81 Ga. App. 565 | Ga. Ct. App. | 1950
(After stating the foregoing facts.) The answer of the justice admits, as asserted by the applicant for certiorari, that the special demurrer was not passed upon, and adds that it was not brought to his attention. It was the duty of the justice to pass upon the demurrer before entering upon a consideration of the facts and such omission is undoubtedly error. The error is not in all cases, however, harmful and reversible. In Seaboard Air-Line Ry. Co. v. Jolly, 160 Ga. 315 (2) (127 S. E. 765), it was ruled: “While, as we have ruled above, the trial court should have passed upon the demurrers before proceeding with the trial of the case upon the facts, nevertheless it was competent for the Court of Appeals to examine the special demurrers, and if, after examination, they were found to be without merit, to so rule, and to hold that the error of the trial judge in failing to pass upon them was harmless.” See also Firemen’s Insurance Co. v. Oliver, 46 Ga. App. 507, 509 (167 S. E. 909). Was the error harmless here? The ground of the demurrer was that “no copy of the note sued on is attached to the summons.” It is shown by the record that no copy of the note was attached to the copy of the summons, the justice having attached' only a memorandum showing that the summons was as to a suit upon a note dated September 15, 1932, for a stated amount of principal and a stated amount of interest. This memorandum undoubtedly misled counsel for the defendant to conclude that no copy of the note was attached to the original summons, whereas in fact, though no such copy was attached, the note itself was affixed to the original summons, and this constituted a sufficient showing of the cause of action as required by the statute. It is obvious, therefore, that the demurrer was without merit, and the failure to rule thereon was not harmful and reversible error.
The judgment is complained of because: (1) The court was not legally open, the case was not sounded, and the defend
The contention that the defendant was not properly served cannot be considered by this court, inasmuch as no proper attack on the service was made in the trial court and the defendant unreservedly appeared therein.
The proceeding, though informal, was in a justice court with actual jurisdiction, and no reversible error is shown. The judge of the superior court did not err in overruling the petition for certiorari and dismissing it.
Worrill, J., being disqualified, Gardner, J., was designated to preside in his stead.
Judgment affirmed.