Andersen v. National Presto Industries, Inc.

135 N.W.2d 639, 257 Iowa 911, 1965 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 642
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJune 8, 1965
Docket51703
StatusPublished
Cited by47 cases

This text of 135 N.W.2d 639 (Andersen v. National Presto Industries, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Andersen v. National Presto Industries, Inc., 135 N.W.2d 639, 257 Iowa 911, 1965 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 642 (iowa 1965).

Opinions

Thompson, J.

— This appeal concerns the question of the jurisdiction of state courts over foreign corporations not licensed to do business in the state, and having no registered agent or agents therein. The plaintiff’s petition as amended alleged that defendant National Presto Industries, Inc., is a foreign corporation with its principal place of business at Eau Claire, Wisconsin; that it manufactured a coffeemaker, and marketed it; that the plaintiff obtained one of these devices from a dealer in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa; that it was so defectively devised [913]*913and manufactured that the plaintiff was injured while using it. The other defendant, Gold Bond Stamp Company of Iowa, is not involved in this appeal, the action having been dismissed as to it.

It is not disputed that the defendant is a foreign corporation and that it had no registered agent in Iowa upon whom process might be served. In attempting to obtain jurisdiction the plaintiff followed section 617.3, Code of 1962, as amended by chapter 325 of the Acts of the Sixtieth General Assembly. So far -as pertinent this section now reads:

“If a foreign corporation makes a contract with a resident of Iowa to be performed in.whole or in part by either party in Iowa, or if such foreign corporation commits a tori in whole or in part in Iowa against a resident of Iowa, such acts shall be deemed to be doing business in Iowa by such foreign corporation for the purpose of service of process or original notice on such foreign corporation under this Act, and, if the corporation does not have a registered agent or agents in the state of Iowa, shall be deemed to constitute the appointment of .the secretary .of state of the state of Iowa * *

No contention is made that the plaintiff did not follow the provisions of the Code in serving notice upon the secretary of state. The trial court-upheld a special appearance filed by the defendant questioning its jurisdiction, and- determined that the defendant is not amenable to suit in Iowa. The plaintiff, -thus being left without remedy so far as her action in Iowa is concerned, appeals.

I. The defendant in its written brief states that the sole question involved “is whether the defendant committed a tort, in whole or in part, in the State of Iowa.” It .would somewhat simplify our discussion if we should take the defendant at its word; but the argument does in fact discuss twq points: , first, whether a tort was committed in Iowa, and second, whether the commission of one tort, if a tort was in fact committed here, is in itself a sufficient “minimum contact” with the state to justify the manner of obtaining jurisdiction provided by section 617.3 as it now reads. The questions involved may be stated thus: Was a tort committed by the defendant, in whole or in part, within the State of Iowa, within the meaning of section 617.3; [914]*914and whether, if the first -question is answered in the affirmative, the statute- violates fair concepts of due process -of- -law.

II. We address ourselves first to the question whether a tort was in fact committed by the defendant in Iowa. It' is its contention that the tort is the affirmative act of negligence itself, and that a resulting injury, if one occurs, is not a part of the tortious act. Few authorities have' had' the temerity to attempt an all-inclusive definition of the word “tort” which would be applicable in all cases.' It' is often said'a tort is a breabh of á duty owed to another; from which' the • implication is possible that the injury and damage are not part of the tort itself. Other authorities include the injury as an essential part-of the tort. It must be kept' in mind that we are here dealing with the intent of the legislature in enacting the statute as it presently appears; in particular, what it intended to,' and did, say when it used the words “in whole or in part”'. It must be recognized that the lawmakers had in mind that a tort might be committed in part only in Iowa; that some elements might be found outside the state! This lends some weight to the plaintiff’s position, although it is not conclusive. •

On the substantial question whether jurisdictional statutes such as our section 617.3 apply to and include torts in which the only part occurring in the state is the resulting injury the authorities are divided. Both plaintiff and defendant are able to cite cases from other jurisdictions which support their positions. For the plaintiff, there are Atkins v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp., 258 Minn. 571, 104 N.W.2d 888, followed in Ehlers v. United States Heating & Cooling Mfg. Corp., 267 Minn. 56, 124 N.W.2d 824; Gray v. American Radiator & Standard Sanitary Corp., 22 Ill.2d 432, 176 N.E.2d 761; and Smyth v. Twin State Improvement Corp., 116 Vt. 569, 80 A.2d 664, 25 A. L. R.2d 1193. The latter case is distinguishable on its facts because it appears that the tortious acts, in addition to the injury, occurred in Vermont. The case is chiefly valuable for its discussion.

