Scott v. Joines

• Decision Date: 08 October 1918
• Docket Number: Case Number: 8319
• Citation: 175 P. 504,71 Okla. 89,1918 OK 574
• Parties: SCOTT v. JOINES et al.
• Court: Oklahoma Supreme Court

1918 OK 574

175 P. 504

71 Okla. 89

SCOTT v. JOINES et al.

Case Number: 8319

Supreme Court of Oklahoma

Decided: October 8, 1918

Syllabus

¶0 1. Appeal and Error -- Supersedeas -- Proceeding in Error.

The general rule is that a proceeding in error commenced by the judgment debtor does not abate or discharge the judgment rendered against him, but merely suspends it until the appeal is disposed of.

2. Same.

In this jurisdiction a proceeding in error alone, without the execution of a supersedeas bond, does not even suspend or stay the issuance of execution on the judgment appealed from.

3. Same--Death of Plaintiff in Error--Liability of Sureties.

Neither the death of the plaintiff in error pending appeal, nor failure to revive the proceeding in error in the Supreme Court, excuses performance by the sureties of a condition in a supersedeas bond, obligating the parties thereto to prosecute said appeal to effect without unnecessary delay, and to pay the amount of the judgment appealed from, if the said appeal be withdrawn or dismissed.

Error from County Court, Carter County; Thos. W. Champion, Judge.

Action by Moran Scott against U.S. Joines and others. Judgment for defendants and plaintiff brings error. Reversed and cause remanded with directions.

Cruce & Potter, for plaintiff in error.

Thos, Norman and Sigler & Howard, for defendants in error.

KANE, J.

¶1 This was an action upon an appeal bond commenced by the plaintiff in error, plaintiff below, against the defendants in error, defendants below. Hereafter, for convenience, the parties will be designated "plaintiff" and "defendants," respectively, as they appeared in the trial court. The trial court rendered judgment in favor of the defendants, to reverse which this proceeding in error was commenced.

¶2 It seems that on the 30th day of October, 1911, the plaintiff obtained judgment for the recovery of money against one Chin Goon in the county court of Carter county, to reverse which judgment a proceeding in error was commenced in this court by the losing party. In order to supersede the issuance and levy of execution Chin Goon, the judgment debtor, filed a supersedeas bond, signed by the defendants herein as sureties. This proceeding in error was filed in this court on the 1st day of May, 1911. Chin Goon died on the 28th day of May, 1913. On the 8th day of October, 1914, the plaintiff filed a motion to dismiss the appeal upon the ground that the proceeding in error abated, because the same had not been revived in the name of the personal representatives or the heirs of said judgment debtor within the time prescribed by law, which motion was sustained and the proceeding in error dismissed. Chin Goon v. Scott, 44 Okla. 299, 144 P. 590.

¶3 After the mandate of the Supreme Court was received, the county court revived the judgment against Chin Goon, from which order of revival the administrator of his estate again appealed to the Supreme Court. In the latter case an opinion has been recently handed down reversing the action of the trial court upon the ground that the judgment sought to be revived was extinct for the reason that the same had not been revived within the time fixed by law for the revival of dormant judgments. Upon the authority of this case (Jackson v. Scott, 70 Okla. 85, 173 P. 70), and A., T. & S. F. Ry. Co. v. Fenton, 54 Okla. 240, 153 P. 1130, it is now contended by counsel for the defendants that, inasmuch as there was no valid, subsisting, and unsatisfied judgment against the judgment debtor at the time the case at bar was commenced, there can be no recovery against the sureties upon his supersedeas bond. We are unable to agree with this contention, although the authorities relied upon seem to sustain it.

¶4 It will be observed that the original action against Chin Goon had proceeded to judgment in the trial court long prior to the death of the judgment debtor. In these circumstances, while the proceeding in error may have abated because not revived in the Supreme Court, neither the action in the trial court wherein the judgment was rendered nor the judgment itself did so. In this jurisdiction a proceeding in error alone, without the execution of a supersedeas bond, does not even suspend or stay the issuance of execution on the judgment appealed from. Section 5251, Rev. Laws 1910: Starr v. McClain, 50 Okla. 738, 150 P. 666.

¶5 The general rule is that a proceeding in error commenced by the judgment debtor does not abate or discharge the judgment tendered against him, but merely suspends it until the appeal is disposed of. 1 Black on Judgments, § 473. Neither does the death of the judgment debtor abate an action which has already gone into final judgment. 5 R. C. L. § 62: Coit v. Sistare, 85 Conn. 573, 84 A. 119 Ann. Cas. 1913C, 248. And the lien of a judgment obtained against a party in his lifetime is not dissolved by his death, but continues to bind his real estate. 1 Black on Judgments (2d Ed.) § 467; 15 R. C. L. § 62; Morton v. Adams, 124 Cal. 229, 56 P. 1038, 71 Am. St. Rep. 53; Union Bank v. Powell's Heirs, 3 Fla. 175, 52 Am. Dec. 367; Maxwell v. Leeson, 50 W. Va. 361 40 S.E. 420, 88 Am. St. Rep. 875; Barrett v. Furnish, 21 Ore. 17, 26 P. 861. In view of this, upon the dismissal of the proceeding in error, the judgment against Chin Goon notwithstanding his death pending the appeal became immediately collectable from his estate in the manner prescribed by section 6351, Rev. Laws 1910, without any formal revivor. This section, after prohibiting the issuance of execution after death on any judgment for the recovery of money rendered against a testator or intestate in his...