15 Utah 345 | Utah | 1897
Lead Opinion
It appears from this record tbat tbe plaintiff brought suit against tbe defendants, by their individual names, on two promissory notes, and alleged in tbe complaint that they were executed by tbe defendants as partners; that personal service was made on tbe Swensons, and tbat there was no service on defendant Stookey; tbat Cher-rington & Harkness, attorneys at law, were employed by tbe Swensons to appear for them in tbe case; tbat they filed a demurrer, in which they did not give tbe individual names of tbe defendants for whom they appeared; tbat they signed tbe demurrer as follows: “ Cberrington & Harkness, Attorneys for Defendants;” and tbat they were not authorized to appear for appellant, Stookey. It further appears tbat tbe demurrer was overruled, and tbat judgment nihil clicit was entered against all tbe defendants on February 21, 1896; tbat an execution was issued thereon on tbe 9th day of December, 1896, next following, and levied on Stookey’s property; tbat on tbe 3d day of February, 1897, Stookey gave notice to the plaintiff tbat be would on the 13th day of tbe same month, at 9 o’clock and 30 minutes a. m., or as soon thereafter as counsel could be beard, move the court to set aside the judgment as to himself, and filed tbe notice and motion in tbe clerk’s office on tbe day tbe notice was given; tbat be
The respondent moves the court to dismiss the appeal from the judgment on the ground that it was not taken within one year from the date of its rendition., The statute required the appeal to be taken within that time, and for that reason the motion as to the appeal from the judgment is allowed, and it is dismissed.
The respondent also moves the court to dismiss the appeal from the order overruling the motion to set the judgment aside, because no appeal lies, as alleged, from such an order. A judgment against a party not served with process, who did not appear in person or by his attorney, is without any binding effect; and though the process against him may have been returned as served, or the record may show his appearance, if in fact he was not served, and did not enter his appearance or authorize it to be done, he may, upon learning of the judgment, move the court to set it aside, and upon sufficient proof the court should grant the motion. A judgment in such a case, without the service of process or appearance, would not be due process of law, under the constitution of this state or the constitution of the United States. And the sale of the defendant’s property by virtue of an execution issued upon such a judgment, if sustained, would deprive him of his property without due process of law. A judg
It appears that the defendant Stookey was not served with process, and did not appear in person, or authorize any one to appear for him, before judgment. The weight of the evidence establishes the fact that the appellant did not know of the judgment against him until about eight months after it was rendered, and that there was some effort by him to adjust the matter without further litigation, upon the expectation that the Swensons, the other defendants, would arrange to pay or satisfy it, as they admitted they were bound to; and, such efforts having failed, he served a notice of his motion to set it aside, to which an answer showing a defense to the suit was attached, and filed the same in the clerk’s office, and moved the court to set the judgment aside, and asked leave to file his answer 18 days before the year given by the statute above quoted expired; that the time to hear the motion was fixed for the 13th day of the same month, but was postponed by the court until the 8th day of the next month. To hold that leave should not be given because the court postponed the hearing of appellant’s application beyond the year would be a very illiberal and narrow construction of the statute. The statute relates to the remedy, and should, as before stated, receive a liberal construction in furtherance of the remedy. But we are of the opinion that the defendant against whom a judgment may have been rendered without service or process or appearance may, upon learning of it after the expiration .of
The plaintiff: also insists that Stookey’s co-defendants are adverse parties to him on this appeal, and that notice of the appeal should have been served on them. The motion was to set aside the judgment as to the appellant, not as to his co-defendants. Edward A. Swenson and J. B. Swenson, co-defendants of Stookey, gave their affidavits upon the hearing of the motion from the decision from which this appeal is taken, and they did not object to the judgment against them, but stated that the attorneys were employed to appear for them, and that they were not employed to appear for Stookey; that they made no adverse claim against Stookey, and conceded all he claimed. No issue was made upon his claims. In fact, they corroborated his statements, and expressly concede his claims by voluntary statements in their affidavits. Section 3036, Comp. ,Laws Utah 1888, requires notice of the appeal to be “served on the adverse party.” The co-defendants concede that the judgment was just as to them, and agree with Stookey in his contention with the plaintiff. If, as the appellant’s co-defendants concede, the judgment was properly rendered against them, and it was wrongfully rendered as against him, — if the debt was theirs, and not his, — if they should be compelled to pay the judgment' they copld not compel contribution from him; they could have no adverse claim or right against him with respect to it in any event. If one defendant to a joint judgment pays it, he cannot com
It is also claimed that the service of the summons on appellant’s co-defendants was sufficient to give the court jurisdiction to enter the judgment against the appellant. Reliance is placed on section 3191, Comp. Laws Utah 1888: “When two or more persons associated in any business, transact such business under a common name, whether it comprises the names of such persons or not, the associates may be sued by such common name, the summons in such cases being served on one or more of the associates; and the judgment in the action shall bind the joint property of all the associates, in the same manner as if all had been defendants, and had been sued upon their joint liability.” The suit in which the judgment complained of was entered was not against parties associated under a common name. The suit was against the defendants individually. Nor was the judgment against such association under such common name. And the individual property of the appellant was seized. Therefore the statute relied upon can have no application to this appeal. 2 Bates, Partn. § 1085.
