Leonard v. Belanger
Leonard v. Belanger
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
By the Court,
Respondent Stella B. Leonard, formerly known as Stella B. Leonard Belanger, recovered a judgment against David J. Belanger, H. M. Childers and Vincent Vrenon for the return of forty-one milk cows and two bulls and for an accounting of the proceeds of sales of milk and sales of calves from said cows during the period of the defendants’ alleged unlawful possession of them, and for her costs. Childers and Vrenon appealed from the judgment and from the order denying their motion for new trial, and respondent has moved to dismiss their appeal upon the general ground, hereinafter more Specifically discussed, that they have no present interest in the subject matter of the judgment, that they are accordingly not aggriéved parties, that they have specifically disclaimed any interest or claim of ownership or right to possession of the cattle in controversy and that any controversy over the ownership of the cattle has become moot so far as they are concerned. It will be necessary to trace the ramifications of the various phases of the litigation that have involved these parties and the livestock in question up to the present point. It will avoid confusion if we refer to the parties by name.
On June 25, 1948, Stella B. Leonard, then Stella B. Leonard Belanger, commenced a divorce action against David J. Belanger, which also involved the issue of the
The action against Belanger, Childers and Vrenon was commenced November 4,1948, and was tried October 19, 1949. Honorable Clark J. Guild presided in the divorce action, and Honorable Merwyn H. Brown presided in the second action. In the latter, the court made findings to the effect that neither Childers nor Vrenon was a bona fide purchaser without notice and that neither obtained any title to the cattle by reason of the purported sales. The conclusions of law and judgment based on these findings followed in due course and ordered, adjudged and decreed that Vrenon return the cattle to Childers and that Childers return them to Mrs. Leonard.
This judgment was immediately, on October 21, 1949, docketed in the office of the clerk of the district court and execution issued thereunder, commanding the sheriff of Churchill County to deliver the possession of said cattle to plaintiff. The sheriff served the execution on Vrenon, who advised that the cattle were located on the ranch premises of Milton A. Bowler and Milton D. Bowler in said county, and led the sheriff to such Bowler ranch by preceding the sheriff’s car in Vrenon’s own car. The sheriff found the cattle on the Bowler premises and, with the exception of one of the bulls which apparently had died, removed the cattle' and placed them in possession of Mrs. Leonard, and filed his return.
The Bowlers filed a statutory third-party claim, alleging that they were the owners and entitled to the possession of the cattle and demanding their return. No proceedings were had as provided by the third-party claim statute to determine ownership or right of possession, nor did the sheriff exact from Mrs. Leonard a bond against the Bowlers’ third-party claim.
The Bowlers then sought a writ of mandamus from the district court commanding the sheriff to return the cattle to them, but after a hearing the writ was denied and the proceedings dismissed. The Bowlers then filed their petition with this court for a similar writ of mandamus.
We granted the writ of mandamus, Bowler v. Vannoy, etc., 67 Nev. 80, 215 P.2d 248, and explained briefly in denying a petition for rehearing, Bowler v. Vannoy, 67 Nev. 113, 216 P.2d 274, the reason therefor. We there said: “Respondent sheriff, armed with a writ against Vrenon, ordering respondent to deliver certain livestock to Mrs. Leonard, found the cattle in the possession of the Bowlers, who were not parties to the writ or to the action, and who claimed title and right of possession. It was the sheriff’s clear mandatory duty, in the absence of any process directed against the Bowlers, in the first place to respect their claim of title and claim of right to possession, and in the second place to honor their third party claim in default of Mrs. Leonard’s bonding against it and in the absence of proceedings under the third party claim statute.”
