Case Name: Sly, Respondent, vs. Village of Kilbourn City, Appellant
Court: Wisconsin Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Wisconsin
Decision Date: 1910-12-06
Citations: 144 Wis. 203
Docket Number: 
Parties: Sly, Respondent, vs. Village of Kilbourn City, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Wisconsin Reports
Volume: 144
Pages: 203–205

Head Matter:
Sly, Respondent, vs. Village of Kilbourn City, Appellant.
November 17 —
December 6, 1910.
Bill of exceptions: Service: Extension of time: Appealable order: Discretion: Terms.
1. The time limited in sec. 2876, Stats. (1898), for service of a proposed bill of exceptions may, after its expiration, be extended by the circuit court in discretion and upon conditions.
2. An order so extending such time is within subd. 2, sec. 3069, Stats. (1898), and appealable if there is an abuse of discretion. Language used in Hatch v. Kurtzweil, 112 Wis. 231, and Wood v. Blythe, 42 Wis. 300, corrected and restrained.
3. As a condition of granting such order the circuit court may require the moving party to stipulate that the cause be placed on the calendar for the next term of the supreme court and to perfect the appeal within ten days, in default of which the motion should be considered denied.
4. There was no abuse of discretion in annexing such a condition to the order, where the moving party had ample time and means, to comply with its terms.
Appeal from an order of the circuit court for Columbia county: Chester A. Eowler, Circuit Judge.
Dismissed.
Eor the appellant there was a brief by J ames F. Dougherty and Edward E. Ryan, and oral argument by Mr. Ryan.
Among other references they cited Cleveland v. Hoplcins, 55 Wis. 387, 13 N. W. 225; Johnson v. Eldred, 13 Wis. 482; Jones v. Walker, 22 Wis. 220; Smith v. Barron Co. 44 Wis. 686; Union Nat. Banh v. Benjamin, 61 Wis. 512, 21 N. W. ■523; Butler v. Mitchell, 17 Wis. 52; Belli v. Schmite, 95 Wis. 441, 70 N. W. 559; Morgan v. Bishop, 61 Wis. 407, 21 .N. W. 263.
Eor tbe respondent there was a brief by N. B. Van JDylce, ■attorney, and Grotophorst, Evans & Thomas, of counsel, and •oral argument by E. A. Evans.
They cited, besides "other -cases, Tenney v. Madison, 99 Wis. 539, 75 N. W. 979; Glover ■v. Wells & M. G. Go. 93 Wis. 13, 66 N. W. 799; Central Nat. Banh v. Brand, 100 Wis. 648, 76 N. W. 608.

Opinion:
TimliN, J.
The sixty days within which a proposed hill of exceptions should be served (sec. 2876, Stats. 1898) having •expired, the appellant applied to the circuit court for an order extending the time. The court on July 25, 1910, granted the motion, but upon condition that "the defendant stipulate that the cause be placed upon the August, 1910, term of the supreme court for the state of Wisconsin upon motion as by the •supreme court rules provided, and that they will, within ten days from the service of this order, perfect their said appeal." There was also a provision to carry those conditions into effect and an imposition of ten dollars costs. This appeal is from that part of the order imposing conditions.
Sec. 2831, Stats. (1898), gives the circuit court power, "on motion and good cause shown, in discretion and upon such terms as may be just, [to] allow any such proceeding to be taken after the time limited by or in pursuance of the statute." Respondent first contends that the order is not appeal-able. Subd. 2 of sec. 3069, Stats. (1898), authorizes an appeal from a "final order affecting a substantial right made . . . upon a summary application in an action after judgment." There is no question but that this was a final order made upon a summary application in an action after judgment. But it is contended that the order does not affect a substantial right and therefore is not appealable.
It baa long been a rule of practice in tbis court that upon appeal from discretionary orders, if tbe discretion of tbe court below bas been abused, tbe order will be reversed, but if it is found that tbe discretion bas not been abused tbe appeal will be dismissed. McCarville v. Boyle, 89 Wis. 651, 62 N. W. 517; McElroy v. Minnesota P. H. Co. 109 Wis. 116, 85 N. W. 119; Lessig v. Lessig, 136 Wis. 403, 117 N. W. 792. In tbe interest of uniformity tbis rule should be applied to an appeal of tbe bind in question bere, and in that sense tbe order is appealable. Ray v. Hixon, 90 Wis. 39, 62 N. W. 922; Evans v. St. Paul F. & M. Ins. Co. 54 Wis. 522, 11 N. W. 556; McElroy v. Minnesota P. H. Co., supra. Tbe language-used in Hatch v. Kurtzweil, 112 Wis. 231, 87 N. W. 1082, and Wood v. Blythe, 42 Wis. 300, stating generally that orders of tbis kind are not appealable, is too broad and should' be restrained.
Tbe conditions annexed by tbe court below to tbe order in tbis case were within tbe power of that court and not unduly onerous. Tbe appellant at tbe date of tbe order bad tbe official stenographer's transcript of tbe testimony. Tbe additional labor required for compilation of tbe bill of exceptions, was not great. Tbe appellant bad ample means and could have complied with tbe terms imposed, and its refusal to do so was without reasonable or just excuse. We find no abuse of discretion in annexing tbe condition complained of to tbe order in question, and therefore dismiss tbe appeal.
By the Court. — Appeal dismissed.