11 Ga. App. 779 | Ga. Ct. App. | 1912
The suit was in tort, for damages alleged to have been caused by sickness produced by the erection and maintenance of a large pond of water by -the defendant. The only questions involved in the record are, first, whether the venue of the suit was properly laid in Butts county, and, second, whether, if so, service was perfected upon the defendant in the manner prescribed by law.
1, 2. Both of these questions depend upon a construction of the Civil Code (1910), § 2259, which is in the following language: “Any corporation, mining, or joint-stock company, chartered by authority of this State, may be sued on contracts m that county in which the contract sought to be enforced was made or is to be performed, if it has an office and transacts business there. Suits for damages, because of torts, wrong or injury done, may be brought in the county where the cause of action originated. Service of such suits may be effected by leaving a copy of the writ with the agent of the defendant, or if there be no agent in the county, then at the agency or place of business.” In the recent case of
3. It remains only to inquire whether the corporation had legal notice of the suit. The return of the sheriff was that he had served the corporation by handing a copy of the petition and process to one Sitton, its agent in Butts county, and this return was duly traversed by the defendant, and the issue thus made was submitted to the jury and found in favor of the plaintiff. Under a literal interpretation of the statute, service upon any agent of the corporation would be sufficient. In Smith v. Southern Railway Co., 132 Ga. 57 (63 S. E. 801), the Supreme Court had under consideration section 2243 of the Civil Code of 1895, which provides .that notice to' a railway company to build cattle-guards “should be served on any agent or officer of such company.” It was held that inasmuch as it appeared from the-evidence that the defendant kept a regular agent who had charge of its business in. the county where the suit was brought, service upon' a person who simply acted as chief clerk for such agent, was not sufficient. But see, in this connection, Louisville & Nashville Railroad Co. v. Mitchell, 6 Ga. App. 390 (64 S. E. 1134). It is not essential that the agent upon whom service is 'made should be the officer in
Judgment affirmed.