Title: Schindler v. Ross
Citation: 182 Kan. 277, 320 P.2d 813
Docket Number: 40,714
State: Kansas
Issuer: Kansas Supreme Court
Date: January 25, 1958

182 Kan. 277 (1958)
320 P.2d 813
HENRY SCHINDLER, A.W. MOSHER, JACK BENEDICT and W.J. WINTER, Appellees,
v.
ELSIE ROSS, (THE COOPERATIVE REFINERY ASSOCIATION, a Corporation, Defendant), Appellant.
No. 40,714

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed January 25, 1958.
Tweed W. Ross, of Beloit, argued the cause and was on the briefs for the appellant.
Wayne McCaslin, of Stockton, argued the cause and was on the briefs for the appellees.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
PARKER, C.J.:
Plaintiffs, Henry Schindler, et al., commenced an action to recover money paid under mistake of fact against the defendants Elsie Ross and The Cooperative Refinery Association, a corporation, by filing a petition containing allegations which were *278 sufficient to state a cause of action for that relief. Answers were filed by the defendants consisting of a general denial and other allegations relied on as precluding plaintiffs' right to recover in the action.
Following joinder of issue on questions relating to liability the cause came on for trial by the court, a jury trial having been waived. Thereupon attorneys for plaintiffs and attorneys for defendants agreed upon a part of the facts in the case, none of which is to be found in the record presented on appellate review. Thereafter plaintiffs presented their evidence and defendant Ross's demurrer thereto was overruled. Such defendant then presented her evidence and plaintiffs offered rebuttal evidence. If the defendant association produced evidence the record contains no reference thereto.
At the conclusion of all evidence offered the court took the cause under advisement and, having been requested at the start of the trial to make findings of fact and conclusions of law, it directed the parties to prepare and present suggested findings of fact and conclusions of law. The record indicates compliance with this instruction but fails to include or make reference to any such findings or conclusions.
Eventually the trial court made extended and complete findings of fact. They clearly reflect the facts, which do not appear from the limited evidence abstracted, on which the rights of the parties must stand or fall. Since it is not contended that such findings are unsupported by the evidence, that they are incomplete or that further findings should have been made, and, since an examination of the record discloses they are all supported by competent testimony, they must be regarded by this court as the facts of the case. They read:
The trial court's conclusions of law, returned along with its findings, are as follows:
After handing down the foregoing findings and conclusions the court rendered judgment in accord therewith against Elsie Ross and the Cooperative Refinery Association for the sum of $1,614 with interest at six percent from June 22, 1956.
At this point we pause to note the judgment exceeds by $405.06 the amount ($1,208.94) found to have been overpaid Elsie Ross. Therefore, since the petition sought interest from the date of the first overpayment on November 15, 1950, and the trial court found (See finding of fact No. 11) plaintiff should have judgment as prayed for in that pleading, it may be assumed this excess represents interest at six percent from the date last mentioned to June 22, 1956.
Following the judgment Elsie Ross and the Association filed separate motions for a new trial. These motions, based on several statutory (G.S. 1949, 60-3001) grounds, were overruled on January 14, 1957. Thereupon, and within two months thereafter, Elsie Ross gave notice of appeal wherein she stated she was appealing from the overruling of her motion for a new trial, the judgment against her, and divers prior adverse rulings (specifying them) of which she now complains. The association perfected no appeal and its rights are not here involved.
At the outset we are met with a contention which must be disposed of before consideration can be given to questions relied on by appellant as affording grounds for reversal of the judgment. Conceding *283 the appeal was timely perfected from the order overruling the motion for a new trial appellees insist the only question involved in this case is whether the court erred in overruling such motion because no appeal was taken from the judgment or other prior rulings complained of within the time prescribed by G.S. 1949, 60-3309. This contention is not good. Since the enactment of the Laws of 1951, Chapter 350, Section 1, (now G.S. 1955 Supp., 60-3314a), an aggrieved party who perfects a timely appeal from an order overruling a motion for a new trial, based upon grounds recognized by 60-3001, supra, may have a review of prior rulings, including the judgment, of which he complains even though those rulings were made more than two months before the perfection of such appeal, provided that in his notice of appeal  as here  he gives notice he is appealing from such rulings. See Herron v. Chappell, 174 Kan. 350, 255 P.2d 632; Holmes v. Kalbach, 173 Kan. 736, 252 P.2d 603; Western Shale Products Co. v. City of Fort Scott, 175 Kan. 643, 266 P.2d 327. We therefore turn to questions raised by appellant with respect to matters specified in her notice of appeal.
