Case Title: WASHINGTON v WASHINGTON

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: montana

Court: Montana Supreme Court

Date: 1973-03-23T00:00:00Z

Document:
No. 12413 I N T H E S U P R E M E C O U R T O F THE STATE O F M O N T A N A 1973 - GEORGE M. WASHINGTON, p l a i n t i f f and Respondent, -VS - HESTER P . WASHINGTON, Defendant a d Appellant. Appeal from: D i s t r i c t Court of t h e Thirteenth J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t , Honorable Jack D. Shanstrom, Judge presiding. Counsel of Record: For Appellant : Hutton, Schiltz and Sheehy, Billings, Montana John C.Sheehy argued, Billings, Montana For Respondent: Gary L. Beiswanger argued, Billings, Montana Robert P. Ryan, Billings, Montana Submitted: March 2, 1973 M r . Chief Justice James T. Harrison delivered the Opinion of the Court. This i s a motion t o dismiss the appeal filed by the respondent George M. Washington. The motion requests this Court to dismiss the a ppea 1 : " * * * for the reason that the appellant failed to have prepared a transcript of the evidence presented to the lower court, and that each of the specifications of error * * * raised by defendant would require either an agreed statement of fact or a transcript prepared after hearing * * *. I' The response of appellant, Hester P. Washington, to this contention i s that she i s urging strictly a legal argument and that the record filed with this Court is adequate for that purpose. The underlying action in this appeal i s a divorce action commenced by the respondent in the district court of Y e 1 lowstone County. A decree was entered in that action on December 31, 1971. A property settlement previously entered into by the parties was incorporated in the decree. Following a sale of some property which was covered by the agreement, the appellant petitioned the district court to give her a lien on the proceeds of that sale as security for the money she was to receive from the settlement. The respondent cross- petitioned for a modification of the decree on the ground of change in condi- tions. A hearing was held on the petitions on M a y 17, 1972. There was no court reporter present a t the time of the hearing, but both parties agreed t o proceed with the hearing. During the course of the hearing, the appellant objected to the introduction of any testimony concerning a change of circum- stances of the respondent. The objection was overruled. Respondent then presented testimony concerning his change in financial condition. The matter was taken under advisement and on June 13, 1972, the district court entered an order relieving the respondent of his responsibility for the payment of alimony. On July 17, 1972, the appellant filed her exceptions to the order and a motion for extendon of time in which to f i l e a statement of the evidence. N o action was taken on those motions by the district court and this appeal was filed on August 31 , 1972. The motion to dismiss the appeal was filed on January 23, 1973, after the appellant's brief was filed on December 18, 1972. The motion was heard and both parties presented oral argument through their respec- tive counsel . The issue before this Court is whether the appellant has ful- filled her duty under Rule 9, M.R.App.Civ.P. to furnish a sufficient re- cord on appeal for this Court to decide the controversy. Appellant argues that the appeal concerns: " * * * an issue of law which this court can decide without a transcript of the evidence. The wife's brief filed in this cause on appeal has confined the issues to that precise issue of law." Respondent argues that the issues raised b y the appellant on appeal: " * * * are entirely founded on the insufficiency of the evidence to support the findings of fact of the trial court. " To some degree this Court must agree with the position expressed by the respondent. Rule 9 ( b ) , M.R.App.Civ.P. states: "In all cases where the appellant intends to urge in- sufficiency of the evidence to support the verdict, order or judgment in the district court, it shall be the duty of the appellant to order the entire trans- cript of the evidence.'' In reading appellant's brief, particularly the "statement of issues presented for appeal", it is apparent appellant is urging that the findings of fact upon which the district court made its order were not supported by the evidence. In her issue No. 2 the appellant contends the court committed error in its finding of fact No. 1 because "(b) That from the evidence and from the property settlement agreement * * * ' I ; this is just one example of several similar statements in the brief alleging the findings of fact were not supported by the evidence . It is clear to this Court that to fully decide the matters raised, as complete a record as possible must be supplied. When a hearing is held and there is no court reporter present Rules 9(c) and (d), M.R.App.Civ.P. provide two methods for supplying a record on appeal. Under subsection (c) the appellant may prepare a statement of the evidence and serve it upon the respondent. The respondent then has the opportunity t o make any objections. The statement along w i t h any objections are submitted t o the d i s t r i c t court and the d i s t r i c t judge w i l l s e t t l e the record. Under subsection (d) the parties may make an agreed statement o f the case and along w i t h any additions by the d i s t r i c t court it w i l l be c e r t i f i e d t o t h i s Court as the record on appeal. Either one o f these methods could have been used i n t h i s case and an attempt was commenced by the appellant, as evidenced by her motion f o r an extension o f time t o prepare such a statement o f the evidence, but l a t e r abandoned. Therefore it i s the opinion o f t h i s Court t h a t upon the issues raised by the appellant, the record i s inadequate except as t o the sole issue whether o r n o t as a matter o f law the alimony provision o f the property agreement was integral t o the agreement and not severable and as such was not subject t o modification by the court. As t o any and a l l 0th the motion t o dismiss i s grant M e concur: ssociate Justices