Our original opinion in the mandamus proceeding was filed February 10,1950, and our order denying rehearing on March 27,1950. It now appears that on February 14, 1950, Mrs. Leonard initiated proceedings supplementary to execution in the district court and in aid of the judgment and execution against Childers and Vrenon, which came on for hearing on April 29, 1950, and in which Childers, Vrenon, Milton D. Bowler, Milton A. Bowler, and one J. Price Ronnow (who apparently acted as an agent for the person lending the Bowlers part of the purchase price of the cattle in question) were called and examined as witnesses. At this hearing the Bowlers were represented by Messrs. Griswold and Vargas, and Childers and Vrenon were represented by Mr. Royal A. Stewart, who had not appeared in the district court trial against them but who represents them in the present proceeding. We have before us, as part of the record
In these proceedings not only did Milton D. Bowler and Milton A. Bowler both testify positively to their purchase of the cattle from Vrenon and the date and circumstances and delivery and payment and other matters in connection therewith, and to their continued possession and ownership following such purchase (except for the few days when they were in the possession of Mrs. Leonard after the sheriff’s seizure under the writ of execution), but their counsel now, appearing as amici curiae, vigorously supporting the position of Childers and Vrenon, constantly and repeatedly made clear to the court his position that Childers and Vrenon had parted with their ownership and that the Bowlers were the owners. Childers also in the same proceeding executed an affidavit denying that he refused to comply with the judgment for the return of the cattle, alleging that in purchasing, the cattle from Belanger he acted only as a buyer for Valley Livestock Company by whom he was employed, and that the cattle had been transferred to Vrenon long before said action had been commenced, and that it was beyond his power to return any cattle to the plaintiff or any other person.
Appellants lay particular stress upon the fact that the consistent disclaimers of Childers and Vrenon of any interest in the cattle are to be taken as conditional only. They refer to the question asked Vrenon in the supplementary proceedings, “Is it your contention at the present time that you have no interest whatsoever in the cattle?” and to his answer, “No. So far as interest in the cattle, as long as they are obligated and they pay me the obligation, I have none.” In like manner they refer to Vrenon’s testimony that he claimed no interest in the cattle so long as he was paid the balance of his money. They assert that the evidence shows not only that there is a balance due Vrenon of $7,000 from the Bowlers as the balance of the purchase price of the cattle, but a possible liability on his part to repay some $3,000 paid by the Bowlers. There is also some testimony, it is claimed, indicating that the $7,000 is on deposit on escrow to be paid to Vrenon when and if the litigation is terminated and the Belanger-Childers-Vrenon-Bowler title is held to be clear. All this is asserted as substantiating the view that Childers and Vrenon are aggrieved parties entitled to appeal. The position of Vrenon would, according to his counsel, make his status substantially that of one who had sold upon a conditional contract or a title retaining contract of sale
The writer of this opinion concurred reluctantly in the order granting the writ of mandamus against the sheriff and ordering the sheriff to return to the Bowlers the cattle taken from them under the judgment and execution against Vrenon and Childers. Bowler v. Vannoy, 67 Nev. 80, 215 P.2d 248, 264. The grounds of such reluctance were there stated, the fourth ground being “because our opinion and judgment in this proceeding can determine nothing as to the conflicting claims of the parties and because such conflicting claims have not yet been determined.” No one in connection with any of these proceedings has claimed at any time that title or right to possession could be determined either in the proceedings supplementary to execution or in the mandamus proceeding had in this court. Mrs. Leonard first sought to establish her title to the cattle in her divorce action against her husband. Her title was there so determined, but relief under the judgment could not be obtained by reason of his attempted sale and his delivery of the cattle to Childers and the subsequent delivery of the cattle by Childers to Vrenon. She thereupon commenced the action against the latter two and obtained a judgment for the return of these cattle. In that action
Their testimony at the trial was to like effect and at the time of the trial of the action proper the cattle were still on Vrenon’s ranch, and his counsel were familiar with that situation.
The foregoing situation is detailed because of the present insistence, of appellants and amici curiae that if appellants have no present interest entitling them to appeal, they likewise had no interest which justified the plaintiff in making them defendants in the action, and that if plaintiff thus made them defendants; she is in no position now to assert that they have not sufficient interest to entitle them to appeal from an adverse judgment. The situation however thus relied on by appellants is one not chargeable to respondent, as is abundantly clear- not only from the matter above recited but from other parts of the record.
This conclusion is strengthened by appellants’ own analysis of their pleadings in the district court: “The separate answer of the defendant Childers puts in issue the material allegations of respondent’s complaint * * * and sets up a purchase in good faith. * * * The defendant Vrenon by separate answer denied * * * the material allegations of the respondent’s complaint and alleged purchase * * * without notice of the plaintiff’s claim. * *
The following chronology of the proceeding becomes important, bearing in mind that Bowler testified that three or four or five months after the first part of August, 1948, he learned that Mrs. Leonard “was suing Childers for the cows” — the same cows that Bowler had in his possession.
