Boys v. Simmons

72 Ind. 593
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1880
DocketNo. 7201
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 72 Ind. 593 (Boys v. Simmons) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Boys v. Simmons, 72 Ind. 593 (Ind. 1880).

Opinion

’Howk, J.

— This action was commenced by the appellant, as plaintiff, against the appellee, as defendant, on the 10th day of February, 1876. In his complaint the appellant alleged, in substance, that on the 2d day of July, 1867, by the consideration of the court of common pleas of Miami county, Indiana, one Henry Dutton obtained a judgment ■against the appellant and the appellee for the sum of 1280.46 and costs of suit, upon a promissory note executed by them to one John H. Boys, and endorsed by him to said Henry Dutton; that in the suit on said note, in said court of common pleas, the appellant did not appear, but made default ; that on the 6th day of February, 1868, the appellant paid «aid Henry Dutton the sum of 1291.93, in full of said judgment, which sum was receipted on the judgment by said Dutton; “that he paid said judgment, as said security, with-cut intending in any way to satisfy said judgment or release hip rights as said surety under the statute in such case provided that he signed the note on which said judgment was rendered as security for the appellee, George W. Simmons, and for no other purpose; that the appellant had not been, [595]*595at any time, adjudged or declared security in the proceedings had in said court of common pleas, or in any other court; that on the 27th day of January, 1876, and before the commencement of this suit, the appellant had caused a duly certified transcript of the said judgment of said court of common pleas to be filed and recorded in the office of the clerk of the Wayne Circuit Court. A copy of said note and a copy of said transcript were filed by the appellant, as exhibits, with his complaint in this suit. The appellant asked that the question of his, suretyship might be tried and determined, and that he might be declared to be the surety of the appellee on said note and in the judgment of said court of common-pleas, and that an execution be issued in his favor and against the appellee for the amount paid by appellant, with interest from the date of payment, to be executed without relief, etc., and for other proper relief.

The appellee answered in four paragraphs, in substance, as follows:

1. A general denial;

2. The appellant’s demand was fully paid and satisfied before the commencement of this suit;

3. Denying so .much of said complaint as averred that the appellant paid said judgment, as such security, without intending in any way to satisfy said judgment or release his rights as said surety; the appellee further alleged that the appellant’s cause of action, stated in his complaint, did not accrue within six years immediately preceding the commencement of this action ; and,

4. That the appellant and appellee, at the time said note was executed, were partners in business, and that, by the terms of their partnership, the appellant was to furnish all the capital with which to carry on the business of the firm, and the appellee his labor, skill and attention ; that the appellee fully complied with the terms of said partnership ; that the consideration of said note was property bought for said [596]*596partnership, and used by the same ; and that the consideration of said note moved to said firm, and not to the appellee.

The appellant’s demurrer to the second, third and fourth paragraphs of the appellee’s answer, for the alleged insufficiency of the facts therein to constitute a good defence to his suit, was overruled to the third and fourth paragraphs of answer, and to this ruling the appellant excepted. Failing and refusing to reply or plead further, the court rendered judgment against the appellant for the appellee’s costs.

In this court, the appellant has assigned as errors the decisions of the circuit court in overruling his demurrer to the third and fourth paragraphs of answer, and his motion for a new trial; and the appellee has assigned the following cross errors:

1. The circuit court erred in overruling his demurrer to appellant’s complaint; and,

2. The court below had no jurisdiction of the subject-matter of this action.

We will first consider and decide the questions arising under the appellee’s cross errors, and this we will do in the inverse order of their assignment.

It is evident, we think, from the allegations of the complaint, that the object of the appellant’s suit was to obtain the remedy or relief against the appellee, provided for a surety against his principal, in sections 674 and 675 of the code. 2 R. S. 1876, p. 277, etseq.' The appellant alleged, in substance, in his complaint, that he was the surety of the appellee in a certain note, on which note Henry Dutton had obtained a judgment, by default, against the appellant and appellee, on the 2d day of July, 1867, in the court of common pleas of Miami county, Indiana, which judgment the appellant had paid in full, without intending to satisfy it, on the 6th day of February, 1868, eight years before he commenced this suit. Conceding, for the present, that, upon the facts alleged, the appellant might commence and main[597]*597tain a suit, under said sections of the code, to try and determine “the question of suretyship” on said note and judgment as between him and the appellee, the question is presented by the second cross error: Had the Wayne Circuity Court, on the facts alleged, any jurisdiction of “the question of suretyship” in this case? Or was this question one to be tried and determined exclusively by the Miami Circuit Court, into which all the business of the court of common pleas of Miami county had been transferred by law ?

We are of the opinion, that, upon the facts stated in the appellant’s complaint, the Wayne Circuit Court had no jurisdiction of the subject-matter of said complaint, and could not have granted the appellant the relief prayed for and provided in said section 675 of the practice act. The proceeding is a special one ; and, while the statute should receive a liberal and an enlarged construction, still it must govern and control the suit, both in its institution, and in regard to the remedy or relief granted. In section 674 of the code it is provided that, “When any action is brought against two or more defendants upon a contract, any one or more of the defendants being surety for the others, the surety may, upon a written complaint to the court, cause the ■question of suretyship to be tried and determined, upon the issue made by the parties, at the trial of the cause, or at any time before or after the trial, or at a subsequent term ; but such proceedings shall not affect the proceedings of the plaintiff.” It is certain, we think, that the complaint of the surety mentioned in this section can not be filed as an •original suit or proceeding, or until after the creditor or obligee has brought his- action upon the contract, against both principal and surety. While it is provided that the ■surety’s complaint, and the issue and trial thereon, “shall not affect the proceedings of the plaintiff’ ’ in the original ■action, it would seem to be contemplated that such complaint should be filed in the original action, and during its [598]*598pendency.

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Bluebook (online)
72 Ind. 593, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/boys-v-simmons-ind-1880.