2 Md. Ch. 447 | New York Court of Chancery | 1830
This case standing ready for hearing, on the default of the defendants to answer as required by the order of the 22d of March last, and having been submitted by the plaintiff on a motion to have the bill taken pro confesso, and a final decree passed, the proceedings were read and considered.
The course of proceeding against a defendant whose answer, on exceptions, has been held insufficient, does not appear to be clearly and generally understood. I shall, therefore, avail myself of this occasion to explain the mode of proceeding against a defendant who has contumaciously neglected to answer, or who has failed in an attempt, by a demurrer or plea to protect himself from answering as the bill requires; or who, after such answer put in by him has been held, upon exceptions, to be insufficient, has failed to make a good and sufficient answer, as ordered.
The ancient practice of having the bill first filed, and directing process to be thereupon issued, as prayed, to bring in the defendant to answer, having been improperly departed from, it very often happened, that a defendant was vexatiously brought into court, as for a contempt in not answering, long before the complaint to which
The first process for calling the defendant in, to appear and answer, is the subpcena. If he should be abroad, or cannot be served with that process, the case can proceed no farther, and the plaintiff must, according to the English ■ course of proceeding, in many cases, go without redress. But if after having been summoned by the subpoena, a defendant fails to appear, then there goes against him an attachment for contempt,
After an appearance has been entered, if a defendant fails to answer, the plaintiff, to extract an answer from him, may sue out an attachment, and so proceed to sequestration; after which, the bill may be taken pro corfesso, and a decree passed accordingly, without exhibiting any proof of the truth of its allegations, as was formerly deemed proper.
Upon any reasonable ground of indulgence, however, if the delay has not been extravagantly long, the court will, on the payment of costs, and on the defendant’s communicating the answer he proposes to put in, and shewing its sufficiency, set aside the order for taking the bill pro confesso, and allow the answer to be filed.
In regard to defendants who may be found within reach of the process of the court, it has been declared, that if a defendant, being of full age, and regularly summoned, shall negleet to appear at the return court, and shall stand out the process of attachment of contempt, and attachment with proclamation, without appearing and putting in a good and sufficient answer, by the fourth day of the term to which it is returnable,
And further, that in case a subpoena shall be returned non est by the sheriff of the county where the defendant shall be known, or generally supposed to reside; and on áffidavit of some indifferent person, of the said known or supposed residence, and of the defendant’s having avoided,.or kept out of the way of the sheriff, or evaded the service of the subpoena,
But there being a great variety of instances in which it .was important that some means should be given for obtaining relief in equity against persons who were competent to answer,
It has been declared, that, in all 'cases whatever, where a bill shall be filed against a person not residing within the state, the Chancellor may direct such notice of 'the bill, and the objéct thereof by advertisement in newspapers, or otherwise, warning the defendant .to appear on or before some day to be fixed, not less than four months from the time of the first advertisement, to shew cause why a decree should not be passed as prayed; and, in case,-the defendant shall not appear, the bill shall be taken pro confesso, or a commission shall, on application of the plaintiff, be issued to take depositions on his part; and on the return thereof, the Chan-, cellor may proceed to decree according to the facts proved; provided, that if the defendant shall appear before the decree, there shall be the same proceedings as if he had appeared on the return of a subpoena; and provided also, that if any person against whom a decree shall be made shall .appear within eighteen months after the date of the decree, and require a review of it upon bill filed, the Chancellor shall proceed to an examination of the matters in dispute, and decree as if such person had originally appeared,
