Best v. . Garris

Clarkson, J. N. C. Code, 1935 (Michie), sec. 568, is as follows: “Trial by jury may be waived by the several parties to an issue of fact, in actions on contract, and with the assent of the court in other actions, in the manner following: (1) By failing to appear at the trial; (2) By written consent, in person or by attorney, filed with the clerk; (3) By oral consent, entered in the minutes.” *307 Sec. 569: “Upon trial of an issue of fact by tbe court, its decision shall be given in writing, and shall contain a statement of the fact found, and the conclusions of law separately. Upon trial of an issue of law, the decision shall be made in the same manner, stating the conclusions of law. Such decision must be filed with the clerk during the court at which the trial takes place, and judgment upon it shall be entered accordingly.” Sec. 570 relates to exceptions to decisions of court. Nowhere in this record are there any exceptions to any of the evidence upon which the court below made its conclusions of law. It may be noted that the plaintiff did not appeal. In Buchanan v. Clark, 164 N. C., 56 (60-1), is the following: “We are of opinion that the defendants in this case are completely foreclosed by the judge’s findings of fact. Parties can have their causes tried by jury, by reference, or by the court. They may waive the right of trial by jury by consenting that the judge may try the ease without a jury, in which event he finds the facts and declares the law arising thereon. Revisal, sec. 540 (C. S., 568). His findings of fact are conclusive, unless proper exception is made in apt time that there is no evidence to support his findings or any one or more of them. The present Chief Justice, in Matthews v. Fry, 143 N. C., 384, thus states the procedure in such cases: ‘The parties waived a jury trial and agreed in writing that the judge should find the facts and enter judgment thereon as upon the facts so found he might decide the law to be. The judge found the facts and entered judgment therein in favor of the defendant. When the certificate of opinion was presented in the court below, the plaintiff moved for judgment in accordance therewith. The defendant resisted this judgment and asked for trial de novo, and insisted that some of the findings of fact had been made by the judge without any evidence to support them. The findings of fact by the judge, when authorized by law or the consent of parties, are as conclusive as when found by a jury, if there is any evidence,’ ” citing numerous authorities. Odom v. Palmer, 209 N. C., 93 (98); Baushar v. Willis, 210 N. C., 52 (55). The court below found “Exhibits A and B were not such as to ripen title under color, or perfect title in said T. H. Garris, and that the petitioner is entitled to have the said undivided one-sixth interest of T. II. Garris, deceased, in and to the lands described as first four tracts set out in the petition filed, sold, and the proceeds applied to the discharge of the indebtedness due by his estate.” Defendants excepted to the judgment as rendered and stated the reasons. In Mfg. Co. v. Lumber Co., 178 N. C., 571 (574), we find: “If treated as an exception to the judgment, it presents the single question whether the facts found or admitted are sufficient to support the judgment *308 (Ullery v. Guthrie, 148 N. C., 419).” Wilson v. Charlotte, 206 N. C., 856; Orange Co. v. Atkinson, 207 N. C., 593 (596); Shuford v. Building and Loan Assn., 210 N. C., 237 (238). In Dixon v. Osborne, 201 N. C., 489 (493), it is said: “Plaintiffs contend that there is error in the judgment in this action rendered at May Term, 1931. This contention is presented by their appeal from the judgment. It has been uniformly held by this Court that an appeal is itself an exception to the judgment and to any other matter appearing on the face of the record,” citing numerous authorities. There are no exceptions by defendants to the finding of facts. The facts having been found, we think the conclusions of law made by the court below correct under the facts and circumstances of this cause. We have examined the carefully prepared brief of the defendants, which is persuasive but not convincing on the subject. The judgment must be Affirmed.