June 25, 1948 — Complaint for divorce, Belanger v. Belanger.
July 31, 1948 — Sale, Belanger to Childers (Saturday noon).
August 4 (?), 1948 — Sale, Childers to Vrenon.
August ? 1948 — Sale, Vrenon to Bowler.
September 10, 1948 — Bill of sale, Childers to Vrenon.
November 4,1948 — Complaint, Mrs. Leonard v. Belanger, Childers and Vrenon.
October 19, 1949 — Judgment against Childers and Vrenon for delivery of cattle to Mrs. Leonard.
October 21, 1949 — Execution. Cattle taken from possession of Bowlers.
October 25, 1949 — Bowler third-party claim filed with sheriff.
November 30, 1949 — Childers and Vrenon notice of appeal served.
December 8, 1949 — Petition for mandamus. Bowler v. Vannoy, sheriff.
December 22, 1949 — Petition for mandamus argued.
January 3, 1950 — Petition for mandamus submitted.
February 10,1950 — Opinion filed granting mandamus. 67 Nev. 80, 215 P.2d 248.
April 21,1950 — Childers and Vrenon opening brief on appeal on merits filed.
April 29, 1950 — Proceedings supplementary to execution. Vrenon for first time disclaims title.
June 2, 1950 — Mrs. Leonard’s notice of motion to dismiss appeal filed.
June 28, 1950 — Same argued and submitted.
While it is true that the consideration of this motion to dismiss the appeal does not involve any determination of the actual ownership of the cattle and while such determination was not involved in the mandamus proceeding, it is significant that the chief justice’s analysis of the facts in his opinion in that proceeding, Bowler v. Vannoy, 67 Nev. 80, 215 P.2d 248, was to the effect that, at least to the- extent of twenty-six cows and two bulls, Bowler had purchased the same from Vrenon in the beginning of August, 1948, at which time Vrenon had placed in escrow a written bill of sale; that Vrenon did not receive a bill of sale from Childers till September 10, 1948, but that this was “most likely” pursuant to a prior written or oral agreement between Childers and Vrenon; that Vrenon’s testimony claiming ownership of the cattle because they had not been paid for by Bowler was merely his own conception of the transaction; and that
Appellants place strong reliance on Doyle v. Hays Land & Investment Co., 80 Kan. 209, 102 P. 496, 501, 133 Am.St.Rep. 199. Doyle, named as a defendant as claiming an interest in property sought to be foreclosed, offered proof of his claim. After he had rested the plaintiff offered in evidence a deed, recorded after the commencement of the action, showing that Doyle had conveyed his interest. The decree went against Doyle and he appealed. On motion to dismiss the appeal the court said: “Hence the defendant Doyle was a proper party, and, if he and his grantee were content to have it proceed to judgment against him, it is not perceived why the plaintiff should complain.” (The Kansas statute, quoted by the court, is similar to our own, providing that, upon the transfer of an interest during the pendency of an action, it may be continued in the name of the original party, or the court may allow substitution to be made.) No authority is cited for the court’s ruling, and no reason given other than the one so casually stated. It may be correct in some cases but not necessarily in all cases. More logical is the rule stated in 88 A.L.R. 1159, quoted with approval by this court in Kenney v. Hickey, 60 Nev. 187, 105 P.2d 192: “The mere fact that a party could properly arouse the jurisdiction of the court below does not establish his right to appeal from an adverse decision.” But a more logical analysis of Doyle v. Hays appears in Brunson v. Lightfoot, 87 Okl. 202, 209 P. 922, 924. Brunson had disclaimed in his answer to a complaint seeking cancellation of a deed and to quiet title in plaintiff, and the court rendered
In Gibbons v. Cannaven, 393 Ill. 376, 66 N.E.2d 370, 377, 169 A.L.R. 1190, a statutory action against an operator of a night club for damages for selling intoxicating liquor to a person who, by reason of such intoxication, assaulted plaintiff, the owner and lessor of the property sought to intervene and to appeal from the judgment. He claimed to be aggrieved by the judgment because the statute permitted the judgment to be a lien upon the property, enforceable by sale thereof. While much of the case deals with the statute itself and the determination that it did not violate any constitutional guarantees, it is the strongest direct answer coming to our attention, to the assertion that by the judgment in the instant case Childers becomes liable upon his statutory implied warranty of title to Vrenon and Vrenon becomes liable on his asserted written warranty of title to Bowler and that Vrenon will also lose the $7,000 balance “held in escrow” out of the money advanced by Ronnow’s clients for the purchase of the cattle by the Bowlers — the payment of such money being subject to various other commitments through the Sparks branch of the First National Bank of Nevada and through the Faílon branch of the same bank. The Illinois Supreme Court said:
