122 S.E. 561 | N.C. | 1924
This was an action to recover the balance due on an account for goods sold and delivered. The defendants were sued jointly and a joint *657 judgment asked against them. The defendant J. L. White filed answer, 8 December, 1923, and the defendant J. F. White tendered his answer on 5 December, 1923. On 17 December, 1923, after notice to defendant J. F. White, the plaintiff moved for judgment before the clerk of the Superior Court of Granville. The clerk rendered judgment by default final against him. The plaintiff did not move for judgment against the defendant J. L. White. From the judgment of the clerk the defendant J. F. White appealed to the Superior Court, which reversed the judgment of the clerk, and the plaintiff appealed. The only point presented is whether the plaintiff was entitled to judgment by default final against the defendant J. F. White. The complaint was served on this defendant 7 November, 1923, and he did not attempt to file answer until 5 December — eight days after the expiration of the time for filing answer or demurrer.
Subsection 3, section 1 of chapter 92, Laws Extra Session 1921, is as follows: "The answer or demurrer shall be filed within twenty days after the return day, or after service of the complaint upon each of the defendants, or within twenty days after the final determination of the motion to remove as a matter of right. If the time is extended for filing the complaint, then the defendant shall have twenty days after the final day fixed for such extension in which to file the answer or demurrer, or after service of the complaint upon each of the defendants (in which latter case the clerk shall not extend the time for filing answer beyond the twenty days after such service)."
Subsection 11 of said section 1, chapter 92, supra, is as follows: "If the plaintiff or plaintiffs shall cause a copy of the complaint to be served upon any other defendants, either at the time of issuing summons or thereafter, the judgment shall be entered by the clerk as to the defendants served on first or third Monday next after the expiration of the time to answer."
In this case, counsel who represented the defendant J. L. White, by agreement with the counsel for plaintiff, obtained an extension of time, who therefore did not move for judgment against such defendant.
The other defendant, J. F. White, might have applied to the judge for an extension of time to answer, as authorized by subsection 18 of said chapter, but did not do so. The plaintiff was therefore entitled to judgment by default against him. Lerch v. McKinne,
The fact that the plaintiff did not move for judgment against the other defendant, J. L. White, amounted to nothing more than a waiver as to him of the fact that his answer was not filed in time. Cahoon v. Everton, ante, 373.
By the terms of the statute above quoted, all default judgments are governed by C. S., 595, 596, and 597. In Jeffries v. Aaron,
It follows that the judgment by default final by the clerk was erroneous. At the most, he should have entered a judgment by default and inquiry, and the case should then have been transferred to the Superior Court to execute the inquiry. The judge, therefore, properly reversed the judgment of the clerk, and his judgment is
Affirmed.