It is further urged that, attorneys of this court having
In view of the facts appearing upon the hearing of the motion, the order of the court appealed from, denying appellant’s motion, is reversed, and the cause is remanded, with directions to the court below to stay any
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting). From the facts as disclosed in this record, I have come to a different conclusion from that of the majority of the court. It appears that the plaintiff brought this action against the defendants to recover judgment upon two promissory notes set out in ■ the complaint, and alleged that the defendants were co-partners at the time the notes sued upon were made, and were doing business under the firm name and style of Swenson Bros. & Stookey, and as such firm made and delivered the notes upon which this action was brought. Summons was duly issued and served on defendants Swenson in January, 1896, but was not served on defendant Stookey. Within the time required to plead, all the defendants, through Messrs. Cherrington & Harkness, their attorneys, filed a demurrer to the complaint on the ground that the complaint did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action, and the same was served on the attorneys for the plaintiff. This demurrer was heard and overruled February 8, 1896, and 10 days granted to defendants in which to answer. Notice of the overruling of the demurrer, etc., was duly' served on defendants’ attorneys, and service was admitted by Cherrington & Harkness. No answer being filed, the default of all the defendants was duly made, and judgment by default entered against them February 21, 1896. Execution was issued upon the judgment December 9, 1896, and levied in part upon property of defendant
The respondent moves to dismiss the appeal on the ground that this court has no jurisdiction to hear said appeal, for the reasons — First, that the appeal from the judgment cannot be entertained because said appeal was not taken within one year from the entry of said judgment; second, the appeal from the order denying the motion to vacate the judgment cannot be entertained because said order is not a final judgment, and is not ap-pealable; thirds that neither of said appeals can be entertained because Stookey, the only defendant appealing, did not serve notice of appeal on either of his co-defendants, and claim that the judgment was regular and valid on its face, that the appellant was guilty of gross negli
The plaintiff had the right to rely upon the appearance of the defendants by their attorneys as valid, and was not required to have the summons served upon Stookey after such statutory appearance. If Mr. Stookey knew of the appearance by attorneys not authorized to appear for him, and of the judgment, and failed to take steps to set the judgment aside within a reasonable time, and notify the plaintiff of the false position in which he was placed, he was guilty of laches and bad faith, and should not be permitted to reap a benefit from such acts which would cause misfortune to another.
Where a judgment is valid upon its face, the defendant, moving to set it aside on the ground that he made no appearance, and the attorneys professing to appear for him had no authority so to do, must show — First, that he has a good defense; second, that he has been diligent in presenting his grievances to the court; third, that the attorneys in truth had no authority to represent him. Seale v. McLaughlin, 28 Cal. 668; Garrison v. McGowan, 48 Cal. 592; Suydam v. Pitcher, 4 Cal. 280; Elliott v. Bastian, 11 Utah 453; Mahoney v. Middleton, 41 Cal. 41; Foote v. Richmond, 42 Cal. 429; Holmes v. Rogers, 13 Cal. 191; Hunter v. Bryant, 98 Cal. 247.