And it has been further declared, that if a bill be filed against any person, to compel a specific performance of a contract, who is not a resident of the state, or to be found therein, and it cannot be ascertained whether he be living or not; or if dead, whether he left any legal representatives, or who they are, the Chancellor may, without the appearance of the absent party, either take the bill pro confesso, or issue a commission for taking depositions ex parte, and on taking the bill pro confesso, or the return of the commission, decree as justice and equity may require: Provided, that the plaintiff shall give at least six months’ notice of his application, in such newspaper as the Chancellor shall direct; and provided, that if the defendant shall appear at any time, not exceeding eighteen calender months after such decree, and request a review of it upon bill filed, the Chancellor shall proceed to an examination of the matter, and to a final- decree in the same manner as if such defendant had originally appeared; and provided also, that such defendant may, at any time before a decree, appear and be admitted to defend on filing a good and sufficient answer, plea, or demurrer,
But as all these modes of proceeding against absent defendants by publication related only to adults, or to persons competent to refuse to answer on being so warned,
All these newly prescribed modes of proceeding, by publication against adult and infant defendants applied, however, to, none other than original and regular proceedings in equity, and therefore, in relation to all interlocutory petitions in chancery, as well as to petitions of all other kinds addressed to it, or to any other of the courts of justice, it has heen declared, that in all cases of petitions, instituted in any of the courts of this state, to which .a nonresident may be a party, such court, upon being satisfied of súch
And, finally, as to cases in chancery, in general, it has been declared, that in case any defendant shall appear agreeably to an order limiting a day, or voluntarily, he shall put in a good and sufficient answer, plea or demurrer, on or before the fourth day of the term succeeding such appearance, or be liable to be proceeded against, if a resident of the state, as if he had been summoned and appeared ; and if he be a non-resident, either the bill shall be taken pro confesso, or a commission may issue to take depositions ex parte, and a decree thereon made,
In the ordinary course of the court, according to the existing
It is a general rule, that wherever á defendant submits to answer, he must answer as folly as the bill requires.
An insufficient' answer must of necessity, be regarded as no answer; since it would be unjust or ruinous, to compel a plaintiff to reply to, and go to trial, on an insufficient answer, full of absurdities and inconsistencies, or which was, in many particulars, palpably deficient. The taking of exceptions to an answer, is tantamount to a demurrer, upon an insufficient plea at law; and if such a demurrer is sustained, the plaintiff has judgment, because the plea is insufficient; and so in equity, on exceptions to the answer being sustained, the like consequences must follow. But for the adoption of this rule, there would seem to be no end to the delays which a defendant might produce by repeated sham answers. And indeed, even as the rule now stands, according to the English system, the expensive delays in chancery proceedings, under the present mode of obtaining a full answer, after a previous one had been declared insufficient, have been considered as so serious a grievance, that there has been recently a great effort made to obtain from parliament, some reforms, similar to those which have been so long since engrafted into our system,
If, then, we apply these reasonable and established principles, that, where a defendant has failed to put in a sufficient answer, as required, the plaintiff may renew his course of proceeding from the point at which he had left Off when the insufficient answer was filed; and that an insufficient, answer must be regarded as no answer, to the course of proceedings prescribed by the before-mentioned legislative enactments, it will be seen that it has been expressly declared, that qn a defendant being returned attached for
If a plaintiff could not be allowed,- in’this manner, either to have the defendant attached and compelled to answer, or to have his bill taken pro confesso, as if no answer at all had been filed, then those legislative provisions, by which the proceedings against á defendant to obtain an answer, .or have the bill taken pro confesso have been regulated might be continually evaded or rendered altogether nugatory. It would only be necessary, in any case, for the defendant to file a mere sham answer, with the express view to its: being declared insufficient, so as to throw the plaintiff back Upon and force him to resort to, and again run out the same line of process' up to that at which he had left off. Such a course,- it is evident,would be in direct opposition to the spirit, if not to the letter, of those legislative eriactments, the clear principles of which may be so aptly applied to all cases situated like the present. Upon the whole, therefore, I am of opinion that this plaintiff may now have his bill taken pro confesso for want of an answer, and have a final and absolute decree founded upon that default and tacit confession.
Whereupon, it is Decreed, that the said bill of complaint be
Forum Rom. 26, 64; 1 Harri. Pra. Cha. 194.
4 Ann, ch. 16, s. 22; Kilty Rep. 247; 2 Mad. Cha. 197; 4 Inst. 92.
Forum Rom. 36.