We are not disposed to here labor numerous contentions made by appellant respecting the overruling of her demurrer to the lengthy petition. It suffices to say we have carefully reviewed that pleading in the light of all challenges made against its sufficiency and have no difficulty whatsoever in concluding such demurrer was properly overruled.
Early in the proceedings below appellant raised a question of venue claiming that, under the provisions of G.S. 1955 Supp., 60-501, the action should have been brought in the county where the land and oil and gas lease, giving rise to the involved division order, were situated. The court held to the contrary. Appellant now claims that action was erroneous. We do not agree. The statute in question cannot be construed as having application to an action  such as is here involved  on implied contract to recover money paid under an oil and gas division order through a mistake of fact where there is no dispute between the parties participating in the execution of that instrument as to their respective interests under its terms and provisions.
Referring to appellee's opening statement, no portion of which is abstracted, appellant contends its motion for judgment on such *284 statement should have been sustained. Having determined the demurrer to the petition was properly overruled, and since it is conceded the request for judgment was based on the same reasoning as that presented in support of the demurrer, this claim of error requires little attention. Even so it should perhaps be stated this court is committed to the rule that no judgment can be entered on an opening statement unless in the making thereof it appears the party making it has admitted facts which necessarily and absolutely preclude recovery (Wilson v. Holm, 164 Kan. 229, 188 P.2d 899; Rodgers v. Crum, 168 Kan. 668, 215 P.2d 190). Inasmuch as the opening statement is not abstracted we cannot say it contained any such admission.
After an extended examination of the record and careful consideration of all arguments made with respect thereto we find nothing to warrant the upholding of appellant's contentions that the trial court erred in overruling her demurrer to appellees' evidence; that the judgment is contrary to the evidence; or that such judgment is contrary to the findings of fact.
Nor are we able to find the admission of any evidence complained of prejudicially affected appellant's substantial rights. In that situation any error committed by the trial court in its rulings with respect to such evidence must be disregarded. (See G.S. 1949, 60-3317.)
Finally appellant contends that if, as has now been determined, appellees are entitled to recover the overpayment made to appellant they are not entitled to interest on the amount paid as prayed for in the petition, i.e., from November 15, 1950. Without laboring the question we think there is merit to this contention. This, as we have previously indicated, was an action on implied contract to recover money paid under a mistake of fact. Moreover, it is clear from the record, in fact the trial court found, that at the time of receiving the involved payments the appellant did not know she was being overpaid. The general rule, which we believe to be sound and to which we therefore adhere, is that where money has been paid and received through mutual mistake of fact, without fraud or misconduct on the part of him to whom the money was paid, interest does not begin to run and will not be allowed until the mistake has been discovered and demand for repayment made. See 30 Am. Jur., Interest, p. 37 § 46; 47 C.J.S., Interest, p. 58 § 46.
*285 The record presented in this court fails to disclose that appellees made a demand on appellant for a return of the money she had received through the mutual mistake of all parties involved prior to commencement of the action. Faced with such a record we are compelled to hold that the demand for repayment was made on November 13, 1953, the date on which the suit was filed and service of summons was had. In that situation, application of the rule just stated compels the conclusion that appellees are not entitled to recover any interest from appellant during the interim between November 15, 1950, and November 13, 1953, and that the judgment must be modified accordingly.
What has been heretofore stated and held means that the judgment for $1,614, rendered by the district court against appellant, should be modified by reducing the amount thereof to $1,398.04, and that the cause should be sent back to such court with directions to render judgment in favor of appellees (plaintiffs) and against appellant (defendant) for that sum with interest at six percent from June 22, 1956, and costs.
It is so ordered.