49 S.C. 20 | S.C. | 1897
Lead Opinion
The first opinion was delivered by
By agreement, the five above stated cases are to be heard together on appeal npon one “Case,” and exceptions. It seems that, after due notice, a motion was made in each of the above entitled causes, to declare the judgment by confession in each of said causes null and void, and to vacate the same, which came on to be heard before his Honor, Judge Benet, on the 20th day of January, in the year 1896, in the Court of Common Pleas for Orange-burg County. This motion was made by the respondent here, the Ware Furniture Company, and was based upon the following grounds: First. That when the said judgments were made and entered the said Court had no jurisdiction, neither the plaintiffs nor the defendaut being residents of the county of Orangeburg; but that in each of said judgments by confession the plaintiffs and the defendant were residents of other counties. Second. Because the confessions were made before and filed with W. G. Alber-gotti, an alleged deputy clerk of Orangeburg County, and not before the clerk of the court. Third. Because the statements on which said confessions were founded were each for itself insufficient. Fourth. Because the statements for and on which the judgment in favor of the Imperial Fertilizer Company was confessed was not only not sufficient, but is untrue. Fifth. Because the defendant, J. Hlbert Steadman, swore to, or attempted to swear to, said affidavits, in which said confessions of judgment are based, before J. D. Milhous, who was at that time, to wit: on March 3d, 1894, a United States officer. Sixth. Because the state-
By the decree of Judge Benet, he expressly confined himself to the question whether, it being admitted that the plaintiffs in each of these five cases were residents of Charleston County, in this State, and not residents of the county of Orangeburg, and, also, that the defendant, J. B. Stead-man, in each of those five cases, was not a resident of the county of Orangeburg, but was a resident of the county of Barnwell when such confessions of judgment were made by him, a judgment could be confessed by said J. B. Steadman before the clerk of the court of common pleas for Orange-burg County? The Circuit Judge having decided that such confessions of judgment were null and void, because there was no jurisdiction in such Court of Common Pleas for Orangeburg County, he very properly declined to consider any other questions presented for his consideration.
The grounds, though three in number, raise, and are intended to raise, but the single question of jurisdiction. The report of the case should set out the decree of Judge Benet and the exceptions thereto.
We cannot agree that the Court of Common Pleas, although a court of general jurisdiction, is without limitation as to confessions of.judgment, and, therefore, that they can be made in any county in the State. Our reasons are stated in the views we have hereinbefore set forth.
It is the judgment of this Court, that the judgment of the Circuit Court be affirmed.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting. This was a motion made by the Ware Furniture Company, a junior judgment creditor of the said J. B. Steadman, to have certain confessions of judgments, in favor of the several plaintiffs in the above named cases against the said J. B. Steadman, declared void upon the following grounds: 1st. Because the Court in which such judgments were entered had no jurisdiction, for the reason that neither the plaintiffs nor the defendant were residents of the county of Orangeburg, in which the judgments were entered. 2d. Because said confessions were made before the deputy clerk, W. G. Alber-goti, and not before the clerk of the court of common pleas for Orangeburg County. 3d. “Because the statements on
The motion was heard by his Honor, Judge Benet, upon the following agreed facts: 1st. That at the time of entering these judgments the said Steadman was a resident of Barnwell County, and the several plaintiffs were residents of the county of Charleston. 2d. That at said time G. L. Salley was clerk of the court of common pleas for the county of Orangeburg, and the said W. G. Albergo ti was his duly appointed deputy. 3d. “That each and every of the said judgments were afterwards, and on the same day,, duly entered and enrolled as judgments of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the counties of Aiken, Barnwell, and Dex-ington by filing transcripts thereof in each of the said counties.” 4th. That the defendant, J. E. Steadman, at the time of said confessions of judgments owned real estate in Orangeburg, Barnwell, Dexington, and Aiken Counties. 5th. “That on the 3d of March, 1894 (the day on which the affidavits purport to have been sworn to), J. D. Milhous was United States postmaster at Denmark, in the county of Barnwell, and at the same time was a duly appointed and qualified notary public under an appointment made previous to his appointment as postmaster.” At the hearing certain testimony given by Steadman in a previous case of Drake v. Steadman and others, which is set out in the “Case,” was also used, apparently by consent. The Circuit Judge having reached the conclusion that the jurisdictioual objection presented in the first ground for the motion was well taken, found it unnecessary to consider any of the other points raised, and granted the motion and rendered the decree,
From this judgment the plaintiffs in the several judgments appeal upon the grounds set out in the record, which practically raise the single question of jurisdiction. The respondent also, in accordance with the proper practice, has given notice that this Court would be asked, upon the hearing of this appeal, to sustain the judgment appealed from, upon the other grounds set forth in the notice of the motion, as hereinabove stated.
The first question to be considered is the jurisdictional question upon which the Circuit Judge bases his decree. That question may be stated as follows: Does the fact that a confession of judgment, under _the provisions of chapter III., of title 12, of part II., of the Code of Procedure, sections 383-385, is entered and filed in the office of the clerk of the court of common pleas for a county other than that in which the defendant resides, render such judgment void for lack of jurisdiction? It is conceded that the Court of Common Pleas is a court of general jurisdiction, and if so, then it is clear that any one who asks to have such jurisdiction limited in any way, must be able to point out some constitutional or statutory provision establishing such limitation. It is not pretended that there is any constitutional provision prescribing any such limitation, as is here sought to be imposed upon the general jurisdiction of the Court of Common Pleas. But the contention is that such limitation is to be found in section 146 of the Code. That section constitutes a part of title IV., of part 2, of the Code of Procedure, the declared purpose of which is to treat “of the place of trial of civil actions;” and accordingly, after declaring where actions for certain purposes “must be tried,” declares, in section 146, as follows: “In all other cases the action shall be tried in the county in which the defendant resides at the time' of the commencement of the action.” The limitation thus imposed upon the jurisdiction of the Court of Common Pleas applies
It must be concluded, therefore, that, in no view of the case, can the judgment and order appealed from, be sustained, and, hence, the same should be reversed.