62 Pa. Super. 251 | Pa. Super. Ct. | 1916
Opinion by
The plaintiff filed a bill in equity, praying for a decree to reinstate her to membership, and to her right as a member, of Council No. 85, of Pennsylvania, Daughters of Liberty, a beneficial unincorporated society or association, from which she had been expelled.
The case was disposed of on bill, answer and testimony produced by each side, and after a full hearing the bill was dismissed at the plaintiff’s costs. The opinion filed, includes the pleadings in full, the conclusions of fact and of law under which the court decided the question, and concluded as follows: “Even should this conclusion be incorrect, her proper remedy was by mandamus for reinstatement, and therefore, under no circumstances could she maintain this bill.” With this we do not agree, and feel that the remedy selected by the plaintiff, a bill in equity, was the proper one, and that the case was correctly decided under the pleadings and proof, but to prevent any misunderstanding of our decision, we feel that this feature of the case should be noticed. We said in Manning v. Klein, 1 Pa. Superior Ct. 210, that the several Courts of Common Pleas, under the Act of June 13, 1836, P. L. 784, Section 13, par. 5, have jurisdiction and powers of a Court of Chancery, so far as relates to “the supervision and control of all corporations other than those of a municipal character, and unincorporated societies or associations and partnerships.” This was supported by the cases therein cited: Foley v. Tovey, 54 Pa. 190, and Wolf v. Commonwealth, ex rel., 64 Pa. 252,
The facts of the case are so fully reviewed in the opinion .filed in the court below that it is not necessary to restate them, and the authorities cited therein fully warrant the conclusion reached. If the trial before the council was not as complete as the plaintiff desired, it was largely due to her own insubordination when she was before that body, and having full knowledge of the charge against her, she is bound by the trial as provided in the by-laws of her association.
The bill was properly dismissed and the decree is affirmed.