70 So. 2d 263 | Ala. | 1954
This in an appeal from a decree of the circuit court, in equity, rendered on exceptions to a report for a partial settlement by W. Frank Carlisle, as administrator of the estate of his father J. C. Carlisle, deceased. The appeal was taken by certain heirs of the estate who had filed exceptions to the report and contested it.
The issues were finally reduced to one question of fact. That was whether a certain two hundred and twelve head of cattle were the property of decedent or of said W. Frank Carlisle individually. Frank Carlisle contended that he was the owner of the cattle. The other heirs contended that they were owned by J. C. Carlisle.
The evidence was taken ore tenus before the trial judge, and he rendered a decree sustaining the report of the administrator and denying the exceptions to it in respect to the two hundred and twelve head of cattle: hence this appeal.
Frank Carlisle, the administrator, testified as a witness and appellants claim that much of his testimony violated section 433, Title 7, Code. No objection was made to that testimony by the contestants in reliance on section 372 (1), Title 7, Code, providing that objection need not be made on such a hearing to evidence which is irrelevant, immaterial, incompetent or illegal, and that the trial judge should consider only such evidence as is relevant, material, competent and legal, although no objection is made to it.
The evidence here in question belongs to the class within the statute. Redwine v. Jackson,
There was little or no effort to transgress this principle in material respects. To the extent that there may be a violation, it could well have been disregarded by the court and leave ample legal competent evidence to support the trial judge's finding and decree. There was evidence which conflicts with that which supports the decree.
The finding and decree of the court should be affirmed under such circumstances when there was an ore tenus hearing and the evidence does not greatly preponderate against the result reached. Cousins v. Crawford, supra. Such is the status here and the decree should be affirmed.
The foregoing opinion was prepared by Foster, Supernumerary Justice of this Court, while serving on it at the request of the Chief Justice under authority of Title 13, § 32, Code, and was adopted by the Court as its opinion.
Affirmed.
LIVINGSTON, C. J., and LAWSON, STAKELY and MERRILL, JJ., concur.