Court Opinion

ID: 9559734
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 17:34:46.167296+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:11:36.059494
License: Public Domain

On Motion of Appellant to Modify Decree
Before Brand, Chief Justice, and Hay, Lusk, Warner and Tooze, Justices.
LUSK, J.
The defendant, Vern N. Arnold (appellant here) has filed a motion to modify our decree of dismissal by directing that restitution be made to her of all property and rights lost under the decree of the Circuit Court. In support of the motion defendant submits an affidavit showing that after the Circuit Court entered its decree in favor of the plaintiffs she complied with it by delivering to the plaintiffs possession of the Hazel Hotel and the personal property therein, the payment of certain moneys, the delivery of certain records, receipts and account books, and by rendering an accounting of the operation and management of the hotel and *507the payment of moneys determined as the result of such operation.
 Our statute provides that this court, when it reverses or modifies a judgment or decree, “may direct complete restitution of all property and rights lost thereby.” § 10-812, O.C.L.A. It was held in McFadden v. Swinerton, 36 Or. 336, 355, 59 P. 816, 62 P. 12, that “When the right depends entirely upon matters dehors the record, the better practice, as we understand the authorities, is for the appellate court to direct that restitution be made to the appellant of all property and rights lost under the judgment, and to remand the cause to the court below for the enforcement of such order in a proper proceeding, upon notice to the parties: Flemings v. Riddick’s Ex’r, 5 Grat. 272; Keck v. Allender, 42 W. Va. 420 (26 S.E. 437).” The court said further that the statute “probably contemplates a final judgment of restitution only in cases where the facts appear of record, and not where it is necessary to make proof aliunde by ex parte affidavits.”
In this case the facts do not appear of record.
 Contrary to the view of counsel for plaintiffs (with which counsel for defendant appears to agree), that the remedy is discretionary with the court, restitution of moneys paid out, or property delivered under a decree which is subsequently reversed, is a matter of right. Lytle v. Payette-Oregon Irr. Dist., 175 Or. 276, 286, 152 P. 2d 934, 156 A.L.R. 894; Coker & Bellamy v. Richey, 108 Or. 479, 483, 217 P. 638; Duniway v. Cellars-Murton, 92 Or. 113, 116, 170 P. 298, 179 P. 561; McFadden v. Swinerton, supra, 36 Or. 354; Metschan v. Grant County, 36 Or. 117, 119, 58 P. 80. And the rule is no different where the judgment was wholly void, as in this case, for want of jurisdiction. Coker & Bellamy v. Richey, supra, 108 Or. 487; 3 Am. *508Jur., Appeal and Error, 740, § 1242. As stated in the case last cited, “Every court has inherent power to undo that which it had no power to do or erroneously did originally and, to the extent restoration is possible, to restore the parties to their former positions; * * * "
 It is true that this court has a discretion to determine whether it should order restitution or should commit the performance of that duty to the Circuit Court. In view of the state of, the record in this case, we think that the same order should be made as in McFadden v. Swinerton, namely, that the defendant be restored to whatever she has lost by the decree of the court below and that the cause be remanded to that court for such further proceedings as may be proper.