28 N.H. 73 | Superior Court of New Hampshire | 1853
It is contended here that the general rule as to-costs, prescribed by the Revised Statutes, ch. 191, § 1, does-not apply in this case. By that section, it is provided that-st costs shall follow the event of every action or petition, unless otherwise directed by law or by the court.” It is said a different rule is prescribed in cases like the present, and this provision, therefore, has no application. By section 9 of chapter 52, it is provided that the costs of laying out and of widening and straightening highways from town to town, or through land not in any town, shall be paid by the county.” The towns, in these cases, are not charged with costs, if the road is laid out. The rule that costs follow the event is superseded by a different rule, applying in one contingency, and that rule, therefore, ought not to be ap
The petitioners, then, being responsible for the costs of the towns, the question remains whether they are entitled to one bill of costs alone or to several bills ; and the court are of opinion that they are each entitled to their several costs. The two towns are, in no proper sense, joint defendants. The interests of the towns involved in the proceeding are, in their nature, entirely distinct, and their defences are usually dissimilar. The rule adopted by the court, in cases of several defences and pleadings, in actions of trespass against several defendants, as laid down in Crosby v. Lovejoy, 6 N. H. Rep. 458 seems reasonable and proper in this case. Each town is entitled to travel, attendance and attorney’s fees, but the other charges must be single, and distributed among them according to the advances made by each, or the whole, by consent of the parties, may be put into one of the bills of costs. Judgment is to be awarded against the petitioners, in favor of each of the towns, for their respective costs.