133 Mo. App. 270 | Mo. Ct. App. | 1908
This appeal was taken from an order of the circuit court granting a new trial to respondents. The action was instituted by attachment and the attachment was sustained on the ground of appellant’s non-residence in this State, he -being a citizen of the State of Louisiana. On August 10, 1906, he and respondents, who are also citizens of Louisiana and real estate agents, entered into a contract by which he entrusted to them the sale of the merchantable timber, cypress, cottonwood and ash, on about five thousand acres of land in that State for the price of $40,000, net to appellant, respondents to have for their commission whatever excess of that price was obtained. It was further stipulated appellant himself might deal with any party to whom respondents had not previously submitted a proposition, and in case he sold to a party whom they had introduced, their commission should be as above stated, unless the price fell below $42,500, in which contingency the commission should be five per cent of the price. The petition alleges respondents began a negotiation for the sale of the timber with O. F. Liebke, informed appellant of the fact, introduced him to the purchasing agents of Liebke, when appellant took up the negotiation in person and sold to Liebke for $31,600, whereby respondents became entitled to a commission of $1,575. In his answer appellant admitted the execution of the contract, but denied the other averments of the petition. Respondents gave proof that they, through their agent in St. Louis, drew the attention of Liebke, or rather the Liebke Hardwood Lumber Company, to the timber, and introduced Kirk, purchasing agent of said company in Louisiana, to appellant; and a letter written by appellant to respondents’ attorney under date of October 30,1906, was put in evidence from which it may be inferred appellant sold the land to the Liebke Company. At the conclusion of the testimony verdict and judgment for one cent damages were ren
“It would be difficult to state with too much emphasis how the stern severity of the courts has generally compelled parties to stand by the consequence of negligent omission, blundering, or improper management by their attorneys in legal proceedings. This severity is generally justified by the most important considerations of public policy, as well as by the plain demands of justice, as between the parties to the cause. In civil cases the rule is broadly laid down that ‘neither the ignorance,*276 blunders, nor misapprehension of counsel, not occasioned by the adverse party, is a ground for vacating a judgment or decree.’ ” [12 Mo. App. loc. cit. 94.]
In Gerhke v. Jod, the Supreme Court thus stated the law:
“It has been frequently decided in this court that the omission of the attorney spoken to in the cause to plead, or make the proper defence, cannot place the application to set aside the judgment by default upon more favorable grounds, than if the omission had been on the part of the defendant himself. The attorney is the agent of the party employing- him, and in the court stands in his stead, and any act of the attorney must necessarily be considered as the act of the client A different principle would lead to endless confusion and difficulty in the administration of justice.” [59 Mo. loc. cit. 522.]
In a case of extreme hardship wherein a man’s life was at stake, this court ventured to reverse the trial court for refusing a new trial when from gross incompetence, the defendant’s counsel had failed to present his defense to the jury. The point was raised in the Supreme Court in a similar case and the ruling of this court was criticised as unwarranted by any precedent and as bad law; and, besides, the court said:
“We are not to be understood as consenting that even if there had been negligence or want of skill it would have afforded any ground for reversal. The neglect of an attorney is the neglect of his client in respect to the court and his adversary. The decisions are too numerous to cite; but their uniform tenor is to the effect that neither ignorance, blunders nor misapprehension of counsel not occasioned by his adversary, is ground for setting aside a judgment or awarding a new trial. The rule is founded upon the wisest public policy. To permit clients to seek relief against their adversaries upon the alleged negligence or blunders of their own*277 attorneys would open the door to collusions and would lead to endless confusion in the administration of justice. The business of the courts can not be conducted on any other terms than that parties must be held by the acts of their attorneys in their behalf in causes in which they are authorized to appear, and in the absence of fraud, leaving the client to his remedy against the attorney for his negligence.” [137 Mo. loc. cit. 23.]
The question in hand has been determined in two instances, at least, where the lower courts had granted new trials and the rulings were reversed. In Fretwell v. Laffoon, supra, this was done, though the hardship of the verdict appealed strongly for relief. Laffoon was garnished as debtor of Daniel Hibler against whom judgment had been given. In answering the interrogatories propounded to him as garnishee, he or his counsel negligently stated he had executed certain notes to Daniel Hibler, and on this answer judgment went against him. In truth the notes had been executed not to Daniel Hibler, but to Samuel Hibler. Hence Laffoon owed Daniel Hibler nothing, and on this ground a new trial was granted by the lower court; the Supreme Court held erroneously. The opinion says inter alia, in defining what is meant in the statutes by mistake as ground for a new trial:
“A party who by mistake of his attorney pleads a plea which does not cover his defense, or correctly present his case, cannot, after judgment against him on his own admissions, set the verdict aside, and obtain leave to amend his plea. McNeish v. Stewart, 7 Cow. 474. And there are no more favors to be shown in this regard to a garnishee than to any one else. He stands upon the same footing, and must pay the same penalty for his negligence, inadvertence or forgetfulness as any other defendant whatsoever.” [77 Mo. loc. cit. 32, 33.]
The Supreme Court considered the scope of a trial court’s discretion to grant new trials and the effect of
“That a party is bound and presumed to know the general leading points which will be litigated in his case; that if he omits to procure evidence, which with ordinary diligence he might have procured, in relation to those points, upon the first trial, his motion for a new trial for the purpose of introducing such testimony shall be denied; if the newly-discovered evidence consists merely of additional facts and circumstances going to establish the same points which were principally controverted before, or of additional witnesses to the same facts and circumstances, such evidence is cumulative, and a new trial shall not be granted.” [5 Wend. loc. cit. 127.]
The point determined was that negligent failure to procure and introduce important evidence was no ground for a new trial; and so the courts of this State have always held. [Mayor v. Burns, 114 Mo. 426.] If carelessly omitting to procure essential evidence in advance is no cause to set aside a judgment, omitting to introduce it when it is at hand is less cause. And Fret-well v. Laffoon decided a negligent oversight of a party or counsel at the trial, is no good ground to disturb the judgment. In Smith, etc., Co. v. Wheeler, a new trial had been allowed, the opinion says, because the plaintiff’s attorney and agent was mistaken and surprised and because one of the witnesses made a mistake in his testimony. The plaintiff’s attorney in a replevin case, had negligently relied on a statement of the opposing counsel, and had failed to procure essential testimony
The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded with a direction to the court to set aside the order for new trial and enter judgment for respondent in accordance with the verdict.