Wolfe v. Killingsworth

1922 OK 410, 209 P. 410, 87 Okla. 170, 1922 Okla. LEXIS 254
Supreme Court of Oklahoma·Decided February 14, 1922·No. 10126·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

MILLER, J.

This action was commenced in the district court of Seminole county by O. Dale Wolfe, as trustee in bankruptcy of the estate of G. F. KillingBworth, a bankrupt, against said G. F. Killingsworth and his wife, Mary Etta Killingsworth, to subject 120 acres of land to the payment of said bankrupt’s debts. The legal title to the land was in the name of defendant Mary Etta Killingsworth.

The record discloses that for several years G. F. Killingsworth was engaged in running a general hardware store in the town of Seminole, in Seminole county, Okla., and during the year 1912 was insolvent. In January, 1913, he made a general assignment for the benefit of creditors, and some of his creditors filed a petition in bankruptcy against him in the federal district court in the Eastern district of Oklahoma.

On March 14, 1914, he was duly adjudged a bankrupt by said court. C. Dale Wolfe was appointed trustee of said bankrupt estate and was directed by said federal court *171 to institute this proceeding to subject the land in controversy in this action to the payment of the debts of the said bankrupt. Judgment was rendered in favor of the defendants and against the plaintiff, and he appeals, appearing here as plaintiff in error,

For convenience the parties will be referred to as they appeared in the lower court.

Defendants claimed- the land in controversy was their homestead and was purchased with money belonging to Mary Etta Killingsworth. Hon. O. Guy Outlip was by the court appointed as referee—

“to take the testimony, hear the evidence ■ and report his findings of fact, together with his recommendations of law thereon and the evidence taken, to this court on or before October 1, 1917.”

The time was afterwards duly extended by order of the court.

The referee heard the testimony, made findings of fact, and stated his recommendations of law, which he embodied in his report and filed in court on June 1, 1918.

Plaintiff filed his exceptions and objections to the report of the referee, which were overruled by the court on June .6, 1918, and juugment rendered in favor of the defendants. On the same date, plaintiff’s motion for a new trial was overruled; exceptions saved; notice of appeal given, and this appeal perfected.

The referee’s report is as follows:

“And now comes O. Guy Outlip, the duly qualified and acting referee in the above entitled action, and makes this, his report of findings of fact and conclusions of law.
“1st. I find that O. Dale Wolfe was the duly appointed, qualified, and acting trustee in bankruptcy of G. F. Killingsworth, bankrupt.
“2nd. I find that on March 14, 1913, said G. F.Killingsworth was adjudged a bankrupt under the proper acts of Congress.
“3rd. I find that the plaintiff, trustee, has authority and is acting under legal.direction in prosecuting this suit.
“4th. I find that the title to the north half and the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 23, township 9 north, range 6 east, Seminole county, Okla., is in Mary Etta Killingsworth.
“5th. I find that said land was purchased of the heirs of Wilthy Rentie, the first deed of which was procured- from John Rentie, on or about August 14, 1912.
“6th. I find that at the time of the procurement of the said deeds, aforesaid, that G. F. Killingsworth was insolvent and that the indebtedness for which he was after-wards adjudged a bankrupt was incurred prior ,to the execution of said deeds.
“7th. I f-ind that the money and purchase price expended to the heirs of Wilthy Rentie by the Killingsworths was the property of Mary Etta Killingsworth, and ,that said real estate above described belongs to, and is the property of Mary Etta Killingsworth.
‘^Conclusion of Law.
“I conclude as a matter of law that said real estate belongs to and is the property of Mary- Etta Killingsworth, and that th prayer of the plaintiff should be denied in both counts of his said petition.
“I conclude that" said property should be decreed and adjudged the property of Mary Etta Killingsworth, as aforesaid, and that plaintiff, C. Dale Wolfe, trustee in bankruptcy, take nothing by reason of his petition herein.
“Dated this June 1, 1918.
“Evidence attached.
“C. Guy Outlip, Referee.”

The plaintiff in his petition in error makes five specific assignments of error, but presents them under two propositions:

First, that the referee’s findings of fact and conclusions of law are clearly against the weight of the evidence, and that the judgment of the court is against the weight ;of the evidence.

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

Wolfe v. Killingsworth, 1922 OK 410, 209 P. 410, 87 Okla. 170, 1922 Okla. LEXIS 254 (Okla. 1922).

1922 OK 410 (Wolfe v. Killingsworth) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Noble v. Johnson
1930 OK 179 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1930)
Burt v. Riley
1929 OK 203 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1929)