297 Mass. 290 | Mass. | 1937
This is an action of tort to recover for personal injuries, received by the plaintiff on August 15, 1933, while operating an automobile on Riverdale Road, in Holyoke, in this Commonwealth. An auditor, before whom the case was heard, found the defendant negligent but denied recovery on the ground that the automobile operated by the plaintiff was improperly registered as matter of law. Both parties waived the right to a trial by jury, and agreed to submit the case to the ‘court on the auditor’s report, a statement of some of the material facts, and an offer of proof by the plaintiff. The trial judge ruled that the automobile operated by the plaintiff was not lawfully registered, and found for the defendant. The plaintiff excepted to this ruling, and the parties stipulated that the case might be reported on request of the plaintiff, and that if, upon the agreed facts, the auditor’s report and the facts offered to be proved by the plaintiff, it could, as matter of law, be found that the automobile was lawfully registered in the name of the plaintiff’s sister, judgment should be entered for the plaintiff in the sum of $750; otherwise judgment should be entered for the defendant on the finding.
Certain facts are as follows: The automobile operated by the plaintiff at the time of the accident was owned by the plaintiff’s sister, Adeline Odato, to whom a certificate of registration thereof had been issued on March 29, 1933, on her application. In the application and the certificate of registration, her residence was described as 8 Brigham Street, Springfield, Massachusetts, but in fact her residence, at the date of the accident and at the date of the registration, was and for about two years prior to the latter date
G. L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 90, § 2, requires that the application and certificate of registration shall contain “the name, place of residence and address of the applicant.” The purpose of this requirement is to insure at all times easy identification of the vehicle and its owner. Brodmerkle v. Gorolsky, 293 Mass. 517, 518. Doyle v. Goldberg, 294 Mass. 105, 107. The applicant in the case at bar did not live at 8 Brigham Street. Her residence was at 34 Brigham Street. The certificate was therefore defective as it did not give accurate information as to the residence and address of the owner. From the facts which could have been found, a letter addressed to the owner at 8 Brigham Street might have been received by her. If a person sought to see the registrant at 8 Brigham Street he would have difficulty in finding her. There is no evidence to show that inquiry at 8 Brigham Street would have disclosed the place where the registrant was to be found. Although inquiry could be
The trial judge rightly ruled that the automobile operated by the plaintiff was not lawfully registered, and found for the defendant. In accordance with the terms of the report judgment is to be entered for the defendant on the finding.
So ordered.