Court Opinion

ID: 9639973
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 16:54:02.193379+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:10:24.194088
License: Public Domain

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING OR TO REMAND
PER CURIAM:
On his motion for rehearing, or, in the alternative, to remand the cause to the trial court with additional directions for further proceedings, appellant suggests that our dismissal of the appeal as to the insurance companies was erroneous because he did not appeal as to them. In his brief, appellant asserted that the St. Louis County Circuit Court erroneously dismissed the insurers’ answers and counterclaims, thereby seeking relief on appeal which would have affected the insurance companies. The companies apparently considered themselves involved in the appellant’s appeal because they filed motions to dismiss the appeal as to them, motions to which appellant offered no objection.
However, appellant’s suggestion that there was no final judgment against the insurance companies in the St. Louis County Circuit Court gives us some concern. If such were the fact, the appeal would be premature. § 512.020, RSMo 1959, V.A. M.S.
The judgment of the circuit court did not specifically dismiss appellant’s petition as to the insurance companies. However, the relief sought against them was merely ancillary to that sought in connection with the allegedly fraudulent transfer of the insured property. The dismissal for lack of jurisdiction of the claim based upon the allegedly fraudulent transfer in effect operated as a dismissal of the claim against the insurance companies and the judgment was final. The rule applicable is stated in Scheid v. Pinkham, Mo.App., 394 S.W.2d 570, 572 [1, 2], as follows: “[I]f the finding and judgment on the other issues in the case ‘necessarily excludes and effectively disposes of’ the issue which is not specifically adjudged, then the judgment is final and appealable.” See also Capitol Stores, Inc. v. Storms-Green Constr. Co., Mo.App., 346 S.W.2d 549, 554-555 [3, 4]; *174J. G. Jackson Associates, Inc. v. Mosley, Mo.App., 308 S.W.2d 774, 776 [1, 2],
Furthermore, we cannot ignore the fact that, in the City of St. Louis case, to which our opinion referred, as shown by both the motion of the insurance companies to dismiss this appeal and by the transcript on appeal in that case, now on file in this court, the insurance companies, in an action by the appellant here and pursuant to a stipulation to which appellant was a party, did pay the amount of their liability into the Circuit Court for the City of St. Louis.
We find no merit in the other points in the motion for rehearing or to remand and it is overruled.