It is true that in Lane v. Ferre, 147 La. 796, 86 So. 186, 187, the court said: “Moreover, as it appears from the deed annexed to the motion to dismiss that plaintiff sold the property with warranty of title, he has an appealable interest.” However, no reason is stated for so holding, and the only authority referred to is Simon v. Richard, 42 La.Ann. 842, 8 So. 629. The facts in the latter case are complicated and difficult and the opinion itself is not entirely clear, but we are unable to draw from it the rule enunciated.
Likewise in State ex rel. Race v. Cranney, 30 Wash. 594, 71 P. 50, the court said: “If a party has sufficient
The rule of law upon which respondent relies is thus stated in 4 C.J.S., Appeal and Error, sec. 180, p. 352: “Parties who disclaim any interest in the subject matter in litigation cannot appeal, where no costs are taxed against them, although an order is made denying a petition to strike their names from the files; but this rule does not prevent a person from appealing, although he has denied or disclaimed interest, if a personal or otherwise prejudicial judgment or decree is nevertheless rendered against him, as in the case of a deficiency judgment in a suit to foreclose a mortgage, and in other like cases.”
The judgment in the present case, as noted, was simply for the return of the cattle by Childers to Vrenon and by Vrenon to Mrs. Leonard. The costs and accounting awarded to Mrs. Leonard were waived by her and are out of the case. The plaintiff did not seek and was not awarded a judgment in the alternative. No money judgment of any kind is involved.
Treating then the situation as involving a defendant who had once owned an interest in the property but whose interest in the subject matter of the action had ceased either before or during the pendency of the action, the general rule is thus stated in the text. 4 C.J.S., Appeal and Error, sec. 181: “The general rule is that a party cannot prosecute an appeal or writ of error to reverse a judgment, order, or decree, where his interest in the subject matter or controversy has ceased, either before the suit was commenced or pendente lite, by conveyance, sale, assignment, release, or operation of law, so that the judgment, order, or' decree does not
In support of the first clause above is cited Moore v. Jenks, 173 Ill. 157, 50 N.E. 698. In that action Jenks had filed a cross bill to Moore’s complaint for a mortgage foreclosure, in which Jenks set up his ownership of a sheriff’s certificate of sale to the property. Moore, in answer to the cross bill, alleged Jenks’ assignment thereof to Morgan & Wright and their assignment to Woodland, that Woodland was the owner and that appellant had no longer any interest in the property, and asking that Woodland be substituted. This was denied. Jenks appealed from an adverse judgment and a motion was made to dismiss the appeal by invoking “the well known rule * * * that a party cannot assign as error that which does not affect him or his rights but is prejudicial only to others, who do npt complain.” The court held that such rule did not apply because the transfer was made pendente lite and the final decision would be binding not only on the parties litigant but on those who derived title under them by alienations made pending the suit; that Woodland, holding under Jenks, had important rights at stake, that the decree set aside the certificate of sale of which he was the owner and for which he had paid some $17,000 to redeem from a sale under a trust deed and that, whether or not the court was correct in refusing to grant Woodland’s petition to be made a party defendant, it was apparent that the
In support of the text statement in C.J.S. cited above to the effect that in other exceptional cases appeals have been permitted after a conveyance, sale or assignment by the appellant, cases are cited which have no application here. A typical example is that of a grantor taking a purchase money mortgage back from his grantee. Another is where the property claimed by appellant has been sold on foreclosure and he owns the equity of redemption. A cross reference is made to sections 404 and following of the text involving statutory prosecution of an action or an appeal after transfer either in the name of the original party or by substitution.
