Green v. Connell

DREW, Judge. This case is before us on a motion to dismiss the appeal on jurisdictional grounds. The suit involves title to land, and during the trial below it was agreed by all parties that the value of the land involved in the suit was more than $2000. We -are therefore clearly without jurisdiction rations materiae to try the case on appeal. This fact is admitted by appellants, who have requested that we transfer the case to the Supreme Court. Appellee objects to the case being transferred and contends that the appeal should be dismissed for the reason the record is not complete. The briefs disclose that when the case was originally tried the evidence was transcribed and filed in the record. The lower court awarded judgment for defendants. A rehearing was granted upon application of plaintiff and additional evidence heard. The court reporter, for reasons unknown [256] to us, failed to transcribe and file the testimony taken at this rehearing. The lower court then rendered judgment for plaintiff as prayed for and ' defendants perfected their appeal to this court. The transcript of the testimony taken at the last trial is not in the record, and for this reason ap-pellee contends that no judgment contrary to that of the lower court could be predicated upon the record as made up, and that to transfer the case to the Supreme Court will only cause further delay, as that court would necessarily have to dismiss the appeal. We are afraid that appellee has overlooked Section 8 of Act No. 95 of 1922, which provides that the plaintiff is primarily liable for the costs and filing of the transcript of testimony in the lower court and cannot take advantage of his failure to comply with the law. For a full discússion of this question, see Allen et al. v. Shreveport Mutual Building Ass’n, 183 La. 521, 164 So. 328. We find no sound reason for not following the usual rule of this court by transferring this case to the Supreme Court, as provided by Act No. 19 of 1912. Brock v. People’s Savings Bank & Trust Co., La.App., 148 So. 460. It therefore follows that the appeal in this case is transferred to the Supreme Court of Louisiana. The clerk of this court is directed to return the entire record to the clerk of court below, and the transfer hereby ordered shall be made within thirty days after this judgment becomes final, and if not so made, then the appeal is to be deemed dismissed. Appellant is cast for costs in this court, all other costs to await the final determination of the case.