Wernet v. Jurgensen

43 N.W.2d 194, 241 Iowa 833, 1950 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 327
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJune 13, 1950
Docket47658
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 43 N.W.2d 194 (Wernet v. Jurgensen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wernet v. Jurgensen, 43 N.W.2d 194, 241 Iowa 833, 1950 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 327 (iowa 1950).

Opinions

OLIVER, J. —

The real estate here involved is a lot and dwelling house in Clinton, Iowa. The amended and substituted peti[835]*835tion states that, under a conveyance recorded in 1942, the title to this property was in Hans Jurgensen and defendant Goldie Jurgensen, his wife, as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common; that Hans and Goldie were estranged, although not divorced; that plaintiff was employed by Hans as his housekeeper and served as such from 1943 until Hans died in January 1949; that Hans had agreed plaintiff should continue to occupy the premises after his death and “to claim” the unpaid compensation due for her services “out of” such real estate; that in September 1949 defendants assembled at this “dwelling house and did by force, fraud, stealth, intimidation and threats in order to coerce and by reason of duress compel this’ plaintiff to momentarily leave said above described dwelling to summon assistance with the express intent to return and continue the occupancy thereof. That during the short interval of her absence the said defendants removed [her] personal effects from the” house, barricaded the doors and refused plaintiff the right to re-enter; that plaintiff was thinly clad and was compelled to seek shelter with neighbors; that defendant Goldie Jurgensen had previously stated to plaintiff “that she should retain possession of said above described property until such a time that an amicable settlement could be reached.” Plaintiff alleged actual damage in the sum of $3000 and prayed judgment for this amount and for $2000 exemplary damages.

Defendants moved to dismiss the amended and substituted petition on grounds designated A, B, C, D, E and F. October 27, 1949, the court entered an order sustaining defendants’ motion generally. October 31 plaintiff filed her written election not to plead over* and to stand on the record. On the same day she filed notice of appeal.

I. Defendants contend the order sustaining the motion to’dismiss the petition was not appealable as a final judgment. Rule 86, Rules of Civil Procedure, provides a party permitted by an order or ruling to plead further and fails to do so elects to stand on the record theretofore made. “On such election, the ruling shall be deemed a final adjudication in the trial court without further judgment or order * * This is the precise holding in Wright v. Copeland, 241 Iowa 447, 41 N.W.2d 102, an appeal from an order sustaining defendants’ motion to dis[836]*836miss the petition. In the case at bar the election filed by plaintiff went even further than R. C. P. 86 requires. We hold the order was appealable.

II. December 27, 1949, plaintiff filed what was denominated a “Motion for Correction of Proposed Abstract”, apparently under R. C. P. 341(a). This motion pointed out that the ruling sustaining the motion to dismiss her petition was general and asked that it be made specific as required by R. C. P. 118. January 10, 1950, the trial court made the following Amendment to Order, of October 1949:

“Defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s amended and substituted petition as set out in Division I is sustained for the reasons stated in said motion and itemized as A, B, C, D, E and F.”

R. C. P. 341(a) deals with the correction of the record rather than the changing of the record. Kohl v. Arp, 236 Iowa 31, 36,17 N.W.2d 824, 169 A. L. R. 1067. Although the pendency of appellate proceedings does not preclude the trial court from amending its records to correct errors and mistakes to make it “speak the truth” an order appealed from cannot ordinarily be thus amended or modified as to matters of substance. Ruth & Clark, Inc. v. Emery, 235 Iowa 131, 134, 15 N.W.2d 896; Concannon v. Blackman, 232 Iowa 722, 728, 6 N.W.2d 116; 4 C. J. S., Appeal and Error, section 617.

Defendants contend the appeal should have been taken from the Amendment to Order, made in the January 1950 term, and that the appeal from the October 1949 order was ineffective. They cite Wolf v. Lutheran Mut. L. Ins. Co., 236 Iowa 334, 343, 18 N.W.2d 804. In the Wolf case the later order was made prior to appeal and it materially modified the earlier order. In the ease at bar the later order was made after appeal. The trial court could not then amend the original order as to matters of substance. Nor does the later order actually change the legal effect of the earlier. We conclude the appeal was properly taken from the October order. See Leishman v. Associated Wholesale Elec. Co., 9 Cir., Cal., 128 F.2d 204.

III. Ground A of the motion to dismiss'the amended and substituted petition merely asserts “plaintiff has failed 1o [837]*837state a cause entitling her to the relief demanded.” Standing alone, this is too indefinite to be considered because it does not specify wherein the petition is claimed to be insufficient, as required by R. C. P. 104(b) and (d). Wright v. Copeland, 241 Iowa 447, 41 N.W.2d 102. However, other grounds of the motion state the pleaded promise or agreement of Hans that plaintiff was to occupy the real estate after his death was ineffective to give plaintiff any right of occupancy after his death. Ground D of the motion is based upon the allegations in plaintiff’s pleadings that Hans and Goldie were joint tenants with right of survivor-ship. The rule is settled that when Hans died title to the property immediately vested absolutely in Goldie under the 1942 deed. Hruby v. Wayman, 230 Iowa 653, 298 N.W. 639; Switzer v. Pratt, 237 Iowa 788, 23 N.W.2d 837; 48 C. J. S., Joint Tenancy, section 1, page 911. While the joint tenancy existed Hans could not give anyone a. valid right of occupancy to commence with his death. Moreover, Goldie took title free from his debts. Wood v. Logue, 167 Iowa 436, 149 N.W. 613, Ann. Cas. 1917B 116; 14 Am. Jur., Cotenancy (Joint Tenancy), section 6. Hence, the pleaded agreement gave plaintiff no right to occupy the property after the death of Hans.

Other grounds of the motion to dismiss assert plaintiff’s pleadings show the claimed agreement was oral and in violation of the statute of frauds and also that the property was the homestead of Goldie and Hans, and under section 561.13, Code of Iowa, 1950, could be encumbered only by a joint instrument executed by the husband and Avife. These grounds of the motion need not be considered because of our holding that the plea.ded agreement with Hans, the deceased joint tenant, did not give plaintiff the right to occupy the premises after his death.

Prior to the death of Hans plaintiff’s occupancy of the premises was incidental to her service and not as a tenant. Upon his death her employment terminated and with it her right to continue her occupation of the premises. 32 Am. Jur., Landlord and Tenant, sections 10 and 13; 51 C. J. S., Landlord and Tenant, section 6c, page 514, and section 181, page 785; Davis v. Long, 45 N. D. 581, 178 N.W. 936, 14 A. L. R. 796. An article by Floyd E. Page in 6 Iowa L. Bull.

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Bluebook (online)
43 N.W.2d 194, 241 Iowa 833, 1950 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 327, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wernet-v-jurgensen-iowa-1950.