133 F.2d 397 | D.C. Cir. | 1943
On October 23, 1941, appellee recovered judgment in the Municipal Court of the District of Columbia against Marion'Dusheck for $108.80 with interest and costs. On November 4, 1941, appellee caused a writ of garnishment to issue upon his judgment, attaching property and credits of Marion Dusheck in the hands of appellant. The Marshal served the writ upon “M. Dusheck” as agent of appellant on the 7th of November, 1941. Answers to the interrogatories accompanying the writ were executed and sworn to in the name of appellant by Marion Dusheck and filed on the 18th of November, 1941. The answers admitted credits due by appellant to Dusheck in the total sum of $106.39. On November 27, 1941, a judgment of condemnation was entered in the Municipal Court against appellant, the garnishee. On December 27, 1941, appellant moved to quash the service of writ of garnishment and to vacate the judgment. Supporting affidavits, which were not contradicted, set out substantially that Marion Dusheck, the principal defendant, was employed as secretary by appellant, performing the duties of clerk, stenographer and file clerk; that her services were terminated by appellant on the 19th day of November, 1941; that “M. Dusheck, agent” upon whom the writ of garnishment was served, was the principal defendant in the action, and the same Marion Dusheck who filed answers to the interrogatories in the name of appellant; that upon the date of service of the writ of garnishment, all agents and employees of appellant were out of the office except Marion Dusheck; that no othér agent, servant or employee of appellant had notice or knowledge of the service of the writ or of the judgment until long after rendition of the judgment; that appellant had paid Marion Dusheck all money owing to her prior to receiving written notice from the attorney for appellee dated December IS, 1941, that the judgment
We took the case to determine whether service so made was proper under the District of Columbia Code,
The fundamental purpose of service, however made, is the giving of notice to the adverse party. Unless the method of service prescribed by the statute is reasonably calculated to give notice, it violates the constitutional requirements of due process.
Consequently, it has been held that service made upon such an agent, whose interests were antagonistic to those of his principal, did not satisfy the statute.
In the present case, the officer could not fail to see, from the process which he served, and from the return which he made, that the person upon whom service was made, was the judgment debtor named in the writ. Moreover, appellee must have known this to be the fact. As appellee depends upon good service to make his recovery, he has the burden, not only of avoiding collusion, but of showing good faith in his attempt to secure proper service.
Reversed.
D.C.Code (1924) § 1537, id. (1940) § 13 — 103.
Milliken v. Meyer, 311 U.S. 457, 463, 61 S.Ct. 339, 85 L.Ed. 278, 132 A.L.R. 1357; American Land Co. v. Zeiss, 219 U.S. 47, 67, 31 S.Ct. 200, 55 L.Ed. 82; Wise v. Herzog, 72 App.D.C. 335, 337, 114 F.2d 486, 488, and cases there cited; Restatement, Conflict of Laws, (1934) § 75.
Consolidated Iron & Steel Co. v. Maumee Iron & Steel Co., 8 Cir., 284 F. 550.
Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Finishers’ Int. Ass’n. v. Case, 68 App.D. C. 43, 52, 93 F.2d 56, 65.
Trask v. Karrick, 56 App.D.C. 130, 131, 10 F.2d 995, 996.
See Wuckter v. Pizzutti, 276 U.S. 13, 19, 20, 48 S.Ct. 259, 72 L.Ed. 446, 57 A.L.R. 1230.
See McDonald v. Mabee, 243 U.S. 90, 37 S.Ct. 343, 61 L.Ed. 608, L.R.A.1917F, 458; Atwood v. Sault Ste. Marie Light, Heat & Power Co., 148 Mich. 224, 111 N.W. 747, 118 Am.St.Rep. 576.