Appellants also rely on N.C.L., sec. 8561, which provides: “An action shall not abate by the death or other disability, of a party, or by the transfer of any interest therein, if the cause of action survive or continue. * * * In case of any other transfer of interest, the action may be continued in the name of the original party, or the court may allow the person to whom the transfer is made to be substituted in the action. * * *” No authorities are cited to support the contention that this section authorizes Childers and Vrenon to appeal as aggrieved parties. California, under a similar statute, has consistently held that this statute was for the benefit of the transferee, and gave to the transferee only the option to proceed through himself or in the name of his grantor. “Under that section it was the right of the successors in interest in this case to prosecute this action in one of these forms. The party who had transferred his interest divested himself of any power to control the action.” Tuffree v. Stearns Ranchos Co., 124 Cal. 306, 57 P. 69, 70, and cases therein cited. See also Cranmer v. Howard, 45 S.D. 136, 183 N.W. 124.
In the present case it is strongly urged that despite
It is clear that this situation is entirely different from that appearing in Moore v. Jenks or in the various cases cited by appellants as exceptions to the general rule stated in the text and in many cases cited by respondent.
In Hartford National Bank & Trust Co. v. Malcolm-Smith, 129 Conn. 67, 26 A.2d 234, 235, 140 A.L.R. 805, the trust company appealed from an action of the superior court erasing from the docket an appeal from a decree of the probate court removing the plaintiff as trustee of a testamentary trust. In support of its right to appeal as an aggrieved party, the trust company claimed that the finding of the probate court that it had neglected its duty would be res adjudicata should it be sued for damages for such fault, and that therefore it
On the present motion to dismiss the appeal both parties are rather canny in their statements as to whether or not the judgment, decreeing ownership and right of possession of the cattle to be in Mrs. Leonard in her suit against Childers and Vrenon, would be res adjudicata in a subsequent action brought by Mrs. Leonard against the Bowlers for recovery of the same cattle sold to them by Vrenon before the commencement of the present action. Amici curiae state that in Mrs. Leonard’s proposed action against the Bowlers (in the supplementary proceedings she was given permission to commence such action) she “will set up as against them her alleged title under the divorce decree and under the present judgment. She will contend that if, as this judgment states, Vrenon did not receive title, he, could not convey to the Bowlers,” and that the questions involved in the appeal are thus important with reference “to the eifect of the judgment upon the rights of third parties [the Bowlers].” Thus, amici curiae do not definitely bind themselves by an admission that the judgment would be res adjudicata in such subsequent suit against the Bowlers, but allege their belief that such doctrine of res adjudicata would be asserted. Appellants also emphasize the implied warranty of Childers and the express
Careful consideration has been given to other arguments, points and authorities presented in the voluminous briefs of the parties, as well as to the four volumes of transcripts of the four separate proceedings submitted as exhibits in connection with the motion to dismiss the appeal. Such additional matters have not been overlooked, but we find a discussion of them unnecessary.
We hold (1) that appellants Childers and Vrenon, by reason of their disclaimers of title made under the circumstances herein recited, are neither such aggrieved parties, nor have they such direct interest in the subject matter of the action or the appeal, as to permit them, or either of them, to appeal from the judgment or from the order denying their motion for a new trial; (2) that, under the circumstances appearing, respondent is not by mere reason of the fact that she made appellants defendants in the action, estopped from moving to dismiss their appeal; (3) that a possible claim of res judicata in a possible future action by Leonard against Bowler, a possible suit of Bowler against Vrenon for breach of an alleged warranty of title, a possible suit of Vrenon against Childers for breach of an alleged implied warranty of title, or possible litigation growing out of an alleged escrow whereunder some $7,000 is said to be withheld from Vrenon by Bowler’s financial backers, cannot, nor can any of these possibilities, remove the position of Childers or Vrenon from the effect of the general rule and (4) that neither Childers nor Vrenon is authorized to prosecute the appeal by authority of the provisions of N.C.L., sec. 8561.
