The Nebraska Law Review

Torts—Attractive Nuisance Doctrine as a Basis for Damages Caused to Third Persons by Trespassing Child

John C. McElhaney

A subrogee insurer sued for damages to a building resulting from acts of children trespassing on adjacent land. Three children, at night, observed a tractor standing unguarded on a job site in a slum district, and began playing. They inadvertently started the tractor, which ran into and damaged the building. Held, recovery against the tractor owner affirmed on the basis of the attractive nuisance doctrine. Following the usual application of this doctrine, there would seem to be no question of liability to the children had they been injured while so trespassing and playing on the tractor. However, as the children were not injured, but caused injury to the property of another, this is an unusual application.


Contracts—Effect of Merger Clause on Fraud by Agent

Philip C. Sorenson

Action for purchase price of furnace which defendant had contracted to buy. Petitioner’s agent had induced defendant to enter into a contract which was subject to acceptance by the home office and which contract contained a merger clause. Buyer, in his answer, alleged fraudulent statements made by agent concerning the condition of buyer’s old furnace. On appeal Held: Plaintiff's motion for judgment on the pleadings sustained in that answer did not set up a defense to the petition since defendant was precluded from repudiating the merger clause. The same court, in a decision handed down the same day, held tract by fraudulent material misrepresentations of an agent. Thus, the court, in the present case, recognized the power of the merger clause to prevent actions of rescission or defenses based on fraud of an agent.


Corporate Distributions of Appreciated Property—A Comment on Policy

John E. North

I. The Basic Change

II. Policy Considerations … A. Minimizing the “Double Tax” … B. Preventing Conversion of Ordinary Income to Capital Gain

III. Distribution of Inventory

IV. Distributions of Depreciable Property

V. Conclusion


The Winning National Moot Court Brief

Patrick W. Healey et al.

The Nebraska Law Review is proud to reproduce here the winning brief of the Seventh Annual National Moot Court Competition submitted by a three-member team representing the University of Nebraska College of Law. To retain that value which may be gained from the brief as a style guide for other collegiate teams in moot court competitions and for the practicing lawyer, the brief is published as it appeared in the final round of competition, rather than in the newly adopted format and typographical style of the Nebraska Law Review. More important, the substance of the brief deals with a perplexing problem of the criminal law-the defense of insanity. The brief is of course a document advocating one side of the issue. The following brief summary of the legal issue raised is included to place the brief in its proper context.


General Problems of Life Insurance in Estate Planning

Howard E. Tracy

I. The Application of Section 2042 … A. Preliminary Problems … B. The Incidents of Ownership Rule … C. The Reversionary Interest Rule

II. The Application of Other Sections … A. Section 2035: Transfers in Contemplation of Death … B. Section 2036: Transfers with Retained Life Estates … C. Section 2037: Transfers Effective at Death

III. Summary


Municipal Home Rule, a Progress Report?

Arthur B. Winter

I. The Home Rule Concept … A. Cause and Effect … B. Advantages of Home Rule … C. Nebraska’s Constitutional Provisions … D. The Application of Home Rule … E. Home Rule and the Courts—Generally

II. Selected Aspects of the Municipal Legislative Process … A. The Exercise of Certain Quasi-Sovereign Powers … 1. Eminent Domain … 2. Power to Tax and Assess … 3. Regulation of Surface Transportation Systems … 4. Regulation of Liquor Traffic and Gambling … B. Municipal Services to Citizens … 1. The Public Safety Function … 2. The Educational Function … 3. Health and Sanitation … 4. Streets and Parking Lots

III. Conclusions


Federal Loyalty-Security Removals, 1946–1956

Robert J. Morgan

I. Judicial Review of Civil Service Removals

II. The Loyalty-Security Cases … A. The Removal Power and the Bill of Rights … B. The Doctrine of Specific Charges … C. The Cole Case

III. A Critique


Nebraska Corporation Law, a Statutory Jungle

Roland A. Luedtke

I. Introduction … A. The General Corporation Law of 1941 … 1. Source … 2. Scope … B. Adoption of General Nonprofit Corporation Law of Nebraska, 1943 … C. Amendments to Corporation Laws since 1941

II. Procedural Matters of Administration … A. The General Corporation Law … 1. Definitions … 2. Filing Articles of Incorporation … 3. Similarity of Corporate Name … 4. Election of Directors and Officers … 5. Proper Certification of Amendments … 6. Reduction of Capital … 7. Stockholders’ Right Inquiry … 8. False Reports by Directors or Officers … 9. Inconsistent Provisions re Filing Formalities … 10. Matters Involving Voluntary Dissolution … 11. Recent Legislative Alterations … B. Nonprofit Corporation without Capital Stock … 1. The 1929 Nonprofit Corporation Act … 2. Hospital Service Corporations … 3. The General Nonprofit Corporation Law of Nebraska … C. Foreign Corporations … 1. What Constitutes “Doing Business” in Nebraska … 2. Enforcement of Contracts … 3. Statutory Service of Process upon Secretary of State … D. Cooperative Companies … 1. General Provisions … 2. Cooperative Credit Associations … 3. Cooperative Land Companies … 4. Nonstock Cooperative Marketing Companies … E. Occupation Tax … 1. Nature of the Tax … 2. Common Errors and Omission in Annual Reports … 3. Penalty Remission … 4. Permissive Filing of Tax Lien by Secretary of State … 5. Dissolution for Nonpayment of Occupation Taxes … F. Corporations Not Included under General Corporation Laws … 1. Bridge Companies … 2. Real Estate Corporations … 3. Charitable and Fraternal Societies … 4. Educational Institutions … 5. Religious Societies .. 6. Nonprofit Professional and Similar Associations … 7. Burial Associations … 8. Fontenelle Forest Association … 9. Union Depot Companies … 10. Credit Unions … 11. Membership Corporations and Associations … 12. Corporate Bodies Not in Chapter 21

IV. [III.] Summary and Conclusions


The Right to Change Defense or Claim by Amendments to the Pleadings

John C. McElhaney

I. Amendments Generally

II. Change in Defense Pleaded from That Used in Pre-Trial Negotiations

III. Amendments after Appeal—General

IV. Amendments after Remand—Specific Examples

V. Conclusion