Court Opinion

ID: 9684877
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 14:17:15.518072+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:00.833910
License: Public Domain

ON PETITION FOR REHEARING.
STRUTZ, Judge.
The defendants have filed a vigorous petition for rehearing in which they point out that the order of the trial court in the former action, which exempted this action for reformation from being barred on the theory that the first action was res adjudicata, provided that such first action “shall not be construed to render the action for reformation of the description of the real property res adjudicata.”
The defendants argue that the exemption applied only to the action then pending for reformation of the description, and did not include damages. Defendants further point out that the trial court in the first action specifically ruled that the plaintiffs were not entitled to damages beyond the time of the tender of the deed with the description of the property as found in the contract which was ordered specifically performed in the first action.
The trial court in the first action did not and could not award damages against the defendants for failure to convey the property which plaintiffs contended should have been described in the contract and deed because the court in that action was not determining whether the plaintiffs were entitled to reformation. The trial court in the reformation action, however, could award such damages. As we point out, where a court of equity acquires jurisdiction to reform an instrument, it has the power to grant full and proper relief. Thus, where the amended complaint prays not only for reformation of the description, but for “such other and further relief as may be just in the premises,” the court has power to grant full relief. This court has held that a plaintiff in a contested action is entitled not only to the relief for which he prays, but to any relief to which he may be entitled under the evidence, even though he may not have demanded such relief in his pleadings. Holien v. Trydahl (N.D.), 134 N.W.2d 851.
We would further point out that defendants filed a counterclaim to the complaint of plaintiffs in the reformation action. In their reply to such counterclaim, the plaintiffs allege and pray for damages, which the court allowed. Thus the pleadings did not demand merely the reformation of the description, but damages as well.
The petition for rehearing is denied.
ERICKSTAD, ENUDSON and TEIGEN, JJ., concur.