Watts v. Geisel

194 N.E. 502, 100 Ind. App. 92, 1935 Ind. App. LEXIS 8
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 7, 1935
DocketNo. 14,910.
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 194 N.E. 502 (Watts v. Geisel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Watts v. Geisel, 194 N.E. 502, 100 Ind. App. 92, 1935 Ind. App. LEXIS 8 (Ind. Ct. App. 1935).

Opinion

Dudine, P. J.

Appellee sued appellant for services rendered under and pursuant to an alleged contract.

The complaint consisted of two paragraphs. Appellant filed an answer in two paragraphs, viz., general denial and payment, and appellee filed a reply in general. denial.

The cause was tried by the court without a jury, and the court found for appellant on the first paragraph of complaint and for appellee on the second paragraph-of complaint, that the appellee was “entitled to -recover *94 $1075.50 on the contract sued upon,” and rendered judgment accordingly.

Appellant seasonably filed a motion for new trial, the overruling of which is assigned as the sole error relied upon for reversal.

Appellant’s motion for new trial contains fifteen grounds. Grounds numbered one to thirteen inclusive are based on the rejection and admission of evidence. Ground numbered fourteen is that the decision is not sustained by sufficient evidence. Ground numbered fifteen is that the decision is contrary to law.

The second paragraph of complaint, which will hereinafter be referred to as the complaint, alleged that on or about the 12th day of February, 1927, appellant and appellee entered into a “mutual” oral agreement whereby appellee was to render service for appellant as a physician and surgeon, and appellant was to pay appellee a “salary of Six Hundred ($600.00) Dollars per month for a period of one (1) year and in addition thereto as additional salary, if said plaintiff (appellee) stayed in the employ as such physician and surgeon for the entire year said defendant agreed to pay at the expiration of said year a further sum of Twelve Hundred ($1200.00) Dollars . . .”

That pursuant to said agreement appellee did render said service continually during said year.

That five or six weeks before the end of said year appellee demanded an increase in salary for the new year beginning February 12, 1928, but appellant did not give appellee “any answer as to whether or not he would increase plaintiff’s (appellee’s) salary for the year 1928,” that on or about the 1st day of February, 1928, appellee told appellant he would not continue in appellant’s service at the expiration of the year ending February 12, 1928, and appellant immediately notified appellee that he “need not wait until the end of his *95 year, but that he could leave his service immediately.”

The complaint further alleged that appellee stood ready to perform his duties under the contract for the balance of the year, and that appellant paid the $600.00 monthly salarly but did not pay the additional $1200.00 salary due appellee at the end of the year.

The evidence of appellee follows the allegations of said complaint very closely. His testimony supports every allegation of the complaint referred to herein. There is also evidence in the record showing that after he was discharged appellee received payments from patients for medicine and medical services delivered and rendered by him while he was in the employ of appellant which payments belonged to appellant. There is also evidence in the record which shows that appellant was well pleased with appellee’s services up to the time he discharged him.

Grounds for new trial numbered one, two, three, six, seven, and eight were based on the admission of oral evidence. In each of said grounds appellant shows that appellee asked certain witnesses eer.tain questions, that appellant objected to the questions, and that the court overruled appellant’s objections, but in none of said grounds does appellant show that any of said witnesses answered any of said questions. Having failed to show in any of said grounds that any of said witnesses answered any of said questions, and having failed to show in any of said grounds what their answers were, said grounds failed to show that any evidence was admitted over said objections, and hence do not present any question for review by this court. Ball v. Balfe (1872), 41 Ind. 221; McClain v. Jessup (1881), 76 Ind. 120; Conrad v. Hansen (1908), 171 Ind. 43, 85 N. E. 710.

Grounds for new trial numbered four, five, and thirteen are based on rejection of oral evidence offered by *96 appellant. We deem it unnecessary to discuss said grounds except to say that the evidence referred to in those grouds was immaterial to the issues presented by the pleadings and that the court did not err in rejecting it.

Ground for new trial numbered twelve is based on rejection of oral evidence. Appellant shows in said ground that he asked a certain witness a certain question; that appellee objected to the question; and that the court sustained appellee’s objection, but appellant does not show in said ground that he made an “offer to prove” or told the court what the witness would have testified in answer to the question if he had been permitted to answer it. Having failed to incorporate such “offer to prove” in the ground, it does not present a question for review by this court. Moss Tie Co. v. Huff (1904), 32 Ind. App. 466, 70 N. E. 86; Neff v. Metropolitan Ins. Co. (1906), 39 Ind. App. 250, 73 N. E. 1041; Ball v. Balfe, supra. Ground number five supra is subject to the same criticism.

Grounds for new trial numbered nine, ten, and eleven are based on the court’s admission of “plaintiff’s” exhibits numbered twenty-two and twenty-four in evidence and upon the court’s overruling appellant’s motion to strike each of said exhibits from the evidence.

Plaintiff’s exhibit number twenty-four is a carbon copy of a letter dated October 2, 1930, written by appellee’s attorney to appellant which stated appellee’s claim, and admitted that appellee had collected “a few dollars” due appellant and that appellee would give appellant credit therefor “upon a final settlement” of appellee’s claim, and it asked for a reply.

Plaintiff’s exhibit number twenty-two was a letter dated October 10, 1930, written by appellant’s attorney to appellee’s said attorney which stated that appellant *97 had handed him (the writer) said letter of October 2nd for reply, and it stated appellant’s “position” with reference to appellee’s claim.

Appellant contends that said exhibit numbered twenty-four, being a carbon copy, and no proof having been made that the original thereof was lost or destroyed, and no notice having been given to appellant to produce the original, the admission thereof constituted reversible error.

A carbon copy of a written instrument, in the absence of proof that it is not a true copy, is primary evidence, and is admissible as such. Federal Union Surety Co. v. Ind. etc., Mfg. Co. (1911), 176 Ind. 328, 95 N. E. 1104; Pittsburgh etc., R. Co. v. Brown (1912), 178 Ind. 11, 97 N. E. 145. In this case the correctness of said copy was not challenged.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
194 N.E. 502, 100 Ind. App. 92, 1935 Ind. App. LEXIS 8, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/watts-v-geisel-indctapp-1935.