47 Mo. 333 | Mo. | 1871
delivered tbe opinion of tbe court.
Tbe plaintiff commenced its action in tbe Cole County Circuit Court against Samuel Knox and S. A. Vose on a negotiable promissory note executed by John E. Darby, payable to Samuel Knox, and by Knox indorsed and transferred to Vose. Vose indorsed and transferred tbe note to plaintiff, and at its maturity it was protested for non-payment. Tbe plaintiff has its place of business in Jefferson City, Cole county, Missouri, and tbe defendant Vose also resides in Cole county. ■ Knox lives in St. Louis county, and tbe writ was served upon him in that county.
At tbe return term Knox appea-red and pleaded to tbe jurisdic
To this plea the plaintiff demurred. The court sustained the demurrer and final judgment was rendered thereon, which was affirmed in the District Court, and Knox prosecuted his writ of error.
The practice act provides that where there are several defendants, and they reside in different counties, the suit may be brought in any such county (2 Wagn. Stat. 1005, § 1), and ordinarily the plaintiff would have the right to select the county for the institution of the suit. But jurisdiction must be fairly acquired, and can not be maintained where it is sought to be obtained by fraudulent representations or for the purpose of oppression. No court should sanction any attempt to bring a party within its jurisdiction by fraud and misrepresentation. (Marsh’s Adm’r v. Bast, 41 Mo. 493.)
In January v. Rice, 33 Mo. 409, it appears that suit was brought against four persons in St. Louis county, and a summons issued against three of the defendants to that county, and
It is to be observed that in the above case jurisdiction had in the beginning rightfully attached; that the defendant Rice had permitted judgment to go against him by default, and that nothing remained, even after the judgment against his co-defendants was set aside, but to assess the damages and make the judgment against him final. But there is a marked difference between Rice’s case and the one at bar. Eor the purpose of the present decision, the demurrer admits every fact alleged in the plea to the jurisdiction. It confesses that the indorsement and transfer of the note by Yose to the plaintiff was a sham, for the sole purpose and object of enabling the Cole County Circuit Court to acquire jurisdiction over Knox, and compel him to answer and litigate the case in a county remote from his residence. Such a proceeding the law ought not to sanction. It
Reversed and remanded.