Opinion ID: 2434010
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Denial of post-judgment motions.

Text: Whether to grant a motion for new trial based upon newly discovered evidence, see Ark.R.Civ.P. 59(a)(7), is within the sound discretion of the trial court which will not be reversed absent an abuse of that discretion. Rogers v. Frank Lyon Co., 253 Ark. 856, 489 S.W.2d 506 (1973). The trial court found that the 1932 forfeiture could have been discovered with reasonable diligence. The appellants argue that we should hold it was reasonable and not a lack of diligence to rely on the tax deed based on the 1947 forfeiture. We agree with the chancellor that the appellants should have known and could have found out that the property in question was being used as a church in 1947 and thus they should have been on notice that their deed was insufficient. The appellants contended in their second amended motion for new trial that the state should be made a party to the action because any interest they might have in the property between 1932, when it was forfeited, and 1947, when it was erroneously reforfeited, could not be decided by the chancellor without the state being represented. However, we need not consider the argument, again because we agree that there was not reasonable diligence in discovering the earlier forfeiture. Durham v. Durham, 289 Ark. 3, 708 S.W.2d 618 (1986). Affirmed.