146 P. 831 | Or. | 1915
delivered the opinion of the court.
“* * At any time when the pleadings in the suit or action are complete, or either party fails or declines to plead further, the court may, upon motion, grant to any party moving therefor, such judgment or decree as it may appear to the court the moving party is entitled to upon the pleadings.”
The defendant had answered admitting all the material allegations of the amended complaint and had made certain averments which he deemed sufficient to support equitable relief. The plaintiff completed the pleadings by tendering an issue of law upon the sufficiency of the answer, at the same time moving for judgment on the pleadings. The whole case was thus submitted to the court, and it remains to determine whether the decision was correct.
“A settlement and compromise of a claim asserted on reasonable grounds and in good faith, which the parties, having equal knowledge of the facts, consider doubtful, constitute a new and valid agreement which will be enforced in law, although the matter compromised be not in fact doubtful in legal contemplation and the settlement be not what a court would have adjudged upon the facts of the case. ’ ’
If the defendant would overturn this settlement, it must be either for fraud or for mutual mistake. It is not pretended that the plaintiff attempted to practice
It is laid down in Section 390, L. O. L.:
“In an action at law, where the defendant is entitled to relief, arising out of facts requiring the interposition of a court of equity, and material to his defense, he may, upon filing his answer therein, also as plaintiff, file a complaint in equity, in the nature of a cross-bill, which shall stay the proceedings at law, and the case shall thereafter proceed as in a suit in equity, in which said proceedings may be perpetually enjoined by final decree, or allowed to proceed in accordance with such final decree.”
The defendant’s answer falls far short of the requirements of this section. It does not purport to be a pleading wherein the defendant here acts as a plaintiff. It is nothing else than a renewed attempt to get from the plaintiff a detailed statement of account, a question
Prom whatever angle we view the question it is manifest that the defendant never left the law side of the court and failed to make a case in any respect cognizable in chancery or available at law. The decision of the Circuit Court is affirmed.
Affirmed. Rehearing Denied.