Title: McIntyre v. Dickinson

State: kansas

Issuer: Kansas Supreme Court

Document:

180 Kan. 710 (1957)
307 P.2d 1068
MELZER McINTYRE, Appellant,
v.
ROBERT S. DICKINSON, ALLIE M. DICKINSON, and THE HIAWATHA SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, a Corporation, Appellees.
No. 40,242

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed March 9, 1957.
Robert A. Reeder, of Troy, argued the cause, and George T. Van Bebber, of Troy, was with him on the briefs for the appellant.
Rodman L. Henry, of Hiawatha, argued the cause and L.E. Helvern, of Hiawatha, was with him on the briefs for the appellees.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
HALL, J.:
This was an action to set aside a deed as fraudulent and void. From a judgment for defendant, the plaintiff has appealed, alleging six specification of errors.
On June 9, 1954, a pick-up truck owned by defendant and appellee, Robert Dickinson, driven by his son Oscar Dickinson, then 15 years old, struck and destroyed a tractor injuring the driver Melzer McIntyre, plaintiff and appellant herein.
*711 On September 16, 1954, McIntyre filed suit in the district court of Brown County against Robert and Oscar Dickinson. Service was had by publication upon the defendant Robert Dickinson and personally upon the defendant Robert Dickinson, as father and legal guardian of Oscar Dickinson, a minor. After motion to quash service by publication, Robert Dickinson answered and appeared personally in defense.
On February 8, 1955, McIntyre recovered judgment against Robert and Oscar Dickinson, jointly and severally, in the amount of $2,549.50. Execution issued on this judgment disclosed no property from which the judgment could be satisfied and the judgment remains uncollected.
On January 24, 1946, Robert Dickinson, and Allie Dickinson, his wife, "as joint tenants, with the right of survivorship, and not as tenants in common," acquired real estate in Hiawatha, Brown County, Kansas. The Hiawatha Savings and Loan Association, a defendant but not an appellee herein, later acquired a mortgage on the property and in all these proceedings admittedly has a prior lien.
On November 8, 1954, and while plaintiff's action was pending against defendant Robert Dickinson, defendant Robert Dickinson executed a quit claim deed to his wife Allie Dickinson in conveyance of the real property in Hiawatha.
Sometime during the fall of 1954, the Dickinson family left Hiawatha for Ohio.
On March 2, 1955, McIntyre filed this action seeking to have the quit claim deed of November 8, 1954, set aside and claimed Robert Dickinson's equity in the Hiawatha real estate to satisfy his judgment.
McIntyre alleged Dickinson's conveyance to his wife was made with intent to hinder, delay, or defraud McIntyre.
Robert and Allie Dickinson alleged they were residents of Hiawatha, Brown County, Kansas, at all times and that their absence in Ohio was temporary. They further alleged that Robert Dickinson had no interest, title, or ownership in the property in question and that the same had been purchased by Allie Dickinson with her own funds and that said property was held as an estate by the entirety and as a homestead.
The matter was tried by the court and the court held for the defendants on all issues.
*712 Plaintiff moved for a new trial and the motion was overruled.
Notice of appeal was then taken and because of its importance to the decision of this case is set out in full.
"NOTICE OF APPEAL TO THE SUPREME COURT
"Dated this 17th day of January, 1956."
Following the rules of this court (No. 5. Abstracts), plaintiff and appellant filed abstract and brief with required specifications of error complained of, separately set forth and numbered.
Because of their importance to the decision of this case, the specifications of error are set out in full.
"SPECIFICATIONS OF ERROR
*713 Plaintiff and appellant asks review of his specification of errors. Defendants and appellees object on the ground that although an appeal was taken from the action of the trial court in overruling the motion for new trial the ruling on the motion is not specified as error; consequently, trial errors are not subject to appellate review and plaintiff's specifications present nothing for this court to review.
Defendants correctly state the rule  harsh as it may be  and the court is firmly committed to it.
See a long line of cases dealing with the point. Roper v. Ferris, 48 Kan. 583, 29 Pac. 1146; Gas Co. v. Dooley, 73 Kan. 758, 84 Pac. 719; Brewer v. Harris, 147 Kan. 197, 75 P.2d 287; and Heniff v. Clausen, 154 Kan. 717, 121 P.2d 196.
A more recent case (McCarty v. Kansas-Nebraska Natural Gas Co., 176 Kan. 386, 271 P.2d 264) reviews most of the more recent cases on this point in the following language:
The same rule is followed where no motion for new trial is filed, or if filed, is not appealed. One of the latest cases on this point is Rasmussen v. Tretbar, 170 Kan. 184, 224 P.2d 1010. See, also, Baker v. Maguire's Inc., 176 Kan. 579, 272 P.2d 739.
The later cases have made it very clear that the ruling of the trial court on the motion for new trial must be included both in the notice of appeal and the specification of errors. See State, ex rel., v. Miller, 177 Kan. 324, Syl. 1, 279 P.2d 223; and, also, Drennan v. Chalfant, 177 Kan. 633, 282 P.2d 442, where it was stated:
The record on this appeal is clearly not within the rule. Although appeal is taken in the notice from the action of the trial court in overruling the motion for new trial, it is not specified as error.
Appellant contends that the rule only limits the court's scope of review and that other properly specified errors may be considered. His contention is based upon this clarification of the rule in State, ex rel., v. Miller, supra, where the court said:
This brings us to a consideration of the specification of errors Nos. 1 to 5, and whether or not the findings of fact support the judgments complained of.
The court found: (1) That the plaintiff failed to offer any evidence of fraud. (2) That the property was purchased by the defendant *715 Allie Dickinson from her own funds and resources and that defendant Robert Dickinson acquired no interest in the title or ownership of the property. (3) That the property was the homestead of the defendants and had not been abandoned as such. These findings clearly support the judgments specified as error.
The court also found as a matter of law the property was held by the entirety. This conclusion is open to question but since the court found and concluded that the property was a homestead, a review of the findings would accomplish nothing and a failure to do so is not prejudicial to this appeal.
The sixth specification of error presents nothing for appellate review. See Gale v. Fruehauf Trailer Co., 158 Kan. 30, 145 P.2d 125. In that case the court said:
And in the case of In re Estate of Young, 169 Kan. 20, Syl. 2, 217 P.2d 269, the court said:
In more recent cases, the court has strictly adhered to the rule.
Appellant also contends that his failure to specify as error the overruling of the motion for new trial comes within the language of Byer v. Rural High School Dist. No. 4, 169 Kan. 351, 219 P.2d 382, where the court allowed the abstract to be amended by filing specification of errors out of time. He also cites North American Finance Corporation v. Circle-B, Inc., 180 Kan. 34, 299 P.2d 576. While there is language in the latter case recognizing the discretion of the court under Rule No. 5, the court states:
The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.