Court Opinion

ID: 9791784
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 02:17:49.48297+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:37:38.469929
License: Public Domain

CARTER, J.
Concurring and dissenting. I concur in the judgment of reversal and in that portion of the opinion of Mr. Justice Edmonds which directs the entry of an order authorizing the presentation of a claim against the estate of the deceased for the installments of alimony accruing within five years prior to the application of appellant to enforce the judgment in her favor, but I dissent from that portion of the opinion which purports to approve the order of the trial court denying leave to appellant to enforce the payments provided for in the decree which accrued prior to that time.
Mr. Justice Edmonds predicates the portion of his opinion, with which I disagree, on the assumption that there is a conflict in the evidence with reference to the diligence exercised by appellant, the judgment creditor, and that the most that can be said is, that even if the letter written by Lohman in 1932 was an acknowledgment, it was barred by the statute of limitation before the present action was commenced.
Section 685 of the Code of Civil Procedure quoted by Mr. Justice Edmonds requires nothing more than that the judgment creditor set forth by affidavit his “reasons” for failure *153to execute the judgment before it is barred by the statute of limitation. The judgment creditor must make a showing of diligence in endeavoring to collect the judgment within five years of its entry in order to obtain leave of court for the issuance of a writ of execution thereafter, and the determination of that issue rests largely in the discretion of the trial court. (Butcher v. Brouwer, 21 Cal.2d 354 [132 P.2d 205]; Hatch v. Calkins, 21 Cal.2d 364 [132 P.2d 210].) But whether or not diligence has been exercised depends upon the circumstances. It is not always necessary to show that an unsuccessful endeavor was made to collect the judgment hy execution, search for property and the like within the five-year period. (See Shields v. Shields, 55 Cal.App.2d 579 [130 P.2d 982] ; Passow v. Bell, 27 Cal.App.2d 360 [81 P.2d 224]; Corcoran v. Duffy, 18 Cal.App.2d 658 [64 P.2d 735] ; Atkinson v. Atkinson, 35 Cal.App.2d 705 [96 P.2d 824].)
In the instant case the circumstances presented by appellant stand uncontradicted by the executrix of decedent’s estate. They are sufficient to show that appellant was diligent. The circumstances in the instant case were adequate justification for appellant’s failure to attempt to collect the payments accruing under the judgment within five years after they became due, as it is undisputed that this failure was due to her reliance upon the statements and conduct of decedent set forth in her affidavit herein. Hence, under the circumstances she has shown the diligence required by section 685 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The facts relative to the conduct of her former husband which lulled appellant into a false sense of security and prevented her from having execution issued within the period of five years, stand uncontradieted. The letter written by decedent in 1932 contains representations that decedent would pay if unmolested by appellant. In her affidavit appellant stated she accorded “in-' dulgence” to decedent and was constantly “assured” that she “would get her money.” Appellant had “confidence” that her “former husband” would respect his obligation and “reposed” confidence in him. In Corcoran v. Duffy, supra, the court affirmed the trial court, but the rule was clearly stated that conduct such as is present in the instant case excuses lack of attempts to collect the judgment, or that in the light of that circumstance, diligence is shown. The court said, speaking through ,Mr. Justice Spence, page 660: “It was conceded that nothing had been paid upon the judgment, *154and while the affidavits were conflicting in part, respondent’s affidavit showed that he had not attempted to enforce said judgment by execution because of his reliance upon appellant's repeated promises to pay the same. Appellant made no claim that he was prejudiced by the delay nor did he set forth any facts showing that it would be inequitable to permit 'the enforcement of the judgment.” [Emphasis added.] Likewise in the instant case we have no showing of prejudice caused by the delay and have the repeated promises to pay.
In cases of estoppel to plead the statute of limitation, generally, it has been held that a mere agreement not to enforce an obligation will estop reliance on the statute where the defendant has accepted the fruits of the forbearance. In Phillips v. Phillips, 163 Cal. 530, 535 [127 P. 346], the court said: “Aside from all questions regarding the consideration for the contract of forbearance and the sufficiency of its execution, defendant is prevented from setting up the bar of the statute of limitations upon clear principles of estoppel. She accepted the benefits of the contract. Her actions and those of her husband, as her agent, lulled the plaintiff into assumed security and caused him to postpone foreclosure until the expiration of the period mentioned in the agreement; consequently she cannot now pursue the advantage ordinarily available to a litigant under the statute of limitations.” (See, to the same effect, Quanchi v. Ben Lomond Wine Co., 17 Cal.App. 565 [120 P. 427]; 130 A.L.R. 8, 31.) And that a promise to pay inducing forbearance establishes an estoppel. (Rapp v. Rapp, 218 Cal. 505 [24 P.2d 161] ; Miles v. Bank of America etc. Assn., 17 Cal.App.2d 389 [62 P.2d 177] ; Roper v. Smith, 45 Cal.App. 302 [187 P. 454] ; 130 A.L.R. 8, 34.)
In the instant case the appellant’s affidavit is uncontradicted. Reliance is not placed alone upon the letter from de- . cedent to appellant, to which reference is made in her affidavit, on the theory, as intimated in the opinion of Mr. Justice Edmonds, that it is an acknowledgment tolling the time within which the judgment may be enforced. It is uncontradicted that decedent made repeated promises to make the payments provided for in the judgment and assured appellant she had nothing to worry about. Some of those statements were made orally and others were contained in the letter. Appellant relied upon them and the estoppel was established. The mere fact that the executrix asserted in her affidavit that appellant knew of the whereabouts of de*155cedent and that he was solvent does not, as expressed by Mr. Justice Edmonds, “cast doubt upon practically every material fact asserted by the appellant, and her claims in regard to the installment due in 1932 are directly at variance with the letter written by Mr. Lohman upon which she relies.” Her knowledge of decedent’s address and his solvency is wholly in harmony with her undenied affidavit that he misled her into believing that he would pay the judgment. Naturally she knew where he was inasmuch as they were in frequent contact. Eather than casting doubt on her affidavit, the executrix’ statement merely completes the picture.
In view of the promises and assurances given by decedent to appellant, and the forbearance and considerate treatment which she accorded him as the result thereof, to now deny her the right to present her claim against decedent’s estate for the payments which accrued under the judgment, and which were not paid, and to litigate such claim if rejected by the executrix, is, to my mind, a denial of that simple justice which is said to be “the hope of all who suffer—the dread of all who wrong.”
Shenk, J., concurred.