Dismissing appeal.
On September 22, 1939, Mrs. Mildred P. Martin, as guardian for her two daughters, Mildred and Kathryn, entered into a written contract with Mrs. Margaret M. Davis whereby it was agreed that the two infants would execute a deed conveying to Mrs. Davis a certain tract of land in Woodford County in consideration of the latter conveying to the infants jointly another tract of land in that county, and in addition the infants were to pay Mrs. Davis $10,000 to cover the difference in acreage and fertility between the land she was receiving and the land she was conveying. At the time the contract was executed Mrs. Davis thought the difference in the acreage between the two tracts was 26.5 in favor of the infants, while the guardian contends she did not know what this difference was.
On October 13, 1939, the guardian and Mrs. Davis joined as plaintiffs in a petition in equity filed in the Woodford Circuit Court against the infant defendants under Section
On August 15, 1940, Mrs. Davis filed a petition in equity against the guardian and her infant wards in which she sought to have the chancellor divide the above mentioned lands between her and the infants. The guardian's answer pleaded the contract of September 22nd, and asked that it be carried out. By a reply, counter-claim and set-off, Mrs. Davis averred that instead of the infants obtaining an advantage of 26.5 acres as contemplated when the contract was executed, they actually would receive an advantage of 40.36 acres and that she should be paid $200 an acre for the additional excess of about 14 acres. After Mrs. Davis withdrew as one of the plaintiffs from the original suit, the guardian amended that petition and named herself as defendant. Mrs. Davis filed an answer, counter-claim and cross-petition thereto averring her willingness to carry out the contract of September 22nd, in the event she was paid for the 14 acre excess at $200 an acre, in addition to the $10,000 she was to be paid under that contract.
Appropriate pleadings formed the issues in the two actions and they were consolidated, and the evidence was heard by the chancellor and is here on a bill of exceptions. Immediately after the completion of the evidence the chancellor delivered an oral opinion from the bench upholding the contract and dismissing Mrs. Davis' petition. In conformity with that opinion a judgment was entered approving the contract and directed a deed be made to Mrs. Davis on behalf of the infants by their guardian and that the $10,000 be paid her. Being of the impression that in effect the chancellor had decreed that the contract be specifically performed, Mrs. Davis moved him to incorporate in the judgment a provision directing her to execute a deed to the infants, which motion the *Page 501 chancellor overruled. Mrs. Davis was granted an appeal from this judgment dismissing her petition and upholding the contract.
On Tuesday following the execution of the contract of Saturday, September 22nd, Mrs. Davis took possession of the land for fall seeding and on March 1, 1940, obtained full possession thereof. After the judgment was entered on May 4, 1941, she accepted the deed executed by the infants through their guardian, also the $10,000, and in turn executed and delivered her deed to them and afterwards prosecuted this appeal from that judgment.
The case was submitted here on September 17, 1941. On October 1, 1941, the guardian ad litem filed a verified answer in this court under Sections 757, 758, Civil Code of Practice, averring that since the appeal had been submitted he had learned from the records of the county court clerk's office that the judgment had been fully and voluntarily complied with and satisfied. He asked that the appeal be dismissed on the ground that Mrs. Davis could not enjoy the benefits of the judgment and then attack it. Mrs. Davis filed a special demurrer to the answer, insisting that the motion to dismiss came too late as such motion must be made before the submission of the case. Without waiving this demurrer she filed a verified reply averring that she did not voluntarily comply with the judgment, which in effect, though not in form, decreed specific performance, and had she not complied therewith she would have been compelled to do so on a rule for contempt. The motion to dismiss the appeal was passed to merits.
A motion to dismiss an appeal because the record was not filed in time is waived if not made before the case is submitted. Bailey v. Louisville N. R. R. Co., 44 S.W. 105, 19 Ky. Law Rep. 1617; Wermeling v. Wermiling,
Being of the opinion that the motion to dismiss the appeal was made in due time, the special demurrer to the answer filed in this court by the guardian ad litem is overruled.
The next question is, did Mrs. Davis satisfy the judgment before she appealed by executing a deed to the infants and accepting their deed and $10,000 cash from them? It is not disputed that one may satisfy a money judgment against him and still appeal, Nashville, C. St. L. Ry. Co. v. Bean's Ex'r,
The last sentence of Section 757 Civil Code of Practice is that when a party recovers judgment for only part of the demand or property sued for, the enforcement of the judgment shall not preclude an appeal as to the part he did not recover. This section has been construed to mean just what it says, Hendrickson v. New Hughes Jellico Coal Co.,
Appellant puts much reliance in Clay's Committee v. Washington,
In the instant case there not only had been no partial recovery by Mrs. Davis, but there had been a material change in the properties involved. Possession had been taken, seeding had been done, improvements had been made and fencing built. As we read this record, it would be almost impossible to put the parties in statu quo should the judgment be reversed.
The situation is not unlike that in Haggin v. Montague,
"He cannot take under a judgment, and by virtue of it alone, and at the same time prosecute an appeal from it to vacate it. He is estopped to do so. If the judgment were reversed for the reasons urged upon the appeal, neither he nor the court could restore to appellees their property, nor place the parties in statu quo."
The chancellor had refused to decree specific performance against Mrs. Davis, evidently realizing that under Section
For the reasons given, the appeal is dismissed.
