Behr v. Duling

260 N.W. 281, 128 Neb. 860, 1935 Neb. LEXIS 108
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedMay 1, 1935
DocketNo. 29270
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 260 N.W. 281 (Behr v. Duling) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Behr v. Duling, 260 N.W. 281, 128 Neb. 860, 1935 Neb. LEXIS 108 (Neb. 1935).

Opinion

Day, J.

The administrator of the estate of John H. Behr, deceased, brought this action for damages for wrongful death against the executrix of the estate of Hayes E. Duling, deceased, the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company and Ed Roeder. At the beginning of the trial, prior to the introduction of any evidence, the trial judge sustained an objection to the introduction of testimony and dismissed the action as to the executrix of the estate of Duling for that the court did not have jurisdiction [861]*861over the person. At the same time, a similar objection on the part of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company and Ed Roeder was overruled, because they had appeared voluntarily and answered without objection to the jurisdiction. At the close of the testimony, the trial court directed a verdict in favor of the last two named defendants for that plaintiff had not proved any negligence on their part and that there was no evidence to show relationship of Behr to Duling in riding in the automobile in which both were killed.

This case arose out of an accident in which the automobile in which Behr and Duling were riding was hit by a Chicago & Northwestern Railway company train of which Roeder was the engineer. As a result of the accident, both Behr and Duling died. This action was filed in Hall county. No one of the defendants resided there or were served with process therein. Roeder was served in Dodge county, Duling in Lancaster county, and the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company in Hall county by a summons upon the agent of the Union Pacific Railroad Company. A special appearance of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company was filed for that the corporate name was incorrect and that the pretended service was not upon its agent and that it did not operate or transact business in Hall county. This special appearance was sustained and plaintiff given leave to amend his petition by interlineation. Thereupon a summons was sent to Adams county and served on an agent of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company there. After-wards the defendants Roeder, the engineer of the train, and the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company filed answer without objection to the jurisdiction of the court over them.

The plaintiff asserts that the court erred in dismissing the case as to Duling. The previous recital of the procedural steps reveals that the trial court did not have jurisdiction over any defendant in this case unless there was a waiver of the objection by a general appearance. [862]*862The defendants Roeder and the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company filed answers without objection and thereby waived it.

But the defendant Duling filed a special appearance objecting to the jurisdiction of the court, which was overruled. This is an action which the law requires must be brought in the county in which the defendant, or some one of the defendants, resides or may be summoned. Since no defendant resided in Hall county or could be summoned therein, the special appearance should have been sustained. But the plaintiff insists that the pleading of Duling denominated “special appearance” did not limit itself to the particular question and therefore waived the objection. It is well established in this jurisdiction that “An appearance is special when its sole purpose is to question the jurisdiction of the court. It is general if the party appearing invokes the power of the court on any question other than that of jurisdiction.” South Omaha Nat. Bank v. Farmers & Merchants Nat. Bank, 45 Neb. 29. Many cases are found in our official reports to the same effect. A recent case held that an appearance by any form of application invoking the court’s power except upon the question of jurisdiction is a general appearance. Troyer Furniture Co. v. Orchard & Wilhelm Co., 121 Neb. 301.

An examination of the objection to the jurisdiction in this case to determine whether the appearance was special or general discloses that the appearance was special. This defendant alleged thirteen reasons for the dismissal because the court did not have jurisdiction over the person of the defendant. No affirmative relief is sought. Among the thirteen paragraphs are three contending that there is no connection between the cause of action alleged against this defendant and the other two defendants. Three, other paragraphs contend that there is no joint liability and none is alleged between this defendant and the other defendants.

The Code provides: “Every other action (the case at bar-[863]*863comes within this provision) must be brought in the county in which the defendant, or some one of the defendants, resides or may be summoned.” Comp. St. 1929, sec. 20-409. Section 20-504, Comp. St. 1929, provides: “When the action is rightly brought in any county, according to the provisions of this Code, a summons shall be issued to any other county, against any one or more of the defendants at the plaintiff’s request.” Unless this action was rightly brought in Hall county, the district court did not acquire jurisdiction over the person of the defendant by service of a summons issued to another county. Ramirez v. Chicago, B. & Q. R. Co., 116 Neb. 740. It has been held that there must be a joint demand against resident and nonresident defendants. Ayres v. West, 86 Neb. 297; Wood v. Carter, 67 Neb. 133. The validity of the service in Lancaster county of a summons from the district court for Hall county would depend upon a joint and several liability of a defendant residing in or served in Hall county. Therefore the objections urged to the jurisdiction of the court over the person of Duling were not to the subject-matter, but related solely to the court’s jurisdiction of the case.

The defendant Duling filed an answer preserving the objection to the jurisdiction. Subsequently in open court an oral request was made to file an amended answer. It is said that this oral request did not preserve the objection to the jurisdiction. Plaintiff’s position in this respect is untenable, because the court required the attorney for Duling to state specifically the amendments desired. The answer was so amended and that part preserving the objection to the jurisdiction was retained in the amended answer.

Lastly, the plaintiff contends that the plaintiff’s objection to the introduction of testimony was a waiver to the objection to jurisdiction. The objection was for the reason that the court was without jurisdiction. It was sustained. Another reason was stated in the oral objection to the introduction that the petition failed to state facts [864]*864sufficient to constitute a cause of action. This was not in fact asking for affirmative relief. The objection was made to the court proceeding to try this case against the defendant which it had no lawful right to do. The order dismissing the action was a proper and lawful one which had been delayed too long. In Gaines v. Warrick, 113 Neb. 235, this court held that the question of jurisdiction may be raised by special appearance, regardless of whether it appears from the face of the record, and any error in overruling the same is not waived by answer when the objection is pleaded in the answer. See, also, Nebraska State Bank v. Citizens State Bank, 122 Neb. 522. In the case at bar, the special appearance had been overruled and the objection pleaded in the answer. The defendant Du-ling did not therefore waive the objection by answer or by proceeding to trial upon the merits thereafter.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
260 N.W. 281, 128 Neb. 860, 1935 Neb. LEXIS 108, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/behr-v-duling-neb-1935.