The motion to dismiss the appeal is granted and the appeal is dismissed, with costs to respondent.
Messrs. Griswold and Vargas, originally attorneys for Belanger in the divorce proceedings, and attorney for the Bowlers in the mandamus proceeding in the district court, and attorneys for the Bowlers in the mandamus proceeding in this court, and attorneys for the Bowlers in the proceedings supplementary to execution in the district court hereinafter discussed, and attorneys for the witness Ron-now in such supplementary proceedings, were by ex parte order of this court permitted to appear in this proceeding as amici curiae. Respondent, with much justification, asserts that under the circumstances the order permitting the appearance of amici curiae was an inadvertence, but in view of the conclusions reached in this opinion it becomes unnecessary to discuss the point.
The briefs and the record deal voluminously with the question as to whether Childers or Valley Livestock Co. was Belanger’s grantee and Vrenon’s grantor. The court’s finding that Belanger’s sale was to Childers and that the sale to Vrenon was from Childers, is amply supported by the evidence, and we find it unnecessary to discuss this phase of the case further.
*The record takes ns still further back. In the Belanger divorce action, Mrs. Belanger had obtained a restraining order restraining Belanger from selling or encumbering the cattle or taking any of the proceeds of milk sales. Belanger, through his attorneys, who are amici curiae herein, moved to vacate this order, on the ground that Belanger and Mrs. Belanger each owned am, undivided half interest in the cattle, that Belanger did not intend to and did not contemplate selling any of the cattle, but desired permission to use the proceeds of the milk sales so as to be able to carry on the business for the benefit of both parties. Thereafter a stipulation
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting).
After having read carefully the opinion on motion to dismiss the appeal in the instant case, ably expressed by Mr. Justice Badt and in which Mr. Justice Eather has concurred, I cannot find myself sufficiently in agreement to justify concurrence, and, therefore, I am impelled to dissent.
In view of the fact that the defendants, Childers and
It is true that Childers and Vrenon, in the midst of the proceedings in the court below, were led to admit affirmatively that, in effect, they had parted with their possession of said cattle, and that, in effect, they had disclaimed title or possession of them. I do not believe, however, that solely because of such disclaimer by Childers and Vrenon, that equitably and fairly such acknowledged transfer of possession of the cattle from Belanger to Childers and then from Childers to Vrenon, and their subsequent transfer from Vrenon to the Bowlers (the latter not being parties to the proceeding) necessarily should have precluded, because of such transfer, the determination of the other existing obligations that had arisen as to the several transactions between these respective parties, and which, assuming that certain factors were disclosed from the evidence at the proceeding, may properly, from a legal standpoint, justify further consideration as between the rights of Mrs. Leonard and those of Childers and Vrenon. Mrs. Leonard, formerly Mrs. Belanger, and Mr. Belanger were husband and wife, and divorce was pending. A restraining order preventing Belanger from making sales of milk from the cows and collecting the proceeds, had been released, and it may have been that Belanger took advantage of such restraining order having been released, and may have reported to Childers that he had authority, as agent for Mrs. Leonard, to sell such cattle to Childers, and Childers may have believed him, and the transfer may have
This justice has been fully occupied in writing opinions in other cases, and has not had an opportunity fully to read and consider the evidence adduced in the court below in such supplementary proceeding. Notwithstanding that fact, he feels impelled, in view of the opinion of the majority of the justices of this court, that he not delay further the filing of the majority opinion. It seems to me that in this proceeding, complicated as it is, and involving serious conflicts of the evidence, that there should not be a dismissal of the appeal, but that, on the contrary, equity and justice, in my opinion, require a full consideration of the appeal upon its merits, particularly as to the questions of law involved.
070rehearing
On Petition for Rehearing
(On motion to dismiss appeal)
Rehearing denied.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- STELLA B. LEONARD, Formerly Known as Stella B. Leonard Belanger, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. DAVID J. BELANGER, H. M. CHILDERS and VINCENT VRENON, Individually and Doing Business Under the Name and Style of Modern Dairy, Defendants and Appellants
- Cited By
- 10 cases
- Status
- Published