Court Opinion

ID: 9570778
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 20:26:12.103487+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:13:27.766804
License: Public Domain

On Petition for Rehearing.
STRUTZ, Judge.
The plaintiff has filed a petition for rehearing in which she contends that the decision of the court is in error in finding that there was a delivery of the deed executed by Charlie S. Knudtson to his wife. The trial court found a valid delivery and based such finding on the testimony of the son, James, which testimony was undisputed. James testified that his father gave the deed of his mother and asked her if she wanted it put in the safety-deposit box with the rest of the papers. He was then asked:
“Q. Well, did he just quickly hand it to her and she hand it back to him and he take it to the bank ?
“A. He handed it to her and she said, ‘I suppose put it in with the rest of them,’ and handed it back.”
The plaintiff raises no question as to the execution of the deed. The sole question raised is whether there was a valid delivery. The trial court found that there was such delivery, and we believe the record sustains such finding. This court also, on trial de novo, found that there was a valid delivery.
As this court has said many times, on a trial de novo the findings of the trial court are entitled to appreciable weight, especially when based on testimony of witnesses who appeared in person before the court. Pauly v. Haas (N.D.), 84 N.W.2d 302.
This statement was made many times by this court prior to the Pauly case, and has been repeated in many subsequent decisions. The witnesses testified before the trial court. Their credibility and the inferences to be drawn from their testimony is of great importance, and the finding of the trial court of a valid delivery is entitled to appreciable weight on appeal to this court.
The petition for rehearing is denied.
ERICKSTAD and TEIGEN, JJ., concur.
BURKE, C. J., did not participate.
KNUDSON, J., not being a member of the Court at the time of submission of this case, did not participate.