Patterson v. Almond City Land & Development Co.
Patterson v. Almond City Land & Development Co.
Opinion of the Court
J.—The appeal is from a judgment in favor of the plaintiff in a suit to rescind a contract for the exchange of real property upon the ground of fraud, and to set aside a prior judgment of the superior court in Alameda County in a suit which grew out of one phase of the dealings between the parties under the contract. The appeal is taken in the so-called “alternative” method. The typewritten transcript of testimony covers something over four hundred pages and the findings of fact alone cover twelve typewritten pages.
While the above authorities, and many other pronouncements by the appellate courts of this state, justify a refusal to examine any portion of the record not printed in the briefs, we are loath to refuse to pass upon the merits in any case where counsel have endeavored properly to present their points. In this case the appellant contends the judgment should be reversed because of laches on the part of the plaintiff, because of her waiver and ratification of the fraud perpetrated upon her, and because of her failure promptly to meet every requirement of the law in regard to rescission. Giving to the appellants’ statement of evidence its strongest force, it appears from the similar unsatisfactory statement of evidence in the respondent’s brief that there was a clear conflict of evidence as to the time when plaintiff had knowledge of the fraud, and as to the extent of such knowledge, upon which facts the defenses of laches, waiver, and ratification are all dependent. It must be assumed, therefore, the findings were supported by sufficient evidence.
The same conditions of conflict exist and the same rule applies to the appellants’ contention that the plaintiff failed to show the defendants knew of the fraud perpetrated by their agent. Upon this latter point the appellants claim that a new trial should have been granted on the ground of surprise, because of certain proceedings connected with the nonappearance of one Fitch, whose evidence was desired by the defendant company. At the opening of the trial counsel for the parties entered into a stipulation in open court, made a part of the record in the case by the direction of the judge
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who was presiding, to the effect that the trial should proceed at that time and, after all available evidence had. been introduced, the evidence of the witness Pitch might be introduced. At the close of the trial the appellants sought a continuance of the case in order that the evidence of Pitch might be taken upon his arrival from abroad, a statement being made that he was expected to reach the place of trial within about ten days. The attention of the court was called to "the stipulation, notwithstanding which continuance was refused. It is claimed by the appellants that a formal showing would have been "made for the continuance but for the stipulation, and that its disregard and the refusal to adjourn the trial deprived the appellants of substantial evidence. So much of the record as is presented by the briefs fails to support this contention. The evidence which the appellants claim would have been given by the witness Pitch was that the defendant company had no knowledge of the admitted fraud perpetrated upon the plaintiff by the company’s agent. Apart from any question of the imputed knowledge of the principal, it appears that another agent and officer of the defendant corporation testified that he knew of the fraudulent acts of which complaint was made; that he knew that the agent of the corporation was also the agent of the plaintiff and was receiving "compensation both from the plaintiff and from, the defendant corporation. Under these circumstances, the evidence of Mr. Pitch could have had no greater force than to import a further conflict of evidence in the case upon an immaterial matter. If. there was error in this particular, the appellant has failed to show injury therefrom.
Appellants further claim that the plaintiff, failed to establish collusion or fraud in the transaction complained of. The court found the existence of such fraud; and the record discloses sufficient evidence to support such finding.
Objection is made to plaintiff’s offer to rescind the fraudulent contract on the ground that the deed of reconveyance from plaintiff to the defendant company of the Yolo County land, which had been conveyed to plaintiff under the contract, did not accompany the offer, and was not tendered to the corporation at its office in San Francisco. The deed re
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ferred to was deposited in a bank at Woodland and the defendant company was notified to call for it.
The further contention of appellants that the judgment in a prior action between the same parties is
res adjudicada
and conclusive upon the issues here involved is answered by consideration of the fact that the present action is a suit in equity to set aside the very judgment relied upon.
The case of Bingham v. Kearney, 136 Cal. 175, [68 Pac. 597], relied upon by appellants, is distinguished from the instant case, for the reason that that suit was brought to set aside the contract, the validity of which had been determined in the prior action, and was not an attack on the judgment itself.
We find no prejudicial error in the record. The judgment is affirmed.
Langdon, P. J., and Brittain, J., concurred.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- MARY HUGHES PATTERSON, Respondent, v. ALMOND CITY LAND AND DEVELOPMENT COMPANY (A Corporation), Et Al., Appellants
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published