Bigler v. Waller

79 U.S. 142, 20 L. Ed. 260, 12 Wall. 142, 1870 U.S. LEXIS 1171
CourtSupreme Court of the United States
DecidedMarch 27, 1871
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 79 U.S. 142 (Bigler v. Waller) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of the United States primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bigler v. Waller, 79 U.S. 142, 20 L. Ed. 260, 12 Wall. 142, 1870 U.S. LEXIS 1171 (1871).

Opinion

Mr. Justice CLIFFORD

delivered the opinion of the court.

The record shows that the appellant, on the fourteenth,of June, 1866, instituted a suit in equity in the Circuit Court against William Waller and Robert Saunders, for the cause-of action set forth in the bill of complaint. Among other things he alleged that he entered into an agreement in writing with William .Waller for the purchase of certain real estate lying in the county of York and State of Virginia; that the said respondent, on the 10th of May, 1853, executed to the complainant a deed of-the said real estate, and that the complainant, on the same day, made the cash payment as stipulated in the agreement, and gave to the respondent, at the same time, his obligation to pay the balance of the purchase-money at the times therein specified; that on the twenty-second of June, in the same j’ear, the complainant *146 executed to the other respondent a trust deed of the premises to secure the balance of the consideration which he agreed to pay for the real estate, as stipulated in that obligation ; that he went into possession, made valuable improvements, and continued to make the stipulated payments until April, 18G1, when the war broke out, and he was compelled to leave the State; that after he left the State, Waller authorized the other respondent, as such trustee, to make sale of the real estate, and the complainant alleges that the trustee effected the sale without publishing the notice required by the terms of the <]eed of'trust, and that he satisfied the said obligation out of the proceeds of the sale, and has failed to account to the complainant for the balance of the proceeds; that Waller became the purchaser of the real estate at that sale; that he immediately took possession of the sanie,'together with certain personal property of great value belonging to the complainant; that he sold the same and converted the proceeds to his own use, and applied the same to the payment of the balance due on the said obligation; that he also rented the real estate and received large sums of money as rents; that he, the complainant, subsequently succeeded, through the aid of our- miilitary authorities, in recovering possession of the real estate, but that he found it in a ruinous condition.; that .since that time, to wit, on the eleventh of November, 1865, Waller instituted a suit against him on the said -obligation iff the Supreme Court of the City and County of New York, to recover what he claims to be due thereon ; that subsequently the other respondent posted up, in the county where the real estate .is .situated, a notice “that-he would, at th.e request-of said Waller, in a few weeks, sell said real estate.”

Based on these .and otjier similar allegations the charge is made that Waller may induce the trustee so to act in regard to'the .salé of the'premises as to cheat and defraud the complainant; therefore 'he;prays that the trustee may be enjoined’ from isellin-g.-the, said real'estate, and that the said Waller may b.e 'enjoined from assigning his interest in the said obligation until the suit in the Supreme Court of the City and' *147 County of Ñew York is determined, and for an account, and that the respondents may be required to deliver up all deeds and papers in their possession concerning said sale.

Suffice it to say, without entering into details, that such proceedings were bad that a decree was entered that the appellant should pay to William G. Waller, administrator of William Waller, deceased, the sum of seventeen .thousand three hundred and seventy-seven dollars in coin, and costs, to the defendants.

Dissatisfied with that decree the complainant appealed to this court, which is the case involved in the motion,

i Pending the suit here the appellees have appeared specially and filed a motion to dismiss .the appeal upon two grounds: (1) Because the citation is addressed to the original parties, one or both of whom deceased before the final decree. (2) Because the bond given to prosecute the appeal is executed to a deceased respondent and not to the administrator in whose favor the decree was'entered.

Undoubtedly-the citation is irregular, as it should be addressed to the actual parties to the suit at the tirne the'appeal was allowed .and prosecuted. Where a party dies before the appeal-is allowed and prosecuted the suit should be revived in the subordinate court, and the citation, as matter of course,.should be addressed to the proper party,in the record at that time.

Notice is required by law, and where none is given and the failure to comply with the requirement is not waived, the appeal or writ of error must be dismissed, but the defect may be waived in various ways, as by consent or appearance or the fraud of the other party. Service of the citation may be made upon the attorney of record of the proper party. *

Unquestionably the attorney of record may also waive service, and acknowledge notice on the citation, as in that behalf he represents the party'.

On the citation in this case is the following indorsement:

*148 “ I hereby acknowledge service of the within citation. James Alfred Jones, counsel for the defendants in this cause in the Circuit Court of the United States for the District of Virginia.”

• Viewed in any reasonable light it seems to the court that the attorney knew that the appeal was allowed by the court and was prosecuted by the appellant, which is. the only purpose intended to be' effected by the citation. Having been counsel in the cause the party signing that certificate must have known that the suit had been revived, as that proceeding took place before the final decree was entered. Such a service would be sufficient beyond all doubt if there had been no error in the form of the citation, and as that objection is merely a formal'one we are all of the opinion that it must be considered as waived by the circumstantial language of the- certificate signed without objection by the attorney of record in the Circuit Court.

2. Appeals from decrees of the Circuit Court to this court are allowed where'the matter in dispute, exclusive of costs, exceeds tho sum or value of two thousand dollars, and the provision is that such appeals shall be subject to the same rules, regulations, and restrictions as are prescribed in law in case of writs of error. *

Good and sufficient security must be taken by every justice or judge who signs the citation, that the plaintiff in error shall prosecute his writ to effect, and answer all damages and costs if he fail to make his plea good; and in order that the writ of error may operate as a supersedeas and stay execution the writ must be served by a copy thereof being lodged for the adversé party, in the clerk’s office where the record remains, within ten days, Sundays exclusive, after the judgment was rendered or the decree was passed.† Such a service is not required in an appeal, but tho requirement is that the appeal must be taken and allowed, in cases where it is required to be allowed, within the same period of time, and *149

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Bluebook (online)
79 U.S. 142, 20 L. Ed. 260, 12 Wall. 142, 1870 U.S. LEXIS 1171, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bigler-v-waller-scotus-1871.