Cowell v. Seybrey, 2 Bland, 18, note.
Nodes v. Batle, 2 Rep. Cha. 283; Moyser v. Peacock, 3 Rep. Cha. 22; 2 Freem. 127; Davis v. Davis, 2 Atk. 23; 1 Harri. Pra. Cha. 194, 229, 242, 254.
5 Geo. 2, ch. 25; Kilty Rep. 189; Mawer v. Mawer, 1 Cox, 104; Short v. Downer, 2 Cox, 84; Neale v. Norris, 5 Ves. 1; Winchester v. Beavor, 5 Ves. 113 ; 1 Fowl. Exch. Pra. 212.
5 Geo. 2, ch. 25, s. 2; 1 Fowl. Exch. Pra. 202.
Johnson v. Desmineere, 1 Vern. 223; Denny v. Filmer Nelson, 65; Davis v. Davis, 2 Atk. 22; Anonymous, 10 Mod. 431; 1 Fowl. Exch. Pra. 200; 1718, ch. 5.
Anonymous, 2 Cha. Ca. 237; S. C. 2 Freem. 27; Thomas v. Jones Nelson, 50; Hughes v. Owen Bunb. 299; Snowden v. Snowden, 1 Bland, 551.
2 Eq. Ca. Abr. 178; Jopllng v. Stuart, 4 Ves, 619.
1 Fowl. Exch. Pra. 199; Geary v. Sheridan, 8 Ves. 192; Hoye v. Penn, 1 Bland, 33.
Williams v. Thompson, 2 Bro. C. C. 279; Hearne v. Ogilvie, 11 Ves. 77.
Parron v. Brannock, 14th July, 1721. — Bill, Answer, and Exceptions. — Exceptions held good, and ruled, that the defendant give in a better answer, and six hundred pounds of tobacco costs. Ordered, that attachment issue for costs. Answer
Tilghman, Chancellor. — It appearing in this cause, that the defendant hath put in two insufficient answers, which have been set aside upon exceptions; that the defendant hath not put in any other answer; and that the complainant hath run out all the process of contempt. Therefore, Decreed, that the bill be taken pro confesso; that the injunction be made perpetual as to the execution at law complained of in the bill, with costs ; and that the complainant have a sequestration. — Chancery Proceedings, lib. I. jR. No. 1, fol. 72, 73.
Chew v. Moore. — The object of this bill, filed on the 15th of February, 1769, was to foreclose a mortgage, &c. The defendant was summoned, and he appeared by his solicitor, but failed to answer.
February, 1774. — Eden, Chancellor. — Ruled, if no answer in six months, from the 18th day of February, 1774, bill to be taken as confessed, and decree to be entered accordingly.
After which no answer having been filed, a final decree was passed. — Chancery Proceedings, lib. No. 1, fol. 56.
1785, ch. 72, s. 26.
1785, ch. 72, s. 19,20; 1795, ch. 88, &c.; 1 Newl, Prac. Cha. 85.
1785, ch. 72, s. 31; 1820, ch. 161; 1 Newl. Pra. Cha. 93; Darwent v. Walton, 2 Atk. 510; Mayer v. Tyson, 1 Bland, 560.
Can a defendant after standing out this proces, be allowed, as of course, to come in, and demur or plead ? Curzon v. De La Zouch, 1 Swan, 193; Cowell v. Seybrey, I Bland, 18, note; Forum Rom. 71.
j) Man v. Parkinson, 9 Mod. 266.
1785, ch. 72, s. 19.
1785, ch. 72, s. 20 ; 1 Harri. Pra. Cha. 278; 1 Newl. Pra. Cha. 125.
i) 1799, ch. 79, s. 2.
Davis v. Davis, 2 Atk. 22; 1828, ch. 184.
1797, ch. 114, s. 2, 3; 1773, ch. 7, s. 3, 4; 1832, ch. 302, s. 3.
1820, ch. 161, s. 1, 2
Carew v. Johnston, 2 Scho. & Lefr. 292; Knight v. Young, 2 Ves. & B. 185.
