FRANKIE SHUMAKE, AN UNMARRIED WOMAN, F/K/A FRANKIE SHOEMAKER, A WIDOW OF EDWARD SHUMAKE, F/K/A E. D. SHOEMAKER, APPELLANT,
v.
ABE FRANKEL, APPELLEE

Fla. 3d DCA | 1965-04-27
No. 64-894
Before BARKDULL, C. J., and CARROLL and HENDRY, JJ.
174 So. 2d 604 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1965)

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Synopsis

Frankie Shumake appealed from a trial court decree dismissing her complaint for rescission of a note and mortgage that she claimed was a forgery. The appellate court affirmed the dismissal, finding it could not review the chancellor's factual findings because the trial evidence was not included in the appellate record.


Holding

The appellate court affirmed the dismissal, holding that because the trial evidence was not brought to the appellate court, it could not review whether the decree was contrary to the manifest weight of the evidence or whether the trial court was justified in denying the rehearing motion.


Key Quotes

“The evidence which was before the chancellor at the trial and upon which the foregoing findings of fact and conclusions of law were based has not been brought here.”

Establishes the critical procedural defect preventing appellate review—the trial evidence was not included in the appellate record.

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Facts & Procedural History

Shumake filed an amended complaint alleging that a note and mortgage executed in her name were forgeries and sought their rescission. At trial, the de…

The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.

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Opinion of the Court
CARROLL, Judge.

CARROLL, Judge.

By an amended complaint the appellant sought rescission and cancellation of a note and mortgage which she alleged was not made by her and was a forgery. She appealed from an adverse final decree.

On trial of the cause before the chancellor the defendant moved to dismiss at the close of the plaintiff’s case. The motion was granted and a final decree was entered dismissing the cause with prejudice. The decree contained findings of fact which, summarized were as follows: That the questioned documents were executed by the plaintiff and with plaintiff’s knowledge; that a valid consideration therefor was received by the plaintiff “by and through her duly authorized agent;” that no fraud or deceit or forgery was shown by the evidence; and that the plaintiff received the proceeds of the note and mortgage through her agent. The decree then stated as a conclusion of law that the *605plaintiff failed to sustain tlie allegations of her complaint as amended and was not entitled to the relief sought.

The evidence which was before the chancellor at the trial and upon which the foregoing findings of fact and conclusions of law were based has not been brought here. Following the trial one of the two witnesses to the mortgage who was in attendance at the trial in response to a subpoena issued by defendant, but whose presence there was not known to plaintiff’s counsel, contacted plaintiff’s counsel and made a written statement that he was the closing officer for the transaction and that the party who appeared before him and was introduced as being Frankie Shumake and who signed the note and mortgage was not the same person as the plaintiff who had appeared and testified in the suit. His description of the other person differed widely from the plaintiff. Based on that later acquired information the plaintiff filed a motion for rehearing, which was denied by the following order:

“This Cause came on upon Plaintiff’s ‘Motion for Rehearing and/or New Trial,’ and the Court having considered the same, including the Affidavit of Philip L. Ruppenthal attached in support of said motion, and after hearing argument of counsel and being advised of the record and the premises herein, it is
“Ordered, Adjudged and Decreed
“That the Plaintiff’s Motion for Rehearing and/or New Trial be and the same is hereby denied.”

Appellant seeks reversal of the decree and the order denying the motion for rehearing as being contrary to the manifest weight of the evidence, relying on the written statement referred to above. We must reject that contention because the chancellor concluded, on considering all the evidence, including the later statement, that there was no reason to disturb the decree which he had entered. The testimony presented at trial and upon which the chancellor acted is not before us. Therefore, this court is not in a position to pass upon the question of whether the decree and the order denying the motion for rehearing were justified on the evidence or were contrary to the manifest weight of the evidence. Nelson v. State, Fla.1956, 85 So.2d 832, 833; Brown v. Householder, Fla.App. 1961, 134 So.2d 801, 803; Phillips v. Blum, Fla.App. 1962, 139 So.2d 459, 460.

Affirmed.


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