Anspach v. St. Bernard (City)

108 N.E.2d 293, 91 Ohio App. 376, 62 Ohio Law. Abs. 601
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 22, 1951
Docket7481
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 108 N.E.2d 293 (Anspach v. St. Bernard (City)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anspach v. St. Bernard (City), 108 N.E.2d 293, 91 Ohio App. 376, 62 Ohio Law. Abs. 601 (Ohio Ct. App. 1951).

Opinion

*602 OPINION

By ROSS, J.:

An action for damages was commenced by the plaintiff named in the above entitled cause against the defendant municipality; it being alleged that such plaintiff was injured by reason of the failure of the defendant municipality to keep a certain street therein in repair. This action was instituted to recover damages for injuries to the person of the then plaintiff. The original plaintiff above named in the title of this case died and one Sylvia Anspach was appointed administratrix of Kate Lewis, the above named plaintiff. Upon motion, suggesting the, death of such original plaintiff and request for revivor in the name of her administratrix, Sylvia Anspach was substituted as plaintiff in the action, which was thereupon revived in her name. She filed an amended petition seeking to recover damages for injuries to the person of her decedent, caused by the failure of the defendant municipality to keep a certain street within its boundaries in repair.

A demurrer was filed by the defendant to such amended petition on the ground that no cause of action against the defendant was stated therein — “in that the plaintiff has died and by virtue of her death the alleged cause of action is abated.”

The demurrer was sustained by the trial court and the plaintiff, not desiring to plead further, the “cause” was “dismissed with prejudice.”

An appeal on questions of law from such judgment is now before this court and is here considered.

It would seem from what is said in the briefs and stated in argument that the basis for such action by the trial court is that the cause of action stated by the substituted plaintiff is an action for nuisance, and that under the provisions of §11397 GC, such action abates with the death of the plaintiff.

The major portion of the briefs and argument is devoted to adverse contentions upon the question of whether or not the action is one predicated upon nuisance or mere negligence.

In view of the conclusions of this Court, expressed hereinafter, it becomes unnecessary to determine this question.

Sec. 11397 GC, provides:

“Unless otherwise provided, no action or proceeding pending in any court shall abate by the death of either or both of the parties thereto, except actions for libel, slarider, malicious *603 prosecution, for a nuisance, or against a justice of the peace for misconduct in office, which shall abate by the death of either party.” (Emphasis added.)

The underscored portion of this Section is of particular moment. Such Section is a part of Part Third of the General Code, (Remedial).

Sec. 11235 GC, provides:

“In addition to the causes which survive at common law, causes of action for mesne profits, or injuries to the person or property, or for deceit or fraud, shall also survive; and the action may be brought notwithstanding the death of the person entitled or liable thereto.” (Emphasis added.)

Sec. 11401 GC, provides:

“If before judgment, one of the parties to an action dies, or his powers as a personal representative cease, but the right of action survives in favor of or against his representatives or successor, the action may be revived, and proceed in the name of such representatives or successor.”

Now if the phrase “for a nuisance” appearing in §11397 GC, may be construed as including an action for personal injuries, the result of a nuisance (which may be seriously doubted as hereinafter noted) then obviously the provisions of §11235 GC, and §11401 GC, are within the purview1 of the opening words of §11397 GC, supra, “unless otherwise provided,” for the action here in question is one for “injuries to the person” of plaintiff’s decedent. In 11235 GC, supra, it is definitely and specifically provided, without qualification — that such an action for “injuries to the person” survives the death of the person suffering such injuries. Sec. 11401 GC, supra, provides that when an action survives, as the instant action undoubtedly does, it may be revived in the name of the personal representative.

In view of the fact that all these sections noted were, in general substance, a part of the Act of March 11, 1853 (51 Laws of Ohio, pages 57 and 166) and of the amendment thereto in 90 Laws of Ohio, p. 140, it is unreasonable to suppose that the Legislature could have intended to pass conflicting statutes, or even that it did so. On the contrary, it would seem more reasonable to suppose that having sustained survivorship of actions for “injuries to the person” in one section (See 51 Laws of Ohio, p. 122; 90 Laws of Ohio, p. 140, post) that in the next section when it provided abatement “for a nuisance” (51 Laws of Ohio, p. 122; 90 Laws of Ohio, p. 140, post) that the Legislature intended by use of the latter expression “for a nuisance” to limit abatement to those actions in which nuisance was the essential subject of the *604 action, rather than merely a proximate cause of injuries to the person, "in other words, action's for the abatement of a nuisance were in the contemplation of the Legislature when the words “for a nuisance” were used.

The original text of these acts and the amendments in 90 Laws of Ohio develop clearly a perfect consistency and show that none- of them, as finally amended in 1893, and as now in force, are in conflict with one another.

Secs. 11335 (R. S. 4975), 11,397 (R. S. 5144) and 11401 (R. S. 5148), GC, are all, in substance a part of the Act of March 11, 1853 (51 Laws of Ohio, p. 166) “To Establish A Code of Civil Procedure” (51 Laws of Ohio, p. 57).

Under Title XII of this Act “Causes of Action which Survive and Abatement of Actions,” §398 (R. S. §4975) §11335 GC, 51 Laws of Ohio, p. 122, provides:

“In addition to the causes of action which survive at common law, causes of action for mesne profits, or for an injury to real or personal estate, or for any deceit or fraud, shall also survive, and the action may be brought notwithstanding the death of the person entitled or liable to the same.”

The'next section, Section 399 (R. S. 5144 — §11397 GC — Id.) provides:

“No action pending in any court, shall abate by the death of either or both of the parties thereto, except an action for libel, slander, malicious prosecution, assault, or assault and battery, for a nuisance, or against a justice of the peace for misconduct in office, which shall abate by the death of the defendant.”

Under Title XIII “Revivor,” section 402 (R. S. 5148 — §11401 GC, 51 Laws of Ohio, p. 123) it is provided:

“When one of the parties to an action dies, or his powers as a personal representative cease before the judgment, if the right of action survive in favor of or against his representative or successor, the action may be revived, and proceed in their names.”

Now, on April 5, 1893, the Legislature amended the first two of these sections (90 Laws of Ohio, p. 140), and in such amendment the original sections were given as noted. The number used in the Revised Statutes of Ohio, original section 398 of the Act of 1853 becomes Section 4975, R. S., and is now §11335 GC.

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Bluebook (online)
108 N.E.2d 293, 91 Ohio App. 376, 62 Ohio Law. Abs. 601, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anspach-v-st-bernard-city-ohioctapp-1951.