2 Vt. 407 | Vt. | 1829
delivered the opinion of the Court. — A justice of the peace is authorized and empowered to hear, try, and determine, all pleas and actions of a civil nature, other than actions for
There is no formal and express averment in the plaintiff’s writ, that the action, in which the judgment was rendered, concerned the title to land; but the writ sets forth the declaration in the original action, in hese verla, and from that alone we must determine whether the action concerned a title to land or not.— The declaration, as. recited in the plaintiff’s writ, appears to be a concise statement of the cause of action ; and this is all that is ever required in a suit before a justice of the peace. In actions upon bond, bill, note, or promise, it is necessary to state only the nature of the contract, with the date, sum, and time when payable ; and in other actions, there need be only a description of the matter of demand or cause of action, so far as to specify the general nature of the action. — (Comp. Stat. p. 329, 330.J — From the declaration set forth, it appears, that the original action was an action' of covenant broken, in which it was alleged, that the defendant, by his deed under his hand and seal, of a particular date stated, covenanted with the plaintiff, that he was well seized of tertain premises in said deed described, that they were free from all incumbrances,' and that he would warrant and defend said premises, &c. ; concluding with an averment, .that the defendant was not seized, &cc. No description was given of the premises in the declaration, nor was it stated what they consisted of. In some cases, this would be unnecessary, even where the declaration is required to be critically formal and correct. In declaring in an action of covenant upon a deed of demise, instead of setting out the parcels of land, it is the common practice, and sufficient, to give no other description than to say, certain premises particularly mentioned and described in said deed. — (1 Saund. 233. 7i, 2.) — In such a case, there is no doubt, that the premises
Judgment of the county court reversed, and judgment entered for the plaintiff.