Armstrong v. Biggs

302 S.W.2d 565, 1957 Ky. LEXIS 197, 40 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2094
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedApril 26, 1957
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 302 S.W.2d 565 (Armstrong v. Biggs) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Armstrong v. Biggs, 302 S.W.2d 565, 1957 Ky. LEXIS 197, 40 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2094 (Ky. Ct. App. 1957).

Opinion

MONTGOMERY, Judge.

This action is a phase of the litigation involving the control of Local Union No. 595-of the International Association of Bridge,, Structural and Ornamental Iron Workers,, hereinafter referred to as Local and International, respectively. This is a second appeal. See Armstrong v. Biggs, Ky., 275 S.W.2d 60. For a complete history of this-litigation, see also Armstrong v. Bryan, Ky., 273 S.W.2d 835; Lyons v. Bryan, Ky., 273 S.W.2d 838; Biggs v. Lyons, and allied cases, D.C., 120 F.Supp. 389-392; Sanders v. International Ass’n (Lyons v. Sanders,. 3 cases), D.C., 130 F.Supp. 253; Sanders v. International Ass’n (Lyons v. Sanders, 3 cases), 6 Cir., 235 F.2d 271. For the purposes of this opinion, only the facts pertinent to the questions involved will be considered.

The action of the General Executive Board of the International in disciplining certain officers of the Local precipitated; this deluge of litigation.’ These officers-[567]*567were charged with violation of certain provisions of the constitution of the International. On December 5, 1953, the Board expelled W. B. Sanders for life as a member ■ of the International and any affiliated local, and suspended P. B. Cloud, Cecil Biggs, Charles Hutcherson, and Charles Culp as officers of the Local for various periods of years. On December 11, 1953, the aggrieved parties appealed from the decision of the General Executive Board to the General Executive Council of the International, as provided by the constitution of the International. Such appeals were to be considered at the next regular convention of the International to have been held in October 19Í56. The results of those appeals are not known.

The instant action was filed in the Mc-Cracken Circuit Court on December 11, 1953, the same day the appeals from the General Executive Board decision were filed. Excluding Sanders, the disciplined parties, together with others, individually and as members of the Local on behalf of all the members of the Local, filed this action against J. H. Lyons, James R. Downes, John L. McCarthy, Ray Armstrong, Charles • Plobbs, and Juel Drake, individually and as officers and representatives of the International. The complaint charged that the General Executive Board decision was unfair, biased, and not sustained by law or by the evidence. Certain specific bases for the above conclusions were also alleged. Orders, both temporary and permanent in nature, were sought to restrain the defendants from taking or exercising control of the Local. By answer, counterclaim, and reply, issues were made concerning the validity of the Board’s decision and the futility of appeal therefrom.

In our view of the case, the rulings of the Judge of McCracken Circuit Court involving motions made pursuant to CR 30.02, to defer the taking of certain depositions, and CR 37.05, to strike certain pleadings of appellants and enter default judgment, are decisive.

On March 8, 1955, appellees served notice by mail on appellants’ attorneys of their intention to take the depositions by oral examination of appellants Armstrong, Hobbs, and Drake on March 23, 1955, at a designated place in Paducah, Kentucky. On March 18, 1955, pursuant to notice given on March 15, 1955, appellants filed two motions: (1) to defer and postpone all further proceedings in this action pending a. decision on the merits of Civil Action No. 767, styled Lyons v. Sanders, in the District Court of the United States for the Western District of Kentucky, subsequently reported in 130 F.Supp 253; and (2) to set aside the notice to take the depositions of appellants and/or to change the place of taking to St. Louis, Missouri, or the respective state and county of residence of each of the appellants, or, in the alternative, to provide that the depositions might be taken only on written interrogatories.

The motion to defer was supported by an 'affidavit of one of appellants’ attorneys in ' which the pendency and issues of the federal court action were shown and to which were attached copies of the complaint and answer in that action. The same parties and attorneys were involved in both actions. In the federal court action, more than ■ 1,000 pages of evidence had been taken and introduced on the merits, and briefs totaling 146 pages had been submitted. The record and briefs in that action had been forwarded on or about February 23, 1955, to the appropriate federal court judge for consideration. It was -urged in the motion that since a decision on the merits was imminent in the federal court case, proceedings in the instant case should be deferred and postponed in the interest of comity and economy of time and expense until that decision had been reached.

The motion to vacate was also supported by affidavit of appellants’ attorney. The affidavit and exhibits filed with the motion to defer were incorporated by reference. The nonresidency and absence of the ap[568]*568pellants, together with their home addresses, were shown.

Both motions were overruled on March 18, 1955. By further order, the appellants were directed to comply with the notice to take the depositions under penalty of having all or any part of their pleadings stricken and entry of default judgment, pursuant to CR 37.05.

On March 23, 1955, the court overruled a later motion to stay, defer, and postpone the taking of the depositions until the final disposition of the Lyons v. Sanders action in federal court. It was urged that such taking was unnecessary and improper and would subject appellants to unnecessary annoyance, expense, embarrassment, and oppression, under CR 30.02. It was shown that a decision on the merits had been rendered on March 18, 1955, in federal court, the action was awaiting entry of final judgment, and a copy of the opinion was annexed to the motion. The opinion mentioned is cited above. The statements in the motions and supporting documents were uncontradicted.

On March 23, 1955, appellants’ motion to stay was overruled. At the appointed time for the taking of depositions, appellants were not present but their attorneys appeared. Appellees filed a motion to strike all of the pleadings of appellants and for a default judgment against them. On March 24, 1955, the trial court found that the failure of-appellants to appear was willful and deliberate and sustained the motion to strike their pleadings and enter default judgment in favor of appellees. It was concluded as a matter of law under CR 37.05 that the appellees were entitled to a judgment in accord with the prayer of their complaint, and such a judgment was rendered, from which this appeal is taken.

The first question to be determined is whether the trial court abused its discretion in refusing to postpone proceedings in this action until the federal court case was decided. This is a broad statement of the question and encompasses the rulings made on the three motions of appellants. A consideration of CR 30.02 and CR 37.05 is necessary since the penalty under the latter rule was inflicted for the failure of appellants to appear. There are other contentions made concerning these rulings which are unnecessary to consider.

The pertinent part of CR 30.02 is quoted:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
302 S.W.2d 565, 1957 Ky. LEXIS 197, 40 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2094, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/armstrong-v-biggs-kyctapp-1957.