In support of its position the defendant cites Rufo v. Bastian-Blessing Co., 405 Pa. 12, 173 A.2d 123; Mann v. Equitable Gas Co., 209 F. Supp. 571; and the English case of George [915]*915Monro Ltd. v. American Cyanamide and Chemical Corp., 1 K. B. 432.

The Minnesota and Vermont statutes are, for all substantial purposes, identical with our section 617.3, supra. The Illinois statute, instead of using the word “tort” says “tortious act”. The Illinois Supreme Court said (22 Ill.2d at 436, 176 N.E.2d at 763) : “Titan [a defendant] seeks to avoid this result by arguing that instead of using the word ‘tort’ the legislature employed the term ‘tortious act’; and that the latter refers only to the act or conduct, separate and apart from any consequences thereof. We cannot accept the argument. To be tortious an act must cause injury. The concept of injury is an inseparable part of the phrase.” It appears that the defendant, conceding arguendo that the word “tort” includes the injury, attempted to distinguish the words “tortious act” actually used; but the Illinois Court held that even these words necessarily included the injury, as used in the Illinois statute providing for means of obtaining jurisdiction over foreign corporation not licensed or having agents in the state.

The Pennsylvania statute under which Rufo was decided was based on “negligent acts or omissions”. Whether this is in effect so much different from “a tort in whole or in part”, as the Iowa law is worded, that a fair distinction should be drawn we shall not attempt to say. Even accepting the argument that the Pennsylvania and West Virginia Federal District Court holdings and the English authority cited are directly in point, we still must conclude that the Minnesota and Illinois cases cited above are better reasoned and more in line with the modern trend.

Other authorities support this view. Restatement, Conflict of Laws, section 377, says: “The place of wrong is in the state where the last event necessary to make an actor liable for an alleged tort takes place.” The significance of this rule is pointed up in Price v.

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

Related

Svendsen v. Questor Corp.
304 N.W.2d 428 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1981)
Ford Motor Co. v. Atwood Vacuum MacHine Co.
392 So. 2d 1305 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1981)
Goff v. Armbrecht Motor Truck Sales, Inc.
426 A.2d 628 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1980)
Barrett v. Bryant
290 N.W.2d 917 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1980)
Burt Drilling, Inc. v. Portadrill
608 P.2d 244 (Utah Supreme Court, 1980)
H. Ray Baker, Inc. v. Associated Banking Corp.
592 F.2d 550 (Ninth Circuit, 1979)
Duke v. Housen
589 P.2d 334 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1979)
Schinker v. Ruud Manufacturing Company
386 F. Supp. 626 (N.D. Iowa, 1974)
Edmundson v. Miley Trailer Co.
211 N.W.2d 269 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1973)
Roy v. Transairco, Inc.
291 A.2d 605 (Supreme Court of New Hampshire, 1972)
Moore v. Central Louisiana Electric Co.
257 So. 2d 702 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1972)
Rath Packing Co. v. Intercontinental Meat Traders, Inc.
181 N.W.2d 184 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1970)
International Harvester Co. v. Hendrickson Mfg. Co.
459 S.W.2d 62 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1970)
Wolfswinkel v. Gesink
180 N.W.2d 452 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1970)
Alabama Great Southern Railroad v. Allied Chemical Co.
312 F. Supp. 3 (E.D. Virginia, 1970)
Miller v. Vitalife Corporation of America
173 N.W.2d 91 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1969)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
135 N.W.2d 639, 257 Iowa 911, 1965 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 642, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/andersen-v-national-presto-industries-inc-iowa-1965.