Alabama Hotel Co. v. J. L. Mott Iron Works

86 Fla. 608
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJanuary 7, 1923
StatusPublished
Cited by53 cases

This text of 86 Fla. 608 (Alabama Hotel Co. v. J. L. Mott Iron Works) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Alabama Hotel Co. v. J. L. Mott Iron Works, 86 Fla. 608 (Fla. 1923).

Opinion

Terrell J.

In January, 1922, J. L. Mott Iron Works instituted a common law suit against Henry Raehn in the Circuit Court of Orange County for goods, wares and merchandise in the sum of $17,000.00. In this suit writs of garnishment were issued and served on various parties supposed to be indebted to defendant, one of which was Alabama Hotel Company, a corporation, plaintiff in error hero.

Defendant Raehn moved to dissolve the garnishment against Alabama Hotel Company, which motion was granted, and the order of the Court to that effect was signed, filed and recorded March 8, 1922. On. March 10, 1922, the court made and entered an order vacating the order of March 9, dissolving said garnishment, and set the same down for final hearing March 20th, 1922, the order of the court to this effect being in part as follows: “It further appearing to the court that the court did not fully understand the agreement, which was made in chambers at the time that it was made * * * the court now being further advised in the premises, and having considered the matter as stated above, it is therefore ordered and adjudged that said order made by this court on March 8th, 1922, be, and the same is hereby, vacated.”

On March 20 the matter was fully presented to the court, and on March 30 an order was made and entered overruling and denying the motion to dissolve the garnishment against Alabama Hotel Company, defendant. Raehn then filed his “motion for new-trial” directed to [611]*611the last named order of the court, which was subsequently abandoned. On petition of said Raehn for change of venue the cause was transferred to the Circuit Court of Seminole County, where it proceeded to judgment.

On the Rule Day in May, 1922, Alabama Hotel Company, garnishee, filed its answer to the writ of garnishment, sworn to by its President, admitting that at the time of service of the writ of garnishment on it, it was due and owing Raehn, the defendant, the sum of $3,500, which answer was traversed by plaintiff, J. L. Mott Iron Works.

On May 30, 1922, when the case came on for trial before a jury the garnishee, Alabama Hotel Company, applied for leave to amend its former answer, which application was granted. Alabama Hotel Company instanter filed its sworn amended answer in which it denied that it owed defendant, Raehn, any sum whatever. Plaintiff traversed the amended answer, trial before a jury forthwith ensued, which resulted in a verdict in the sum of $5,201.68 against the garnishee Alabama Hotel Company, on which verdict final judgment was entered and to which writ of error was taken from this court.

The first error assigned is based on the action of the court below dated March 10, 1922, vacating his order of March 8, 1922, dissolving the garnishment and setting same down for final hearing March 20, and on full consideration thereof he entered an order denying the motion to dissolve the said garnishment.

With respect to the authority of a court over its orders, judgments, &c., the rule of the common law was in effect that a court of record had absolute control over its own orders, decrees, &e., and could vacate or amend them any time during the term at which they were made. The Supreme Court of the United States in Bronson v. Schul[612]*612ton, 104 U. S. 410, has very concisely stated the rule in this country to be as follows: “It is a general rule of l_aw that all the judgments, decrees, or other orders of the courts, however conclusive in their character, are under the control of the- court which pronounces them during the term at which they are rendered or entered of record, and they may then-be set aside, vacated, modified, or annulled by that court. But it is a rule equally well established, that after the term has ended all final judgments and decrees of the court pass beyond its control, unless steps be taken during that term, by motion or otherwise, to set aside, modify or correct them; and if errors exist, they can only be corrected by such proceeding by a writ of error or appeal as may be allowed in a court which by law can review the decision. ’ ’

It is also well settled that interlocutory judgments or decrees made in the progress of a cause are always tinder the control of the court until final disposition of the suit and they may be modified or rescinded upon sufficient grounds shown any time before final judgment should it be after the term in which made. Blythe v. Hinckley, 84 Fed. Rep. 228; Miller v. Justice, 86 N. C. 26; State v. King, 46 La. Ann. 163, 15 South. Rep. 283; 15 R. C. L. 692; Webb v. Buckelew, 82 N Y. 555.

