Opinion

Fuqua v. Watson

  • 172 Okla. 624
  • 46 P.2d 486
  • 1935 Okla. LEXIS 1490
Court
Supreme Court of Oklahoma
Filed
Jun 18, 1935
Status
Published
Author
Gibson
On the bench
Gibson, McNeill, Riley, Busby, Phelps
Cited by
5 cases
Authority
More cited than 67.4%

The opinion

GIBSON, J.

Defendants in error, referred to herein as plaintiffs, commenced this action in the superior court of Okmulgee county against the plaintiff in error, referred to herein as defendant, for possession of and to quiet title to certain real property. The action is based upon a tax deed obtained by plaintiffs from the chairman of the board of county commissioners. The deed in question was what is commonly called a county deed, issued by the chairman, conveying lands obtained by the county as a result of tax resale, as provided in section 9746, C. O. S. 1921, amended by S. L. 1923, chapter 158, sec. 6 (sec. 12756, O. S. 1931).

The defense was the one-year statute of limitations, as provided in section 9753, C. O. S. 1921, now 12763, O. S. 1931, and that the deed was void on its face.

The trial court declared the deed void, and rendered judgment against defendant for the sum of $766.14, being the amount of accumulated taxes, penalties, interest, and costs chargeable against the land, declared said sum to be a first and prior lien upon the land, ordered the plaintiffs sub-rogated to the rights of the county and ordered sale of the property under execution to satisfy the judgment. From this judgment the defendant has appealed.

It is contended by plaintiff that certain portions of the judgment are outside of and beyond the issues as framed by the pleadings and proof, and that said judgment is therefore a nullity as to the portions thereof not supported by the issues.

An examination of the pleadings reveals no allegations seeking recovery of the accumulated taxes, penalties, and’costs chargeable to said land. Plaintiffs refer us to

*625

iio evidence in the record tending to establish such right of recovery, and our own examination of the record discloses no such evidence. That portion of the judgment allowing personal recovery against the defendant and decreeing a lien against the property was wholly outside of and beyond the issues as framed at the trial, and is therefore a nullity. Central National Oil Co. v. Continental Supply Co., 119 Okla. 190 , 249 P. 347 ; Freeman, Judgments, vol. 1, sec. 355.

The question of the validity of the deed was properly before the trial court for its determination. The portion of the judgment declaring thfe deed void is not questioned on tins, appeal and must stand as the final determination of that question. The void portion of the judgment is clearly separable from that portion which is valid. In such case .this court will modify the judgment by striking therefrom the erroneous portion so entered and affirm that portion which was within the jurisdiction of the trial court to render. Paulsen v. Western Electric Company, 67 Okla. 309 , 171 P. 38 .

The judgment annulling the tax deed was within the issues and valid, and for that reason the judgment will be modified by striking therefrom that portion awarding personal judgment against defendant, and, as so modified, the judgment is affirmed.

McNEILL, C. J., and RILEY, BUSBY, and PHELPS, JJ., concur.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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