Wheeler v. Smoot

1938 OK 491, 83 P.2d 186, 183 Okla. 447, 1938 Okla. LEXIS 303
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 4, 1938
DocketNo. 27453.
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 1938 OK 491 (Wheeler v. Smoot) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wheeler v. Smoot, 1938 OK 491, 83 P.2d 186, 183 Okla. 447, 1938 Okla. LEXIS 303 (Okla. 1938).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

The parties will be referred to as they appeared in the trial court. Plaintiff brought this action to dispossess the defendant and to recover certain real estate located in Roger Mills county. The relevant part of the answer filed by the defendant alleged that Robert Wheeler and Manta Wheeler were the owners of the land in question, and that the plaintiff claimed title by virtue of a judgment void on its face.

The judgment referred to in the answer was rendered in former cause No. 3188 in the district court of Roger Mills county purporting to foreclose a tax lien and styled Olson v. Vance, and defendant alleges that the judgment was void for the reason that the land involved was at all times the homestead of the defendant and the defendant’s wife, and that the defendant’s wife was not made a party to the action. The journal entry, together with the petition, in Olson v. Vance was attached to the answer.

After the answer filed by the said Robert Wheeler a reply was filed by W. T. Smoot setting up certain proceedings had in cause No. 3545, hereinafter discussed. Thereupon the following stipulation was filed:

“It is stipulated and agreed by and between the plaintiff, and the defendant, that the land involved in the case was filed on by the defendant and on the 3rd day of *448 February, 1908, a patent was issued therefor and that said premises were occupied as the homestead of the defendant and his wife, Manta Wheeler. That on the 30th day of December, 1926, an action was filed in the district court of Roger Mills county, Okla., styled, ‘B. Olson v. J. W. Vance et al.,’ the same being number 3188, wherein the plaintiff sought to foreclose a tax lien on said premises. That at the filing- of said cause the premises involved herein was the homestead of Robert Wheeler, the defendant herein, and that the defendant’s wife, Manta Wheeler, was never made a party defendant in said cause, Number 3188, nor was service of any kind or character ever attempted or made against her.
“That on the 5th day of ’September, 1927, judgment M-as rendered in said cause against the defendant herein, Robert Wheeler, purporting to foreclose said tax lien.
“That under and by virtue of said judgment a sale was had of said premises, which sale was held on the 25th day of October, 1927, confirmed by the court, and a sheriff’s deed was issued to the plaintiffs in said cause number 3188, for the premises involved herein.
“That all of the title, if any, obtained by the plaintiffs, is now lodged in the plaintiff in this case, Tandy Smoot, and forms the basis of his right of possession.
“That after the issuance of the sheriff’s deed and whatever title obtained thereunder was lodged in Tandy Smoot, the defendant, ■Robert Wheeler, but at no time joined by his wife, Manta Wheeler, executed an agricultural lease in favor of the plaintiff, Tandy Smoot.
“That each year, up until the year of 1931, the defendant, Robert Wheeler executed written leases for said premises in favor of this plaintiff.
“That no lease was executed during the year 1934 and the rental was taken out of the proceeds of the sale by the plaintiff.
“That the wife of the defendant, Robert Wheeler, did not join her husband, Robert Wheeler, in any of the aforesaid leases, and that the defendant, Robert Wheeler, and his wife have continued to reside on said premises since the filing and the issuance of the patent by the United States government.
“That on March 2, 1929, Marian E. Stut-terd filed an action against Robert W. Wheeler, case Number 3545, in the district court of Roger Mills county, Okla., against Robert W. Wheeler and Manta Wheeler, his wife, to foreclose a certain mortgage on the land involved herein. All of the files in said action are hereby filed as evidence of the plaintiff in this casé.
“The defendant has paid no rent on said premises and has never leased said premises for the year 1935, and that plaintiff served notice as required by law in forcible entry
and detainer, on the defendant, Robert Wheeler, to vacate the same and of the filing of the action in forcible entry and detainer and that the defendant has refused to surrender possession of said premises.”

On the 3rd day of February, 1936, judgment was rendered for the plaintiff, Smoot, against the defendant, Robert Wheeler, finding that the claims of Robert Wheeler are now res ad judicata and rendered a judgment against him for recovery of possession of the above-described premises. Motion for new trial was filed and overruled, and the appeal is brought to review the judgment.

Cause No. 3188 was filed by B. Olson against J. W. Vance et al., including Robert Wheeler. Robert Wheeler was served personally, but there was no service on his wife, Manta Wheeler.

The original journal entry of judgment, in former cause No. 3188, dated September 5, 1927, did not recite that Robert Wheeler was served, or that he was in default. A nunc pro tunc order was entered on application of the plaintiff in cause No. 3188 correcting the original journal entry to recite service of process on Robert Wheeler.

A motion to set aside the judgment entered in cause No. 3188, supra, was filed on the 21st day of May, 1935, alleging that the judgment obtained on September 5, 1927. was void for failure to serve Manta Wheeler, and that the conveyance to Tandy Smo.ot was void for the reason that Manta Wheeler had a homestead interest in the premises. So far as the record discloses, this motion is still pending.

In the reply filed, as above stated, W. T. Smoot alleged that in cause No. 3545 Marian E. Stutterd brought an action against Robert Wheeler and Manta Wheeler and W. T. Smoot and Edna L. Smoot wherein W. T. Smoot and Edna L. Smoot set up their title and asked that it be quieted, and that title was thereupon quieted in said W. T. 'Smoot, and that by reason thereof the said defendants Robert Wheeler and Manta Wheeler are forever barred from questioning the title of the plaintiff to said premises.

The first petition in cause No. 3545' was filed March 2, 1929. It sought to foreclose a mortgage executed by Robert Wheeler and Manta Wheeler to the Pittsburg Mortgage Investment Company and assigned to the plaintiffs, and made them parties to the suit together with D. Olson, L. L. Stone, Rankin Oil & Gas Company, and John Doe, tenant. An amended petition was filed August 23, 1929, to make Tandy Smoot and Edna L. Smoot partios; thereupon Edna Smoot and Tandy Smoot filed their separate answer alleging the proceedings had in cause No. 3188, *449 the subsequent sale and the purchase by Olson and transfer to the said Tandy 'Smoot and Edna L. Smoot They allege a fraudulent scheme by transfer of the mortgage to Marian E. Stutterd and seek a cancellation and quieting of the title. B. Olson and L. L. Stone filed a separate answer adopting the answer of Tandy Smoot and Edna L. Smoot. Robert Wheeler and Manta Wheeler filed their separate answer and alleged that the plaintiff was not a holder in due course; that the assignment was part of a fraudulent scheme, and that Marian E.

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Bluebook (online)
1938 OK 491, 83 P.2d 186, 183 Okla. 447, 1938 Okla. LEXIS 303, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wheeler-v-smoot-okla-1938.