Orders, decrees or judgments made through fraud, collusion, deceit or mistake may be opened, vacated or modified at any time on the proper showing made by the parties injured. Taylor v. Sindall, 34 Md. 38; Mayberry v. McClurg, 51 Mo. 256; 1 Black on Judgments 489; 15 R. C. L. 704.

A motion to vacate or set aside a judgment or decree, is addressed to the sound legal discretion of the trial court on .the particular facts of the ease. And consequently its [613]*613determination will not be disturbed on appeal unless it is plain that its discretion has been abused. 23 Cyc. 895.

The order complained of here was made in vacation two days subsequent to the order' dissolving the garnishment which whs also made in vacation. An inspection of the record discloses that the order dissolving the garnishment was made through mistake or oversight o£ the trial court, that it did not speak the intention or understanding of the court, and under the law as herein stated governing such orders it was subject to "correction by him either of his own motion or that of plaintiff. Cooper v. Rhea, 82 Kan. 109, 107 Pac. Rep. 799, 29 L. R. A. (N. S.) 930.

An inspection of the record further discloses that the garnishee nearly three months after the order complained of voluntarily on May 2, 1922, filed its answer, and on May 30, same month, filed its amended answer to the writ 'of garnishment thereby submitting itself to the jurisdiction of the court and becoming amenable to the action of the court. Sevier v. Throckmorton, 33 Ala. 512. On consideration of all the facts disclosed by the record we think the order of the trial court assigned as error was well within his authority to make, and no abuse of discretion being shown no error was committed.

The second and only other question presented for consideration here is whether or not the garnishee, Alabama Hotel Company, owed Raehn, the defendant, any amount on January 26, 1922, or May 30, 1922, or any time between said dates which he (Raehn) could have recovered judgment on or which would have been subject to garnishment by the plaintiff herein as a creditor of Raehn.

' Section 3431, Revised General Statutes of Florida, 1920, makes provision for the writ of garnishment and is as follows: ‘ ‘ Every person who shall have brought a suit to recover a debt or shall have recovered a judgment in [614]*614any suit in any court of this State against any person, natural or corporate, shall have a right to a writ of garnishment, in the manner hereinafter provided, to subject any indebtedness due to the defendant by a third person, and any goods, money, chattels or effects of the defendants in the hands, possession or control of a third person. The officers, agents, and employes of any companies or corporations shall be,.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Seigler v. Bell
148 So. 3d 473 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2014)
Capital Factors, Inc. v. Alba Rent-A-Car, Inc.
965 So. 2d 1178 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2007)
Ray v. Thomson-Kernaghan & Co.
761 So. 2d 1197 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2000)
Bjellos v. Air Line Pilots Ass'n
588 So. 2d 340 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1991)
Denson v. Meyer
565 So. 2d 758 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1990)
Bravo Elec. Co., Inc. v. Carter Elec. Co.
522 So. 2d 480 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1988)
Dyer v. City of Miami Employees' Retirement Board
512 So. 2d 338 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1987)
Bettez v. City of Miami
510 So. 2d 1242 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1987)
Monte Campbell Crane Co., Inc. v. Hancock
510 So. 2d 1104 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1987)
Francisco v. Victoria Marine Shipping
486 So. 2d 1386 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1986)
Margulies v. Levy
439 So. 2d 336 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1983)
Collier v. Dade County
417 So. 2d 695 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1982)
Agudo v. Agudo
411 So. 2d 249 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1982)
COSMO. HEALTH SPA, INC. v. Health Industries, Inc.
362 So. 2d 367 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1978)
Florida Steel Corp. v. AG Spanos Enterprises, Inc.
332 So. 2d 663 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1976)
State v. Burton
314 So. 2d 136 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1975)
Tingle v. Dade County Board of County Com'rs
245 So. 2d 76 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1971)
Holman v. Ford Motor Company
239 So. 2d 40 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1970)
A-1 Truck Rentals, Inc. v. Vilberg
222 So. 2d 442 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1969)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
86 Fla. 608, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/alabama-hotel-co-v-j-l-mott-iron-works-fla-1923.