Perringer v. Unknown Heirs of Christian Raub

• Decision Date: 04 October 1923
• Citation: 254 S.W. 703,300 Mo. 535
• Parties: JOSEPH PERRINGER et al., Appellants, v. UNKNOWN HEIRS OF CHRISTIAN RAUB et al
• Court: Missouri Supreme Court

254 S.W. 703

300 Mo. 535

JOSEPH PERRINGER et al., Appellants, v. UNKNOWN HEIRS OF CHRISTIAN RAUB et al

Supreme Court of Missouri, Second Division

October 4, 1923

Appeal from Madison Circuit Court. -- Hon. Peter H. Huck, Judge.

Appeal dismissed.

Edward D. Anthony for appellants.

David M. Tesreau and Charles Neuman for respondents.

WALKER J. White, J., concurs in the result; David E. Blair, P. J dissents.

OPINION

WALKER, J.

This action was brought in the Circuit Court of Madison County to try and determine the title to a tract of land lying therein.

The matter submitted for our consideration consists in what is termed a statement of the case which relies wholly for its record integrity upon the appended signatures of the counsel for the respective parties. It gives a synopsis of the pleadings, defines the contentions of the litigants presumably as shown by the facts, states that the case was tried to the court, which after defining the rights of the parties entered judgment accordingly. Whereupon the plaintiff, not content with the findings, filed a motion for a new trial and in arrest. Upon the overruling of same he made, we presume as it is not preserved, the usual affidavit for an appeal to this court, which it is stated was granted. This is followed by what purports to be the evidence adduced and after again stating the matters in controversy this is added: "Counsel for the parties submit this case to this court without any other record, or brief or statement. The question for this court to adjudicate is this: What is the meaning of the words: Except one-half of the mining rights in said land and one-half of a mill privilege on said land?"

Following this is the statement that the appellant filed his bill of exceptions, followed by another repetition of the contentions of the parties. Subjoined thereto is a long list of authorities stated to be submitted for the consideration of the court. Counsel for each of the parties have attached their names to this document. Prior to its being forwarded to the clerk a short form of transcript was filed.

I. There is in the foregoing neither a copy of the record proper nor of the bill of exceptions, save such portion of the former as is included in the short form of transcript to-wit, a certified copy of the judgment and the order granting the appeal. In attempting to thus submit this case for our review counsel are evidently seeking to apply the statute (Sec. 1548, R. S. 1919) which authorizes parties to a question in difference to submit the same for determination upon a statement of the facts to any court which would have jurisdiction, if an action had been brought. This statute has no application, except to trial courts. [State ex rel. Malin v. Merriam, 159 Mo. 655, 60 S.W. 1112.] As we have repeatedly held, appeals are purely statutory. A simple well defined procedure has been provided which it is necessary to follow to entitle a litigant to a review of a case upon appeal. No pretense is made of a compliance or an attempted compliance with the requirements of the statute (Sec. 1479, R. S. 1919) in the submission of the case to this court. We refer more particularly to the filing with our clerk of a perfect transcript of the record and proceedings in the cause, or in lieu thereof a certified copy of the record entry of the judgment and the order granting the appeal followed by the filing of a printed abstract of the entire record of the cause. The necessity of the filing of this abstract and what it shall contain has been determined by us too frequently to require a recital of same here.

In the absence of a certified copy of the record proper or the bill of exceptions there is nothing before us aside from the short form of transcript, except a communication from counsel detailing what was done in the trial of the case and stating the question sought to be determined. Liberal as is our procedure we know of no authority for this epistolary form of appeal. On the contrary, it has been definitely held by us that, although a complete transcript is filed, in the absence of an abstract the appeal will be dismissed. [Whiting v. Lead Co., 195 Mo. 509, 92 S.W. 883; St. Louis v. Young, 248 Mo. 346, 154 S.W. 87.] A like rule applies where a short form of transcript has been filed. [Bank v. Kropp, 266 Mo. 218, 181 S.W. 86 and cases.] That the statute requiring the filing of the abstract is mandatory is evident from the statement of its purpose. That purpose is that the court may be enabled from the epitome or abridgment of the entire record thus presented to clearly determine the course of the trial, the rulings of the lower court upon the matters presented and whether exceptions thereto were considered and preserved. [Nolan v. Johns, 126 Mo. 159, 28 S.W. 492.]

As Brace, J., speaking for this court in the Nolan Case, as to the requirements of the abstract, said: "It does not mean a mere narrative by counsel of such of the proceedings of the court as they may deem necessary for the determination of the questions they propose to raise in this court with such extracts from the record, and excerpts from the evidence as they may think necessary, accompanied by a statement that the court ruled so and so, and the parties did so and so, which is all the so-called transcript in this case is or purports to be. Without the record, or the substance of it, or so much thereof as 'is necessary to a complete understanding of all the questions presented to the court for decision,' we cannot intelligently review the action of the trial court in any case."

The mandatory nature of the statute is further attested in the later case of Snoddy v. Jasper County, 146 Mo. 112, 47 S.W. 906, in which this court, speaking through Judge W. M. Williams, said: "the abstract must set forth a copy of so much of the record as is necessary to be consulted in the disposition of the assigned errors." [Jordan v. Railroad, 92 Mo.App. 81.]

In construing what is now Section 1479, Revised Statutes 1919 the courts of appeals, in harmony with our rulings, hold that an appellant must file both a statement and an abstract of the record; and that the appeal will be dismissed where no abstract is furnished, although the...