Court Opinion

ID: 9585212
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:57:40.812866+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:35:19.645992
License: Public Domain

MORRIS, Judge
(concurring specially).
I concur in the result reached by the opinion prepared by Judge Johnson. This is an action tried to the court without a jury. ■
“Upon the trial of any question or issue of fact by the court, its findings of fact arid conclusions of law, and' direction for entry of judgment in accordance with such conclusions must be given in writing and filed with the clerk * * ” Section 28-1601 NDRC 1943.
Section 28-1604 NDRC 1943 provides:
“The judge may direct either or both parties to prepare findings of fact, unless they have been waived, and may *676direct .that the same he served upon the opposing party. ■ Either party may submit to the court proposed findings' of fact and may submit a brief statement of reasons why he desires findings upon the points included within the findings prepared by himself,.or why he objects to findings upon the points included within the findings prepared by his adversary. The judge may adopt, modify, or reject the finding so submitted. If the judge does not direct the preparation. of findings, or those prepared are rejected, then he must prepare the findings.”
The trial court prepared a memorandum in which he discusses the facts and states his conclusion with reference to the disposition of the case. He then says:
“The attorneys for the plaintiffs will draw findings, conclusions, and order for judgment in each case, and will submit the same to the attorneys for the defendants five days ‘ before submitting to the Court, and if the attorneys for defendant have any objection to the form of the proposed findings and order, these objections may be made known to the Court.”
The plaintiffs then made the motion resulting in this appeal in which they asked for the entry of a judgment different from that which would be entered if findings, conclusions of law, and order for judgment were made in accordance with the trial court’s memorandum. This motion; in effect, asked the trial court to alter the memorandum in material respects. Plaintiffs’ motion further recites:
“That no findings of fact and no order for judgment has been signed, nor has any judgment been entered; that all that has been done is a memorandum opinion handed down by the Court holding. both the deed and the lease invalid ancl requiring the plaintiffs to pay back to the defendants all the money received, as a condition precedent to the entry of' judgment.”
Plaintiffs’ motion was accompanied by a document entitled “Release of Claim of Invalidity of Lease” in which the plaintiffs released the defendants from any and all claims of fraud in connection with procuring their signatures to the lease involved in the action, and then stated:
“Wherefore, the plaintiffs pray that the Court modify the Memorandum Decision written on the 15th day of July, 1953, so as to invalidate the Mineral Deed only.”
This appeal is from the order of the trial court denying the application to modify the memorandum opinion. The order does not affect a right of the appellants, substantial or otherwise, for they have no right to require the court to change his intention which has not become final. No order for judgment has been entered. An. order for judgment is not appealable. Smith v. City of La Moure, 77 N.D. 658, 44 N.W.2d 789; Great Northern Ry. Co. v. Mustad, 76 N.D. 84, 33 N.W.2d 436; Olness v. Duffy, 49 N.D. 933, 194 N.W. 113; Malherek v. City of Fargo, 49 N.D. 123, 190 N.W. 176; Dibble v. Hanson, 17 N.D. 21, 114 N.W. 371; In re Weber, 4 N.D. 119, 59 N.W. 523, 28 L.R.A. 621. An order for judgment must first j be reduced to a judgment before an appeal can be taken.
“It is obvious that before an ap-' peal can be taken the trial court must decide something; that is to say, there must be a decision, a judgment or order. The opinion of the court — in other words, its reasons for coming to the conclusion it has — is not a decision for the purpose of taking an appeal therefrom.” Bancroft’s Code Practice and Remedies, Section 6291.
This is an attempt to control the decision of the trial court before the decision has been rendered in the manner prescribed by our statutes. The court has directed findings to be prepared. The motion'which results in this appeal seeks to secure a modification of that direction. By this appeal the appellants would have *677us direct the trial court'-to modify his memorandum as to how the findings should he prepared. In other words, this court and not the trial court would direct what judgment was to be entered by the trial court before he had made a final determination or entered an order for a judgment from which an appeal could be taken under our statutes. Not only is such a procedure not contemplated by the statutes, but it seeks action on our part that exceeds the power of this court as an appellate tribunal. '