Court Opinion

ID: 9516111
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 23:35:09.919333+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:14:35.464019
License: Public Domain

TEIGEN, Judge
(dissenting in part).
It is my opinion that the appeal from the judgment should also be dismissed.
The procedural situation here is very simple. The default judgment was entered in favor of the plaintiffs on January 14, 1971. The written order denying a motion to set aside the judgment was made on March 26, 1971. The notice of appeal was served on March 23, 1971. It purports to be an appeal taken from a default judgment and also from the order denying the motion to set aside. Thereafter nothing was done until the respondents wrote the attorney for the appellants on September 24, 1971, stating that they would move to dismiss the appeal unless the appellants proceeded promptly to cause the matter to be heard. No steps were taken to perfect the appeal and, on May 9, 1972, the respondents moved for a dismissal. Thereafter, on May 30, 1972, the attorney for the appellants filed in this court the appellants’ brief. A period of one year, two months, and seven days elapsed from the date of the service of the notice of appeal and the filing of the appellants’ brief.
Upon examination of the appellants’ brief I find no reference to any claimed errors of law appearing on the face of the judgment roll. The only issue argued in the brief is that the lower court erred in denying the motion to set aside the default judgment. Thus the only attack in the brief is upon the order denying the motion to vacate the default judgment. This order has been affirmed by the majority in their opinion and with this decision I agree. The majority, however, refuse to dismiss the appeal from the judgment. They state that our review of it will be limited to errors of law appearing on the face of the judgment roll. To date we have no brief, no argument and no claim has been made by the appellants that there are any errors of law appearing on the face of the judgment roll.
We have three rules pertaining to appeals which are applicable here. Rule 7 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure provides, in substance, that upon perfecting an appeal the appellant shall prepare his brief and serve the same and file it with the clerk before or at the time the record of the case is transmitted to the supreme court, and that if the appellant does not comply with this rule it subjects the appeal to a dismissal unless this court, for sufficient cause, should otherwise order. Rule 13 provides, in substance, that if the appellant shall fail or neglect to serve and file the record or his brief as required the respondent may apply to the court for af-firmance or dismissal of the cause, as the case may be. Rule 31 of this court pro*392vides, in substance, that a failure to comply with any of the requirements of the rules within the time or in the manner provided is grounds for dismissal of the appeal, for affirmance, or for the imposition of terms, as the case may demand.
The appellants have taken none of the steps required to perfect the appeal from the judgment nor have the appellants complained of any errors appearing on the face of the judgment roll. The appeal from the judgment is still not ready to be heard as no issue has been raised. No cause is shown for the delay. It is my belief that this appeal should also be dismissed.