. Lim. (7th Ed.) “Change of Remedies,” p. 406; 25 R. C. L. § 27, p. 80; Odum v. Garner, 86 Tex. 374, 25 S. W. 18, 19; De Cordova v. City of Galveston, 4 Tex. 470; State v. Wygall, 46 Tex. 447; Grigsby v. Peak, 57 Tex. 142, and other cases. Yet the present act by a fair construction of its terms may not be held subject to either one of such objections. The general language of the new act is broad enough to give the right to file the transcript after appeal as well to pending causes or appeals as to prospective causes or appeals. The right to file the transcript in all cases remained in force under the new act the same as under the old law, with only a change in the time required to do so. One period of time was merely substituted for another. And the general provisions of the act and the time the statute became operative affords, as contemplated it should, a reasonable time for the assertion and prosecution of all pending rights before the bar takes place. The new act did not in fact become effective at once upon its passage, but ninety days after the date of the adjournment of the Legislature. Further, the proviso of the act expressly extends and allows to the appellant, in pending causes and appeals as well as in prospective causes and appeals, the right to have extension of the time, in avoidance of the bar, upon “good cause shown before the expiration of such sixty day period.” There is then neither denial altogether of any remedy nor denial of a reasonable time for assertion and [318]*318prosecution of riglits before tbe bar takes place.

In the case of Odum v. Garner, supra, there was considered by the Supreme Court a new statute lessening the time allowable for suing out a writ of error. The questions before the court were, whether or not the suing out of the writ was governed (1) by the old law, or (2) by the new law after allowing “the rule made in Gautier v. Franklin, 1 Tex. 732.” The Supreme Court, after discussing the provisions of the new law, observed, viz.: “The general rule as to statutes of limitation, where a different period is substituted, is that the new law applies, provided that a reasonable time is given within which to prosecute the claim” — citing cases. The rule there stated is the same general rule herein aforementioned in this opinion. The Supreme Court then, applying that rule to the provisions of the new act, held the new act valid and applicable and governing the prosecution of the writ of error, because “the time allowed was reasonable,” since by the terms of the new act “plaintiff could have filed bis petition at any time prior to the date when the law took effect,” which was four months and eighteen days after it was passed. The Supreme Court then further proceeded to affirmatively decide that, in construing new statutes lessening the time governing appeals or writs of error, the same rule should be applied as was applied in case of Gautier v. Franklin, “in construing statutes of limitation of actions.” In the case of Gautier v. Franklin, referred to, the court there construed the statute as including “the benefit of the time, which had been acquired before the repeal of the laws of prescription.” In that case, though, which was unlike the instant appeal in that respect, there was a space of time intervening between the old and new laws. The court in allowing the time to be ratably computed which had already run at the date the new act became effective was undertaking to avoid giving the law a retrospective aspect. At all events, the rule as approved in Odum v. Garner, supra, must be taken, as was intended to be, the definitely settled and governing rule in this state, although arising as a matter of pure construction in matters of appellate procedure. The rule means that, as respects causes then pending, where one period of time takes the place of another within which to file the record on appeal, the time which has already run at the date the new act became effective must be ratably applied and computed in ascertaining the time which would bar the right under the new act. Applying that rule to the present appeal, the time for filing the transcript and statement of facts was overrun on October 15, 1931.

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45 S.W.2d 315, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/walker-v-lyles-texapp-1931.