Ruley v. Foley
Ruley v. Foley
Opinion of the Court
Foley brought a suit in' equity in the circuit court of Dod-dridge county for himself and other lien creditors against F. J. Ruley & Bro. to enforce his own and other liens against lands of Ruley & Bro., and on 6th September, 1894, a decree was made fixing liens on the lands and directing a sale for their payment. An appeal to this Court was allowed 25th October, 1894, and the decree was by this Court affirmed 28th April, 1897, as appears in 43 W. Va. 513.
On 26th April, 1900, the circuit court allowed a bill of review to be filed seeking to reverse said decree on newly discovered evidence. Later the court allowed an amended bill of review to be filed. On 17th July, 1902, Ruley & Bro. asked leave to file an amended and supplemental bill of review making a new party; but upon objection the court refused to allow it to be filed, and from the decree rejecting it Ruley & Bro. appeal.
The decree of the circuit court was an appealable final decree, from which a bill of review for either error of law or new evidence will lie. Lehman v. Hinton, 44 W. Va. 1; Core v. Strickler, 24 W. Va. 689; Hogg’s Eq. Procedure, section 568a-The limitation for a bill of review is three years from the decree. Dunfee v. Childs, 45 W. Va. 155. The appellants seek to save their bill of review by excluding the time, not merely from the allowance of the appeal, but from the decree to the decision by the Supreme Court. Plainly the way was open for a bill of review at once upon the decree and the limitation started at its date.
Even if we exclude time from the allowance to the decision of the appeal, tire right to file a bill of review was barred when the original bill of review was filed. But can we exclude any time ? If there be an appeal, and it ends without decision, and then a bill of review is filed for error of law, the time of the pendency of the appeal is excluded, because there can be no bill of review for error of law pending an appeal. Since the appeal carries the case to the higher court, and while there the lower court can make, no change in it for any matter of law involved in the record. Ensminger v. Powers, 108 U. S. 292; Beach, Mod. Eq. Prac. section 863; Dunbar v. Dunbar, 5 W. Va. 567; 2 Ency. Pl. & Pr. 327; 2 Cyc. 967.
Decree affirmed. Affirmed.
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