Smith v. The Hibernian Mine Company, 1 Scho.
& Lefr. 238.
1773, ch. 7, s. 3, 4; 1785, ch. 72, s. 30, 31; 1787, ch. 30, s. 2.
1791 ,ch. 79; 1792, ch. 41; 1794, ch. 60.
1795, ch. 88, s. 1; 1820, ch. 161, s. 4, 5; 1831, ch. 311, s. 13; 1832, ch. 302, s. 3; Knight v. Young, 2 Ves. & B. 185.
1797, ch. 114; 1831, ch. 311, s. 10.
1826, ch. 199.
1804, ch. 107; 1737, ch. 80; 1792, ch. 41; 1795, ch. 88, s. 1.
Scott v. Hough, 4 Bro. C. C. 213.
1799, ch. 79, s. 1, 2.
t) 1799, ch. 79, s. 3,
Carew v. Johnston, 2 Scho. & Lefr. 292.
1789, ch. 46; 1790, ch. 38; 1797, ch. 114, s. 5; 1832, ch. 302, s. 9.
1799, ch. 79, s. 4.
1818, ch. 133, s. 1.
1799, ch. 79; s. 9; Clapham v. Clapham, 1 Bland, 126, note.
1798, ch. 84; 1807, ch. 140.
1799, ch. 79, s. 5; Johnson v. Desmineere, 1 Vern. 223; Dominicelti v. Latti, 2 Dick. 588. —
1820, ch. 161, s. 1.
Geary v. Sheridan, 8 Ves. 192.
, Molesworth v. Verney, 2 Dick. 667; Iglehart v. Armiger, 1 Bland, 528.
Davis v. Davis, 2 Atk. 24; Wood v. Strickland, 2 Ves. & Bea. 158; Trim v. Baker, 1 Cond. Cha. Rep. 240; Rowley v. Eccles, 1 Cond. Cha. Rep. 260.
Brownsword v. Edwards, 2 Ves. 246; Hawtry v. Trollop, Nelson, 119; Wood v. Strickland, 2 Ves. & Bea. 158 ; Sanders v. King, 6. Mad. 63; Thring v. Edgar, 1 Cond. Cha. Rep. 457; Mitf. Plea. 302, —
Johnson v. Desmineere, 1 Vern, 223.—
Salmon v. Clagett, post.
Dupont v. Ward, 1 Dick, 133; Turner v. Turner, 1 Dick. 316; Gregor v. Arundel, 8 Ves. 88; Partridge v. Haycraft, 11 Ves. 575; Williams v. Davies, 1 Cond. Cha. Rep. 217; Ovey v. Leighton, 1 Cond. Cha. Rep. 433; Hodgson v. Butterfield, 1 Cond. Cha. Rep. 434; 1 Harr, Pra. Cha. 321.
Anonymous, 2 P. Will. 481; Hawkins v. Crook, 2 P. Will. 556; S. C. Mosely, 294, 383; Turner v. Turner, 1 Dick. 316; Bromfield v. Chichester, 1 Dick. 379; Child v. Brabson, 2 Ves. 110; Davis v. Davis, 2 Atk. 24; Darwent v. Walton, 2 Atk. 510; Wallop v. Brown, 4 Bro. C. C. 212, 223; Gordon v. Pitt, 4 Bro. C. C. 406 and 544; Attorney-General v. Young, 3 Ves. 209; 1 Hove. Supp. 362; Jopling v. Stuart, 4 Ves. 619; Gregor v. Arundel, 8 Ves. 88; Bailey v. Bailey, 11 Ves. 151; 2 Hove. Sup. 251; Anonymous, 2 Ves. jun. 270, and 1 Hove. Sup. 256; Landon v. Ready, 1 Cond. Cha. Rep. 23; 2 Eq. Ca. Abr. 179; Forum Rom. 106.
Denny v. Filmer Nelson 65; Ogilvie v. Herne, 13 Ves. 563; Landon v. Ready, 1 Cond. Cha. Rep. 23.