18 Barb. 574 | N.Y. Sup. Ct. | 1854
The first question presented by the case is, whether the return of the constable gave the justice jurisdiction of the person of the defendants, in the suit before him. The return was “ personally served and by copy on E. L. Wentz, a managing agent of the defendants.” The defendants there were the present plaintiffs. It is conceded that a managing agent is a person upon whom process maybe properly served, and that service in fact upon him would be as effectual as upon the president, or any other officer. It is insisted, however, that the statement in the return, of the official position or character
The next question is whether the fact stated in the return can. be contradicted and shown to be false, collaterally, in another action, for the purpose of defeating the judgment. It is settled upon authority that it cannot. (Putnam v. Man, 3 Wend. 202. Bromley v. Smith, 2 Hill, 517.) The offer was to prove that Wentz was not a managing agent of the defendants in the action, and thus to show that there had been no personal service. I am aware that the decision in the case of Putnam v. Man has been recently questioned by Justice Parker in Fitch v. Devlin, (15 Barb. 47,) but it seems to me without sufficient consideration. Because the proof offered, to show the return to be false, even if made, does not go a single step towards overthrowing the jurisdiction of the justice. It is the statute which gives him jurisdiction to proceed and render judgment, upon a certain fact being certified to him, in a prescribed form, officially. His jurisdiction does not, and never can be made to depend upon the fact of the return being true; a fact of which he can, in the very nature of things, have no knowledge whatever. The return not only makes out a prima facie case of jurisdiction as suggested by Mr. Justice Parker, but a conclusive one; and so far as that question is concerned, it is perfectly immaterial whether the return is true or false.
The power attaches. upon the official return being made, and no subsequent discovery of the mistake., or fraud, of the officer making it, takes it away, or affects it in the least. It is too well settled that nothing but facts affecting the jurisdiction of the magistrate, to try the cause and render the judgment, are competent to be proved collaterally to avoid the judgment, to require argument or authority to support the 'proposition.
It may operate harshly upon a defendant, to be deprived of the right of disputing and resisting a judgment obtained under such circumstances whenever and wherever it is interposed against him, and to turn him over to other remedies for redress. But cases of this kind must always be rare, and it is far better
Johnson, Welles and T. R. Strong, Justices.]