Under the testimony introduced, the court held that no good or sufficient defense or merits were shown, that the defendant Stookey had not been diligent in prosecuting his alleged grievances to the court, and that the showing made was not sufficient upon which to set aside the judgment. Speaking with reference to the merits of the" case, under section 3256, Comp. Laws Utah 1888, the decision should not be disturbed on appeal unless a clear abuse of discretion is shown on the part of the trial court. Krause v. Hampton, 11 Iowa 457; Thomas v. Morris, 8 Utah 292. The testimony of Blyth and Dev, if true, — and the court believed them, — would seem to justify the decision of the court.
This appeal is taken from the judgment as well as from the order denying defendant’s motion to set aside and vacate the judgment. The judgment was rendered February 21, 1896.' The appeal therefrom was taken April 12,1897. I am of the opinion that the appeal from the judgment should be dismissed because it was not taken until after the expiration of more than one year from the time of the entry of the judgment. 2 Comp. Laws Utah 1888, § 3635; Henly v. Hastings, 3 Cal. 341; Tripp v. Railroad Co., 69 Cal. 631; Railroad Co. v. Mc-Grath, 74 Cal. 49; Davis v. Donner, 82 Cal. 35; Goyhinech v. Goyhinech, 80 Cal. 409; In re Wiard’s Estate (Cal.) 24 Pac. 45; Henry v. Merguire, 111 Cal. 1; Bornheimer v. Baldwin, 42 Cal. 31; People v. Loucks, 28 Cal. 69.
The motion to vacate and set aside the judgment because the summons was not served upon the appellant, Stookey, and because his appearance was entered with
Unless the appeal is talcen within the time prescribed by law, the court has no jurisdiction to hear the appeal, nor to extend the time in which the appeal may be taken. The time to appeal from a judgment, under our statute, begins to run from the entry of the judgment, and not from the time when the court overrules the motion for a new trial, or other motion with reference to it. See cases cited above. In the case of North Point Consol. Irr. Co. v. Utah & S. L. C. Co., 14 Utah 155, it was held that an appeal from an order, made pendente lite, granting a temporary injunction, was not an appeal from a final judgment from which an appeal would lie under section 9, art. 8, of the constitution. In Eastman v. Gurrey, 14 Utah 169, this court held that the constitution had taken away the right of appeal from an order vacating and setting aside a judgment, and that such an order was not a final judgment from which an appeal would lie. In the case of White v. Pease, 15 Utah 170, this court held that an order refusing to grant a new trial comes within the rule laid down in the above cases, and that such an order is not a final judgment from which an appeal will lie to this court under section 9, art. 8, of the constitution. In Jones v. Insurance Co., 14 Utah 215, this court held, in substance, that a motion to vacate a final judgment comes too late after the term has expired, and after the time within which a motion for a new trial can be made, and should be denied. An order overruling a mo
It seems clear, from authority, that in cases where judgments have been obtained without service of process, but which are regular and valid on their face, and the defendant has no knowledge of the judgment until the statutory time to move to set aside has expired, or was prevented from making the motion from other causes, named in the statute, over which he had no control, within the times provided by statute, a court of equity would have jurisdiction in the premises, when all the parties in interest have been brought before it. Courts of equity will not ordinarily entertain jurisdiction when the remedy at law is complete.
It is also insisted that this court has no jurisdiction of this case because defendant Stookey, the only defendant appealing, did not serve notice of appeal upon his co-defendants, wliO' were parties interested in the appeal. This court held in Commercial Nat. Bank v. United States S., L. & B. Co., 13 Utah 189, and Rache v. Stanley, 15 Utah 314, that, under section 3636 Comp. Uaws Utah 1888, notice of appeal shall be served on a co-defendant who does not appeal; that the term “adverse party,” used in the statute, meant every person whose interests required that the order, judgment, or decree appealed from be sustained, or who are interested in opposing the relief, and that every such person must be served with a
Concurrence Opinion
I concur in the result.