113 Ga. 160 | Ga. | 1901
This was a motion to set aside a default judgment entered against a garnishee. The motion was based upon several grounds, but we shall deal with only one, as we are of opinion that it was well taken, and that for the reason set forth therein the judgment should have been vacated. This ground of the motion raises the point that the News Printing Company, the garnishee, was never served with the summons of garnishment. The officer’s return of service stated that service had been made on “ The News Publishing Company.” After the judgment by default was entered the return of service was amended by stating that service was made on the News Printing Company. The court had no authority to enter a default judgment against the garnishee until it had before it proper proof that a legal service h.ad been made upon it. See 6 Ene. P. & P. 29 (4), and numerous cases cited in note 5. Evidence that the News Publishing Company had been served was certainly no proof of service upon the News Printing Company. It follows from this that the judgment entered against the plaintiff in error in the present bill of exceptions was void. It is contended, however, that as the officer afterwards amended his return. and showed that service was actually made on the plaintiff in error, this amendment related back and made valid the judgment which was entered. That a legal return of service is essential in a civil case to give the court jurisdiction of the person of the defendant was
In the present casé it appears from the first return of service that the summons of garnishment was served upon the News Publishing Company, and upon- this return of service the court entered judgment against the News Printing Company. The court had no more authority to do this than it would have had to enter a judgment against John Doe upon a return of service showing that the summons had been served upon Richard Roe; and this being so, if the ' judgment in the latter case could not be saved by an amendment to the return of service, in which the name of John Doe was substituted for that of Richard Roe, an amendment to a return of service changing the person from the News Publishing Company to the News Printing Company would not have the effect of saving a judgment entered upon the original return of service. Where there is upon the face of the record evidence showing prima facie that the defendant has been served, as there was in the case of Freeman v. Carhart, supra, the'return of service may be amended so as to show the authority of the person acknowledging service to sign the acknowledgment, as was done in that case. But where there was, as in the present case, nothing whatever upon the face of the record showing that the person against whom the judgment was entered had in any way been served with process, the court, according to the ruling in the Callaway case, supra, was without jurisdiction to enter the judgment, the same was void, and an amendment showing that the defendant was actually served would not have the effect of saving the judgment. The judgment so entered was void, and the court should have sustained the motion to set the same aside.
Judgment reversed.