Brainard v. Independent Long Distance Telephone Co.

134 P. 832, 24 Idaho 466, 1913 Ida. LEXIS 163
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 20, 1913
StatusPublished

This text of 134 P. 832 (Brainard v. Independent Long Distance Telephone Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brainard v. Independent Long Distance Telephone Co., 134 P. 832, 24 Idaho 466, 1913 Ida. LEXIS 163 (Idaho 1913).

Opinion

STEWART, J.

An action was commenced in the district court of the third judicial district for Ada county by E. C. S. Brainard and other parties, who were stockholders and interested in the Independent Long Distance Telephone Company, a corporation, and the directors of such company, and in the complaint the plaintiffs sought a judgment directing the defendants to convey back to the Independent Long Distance Telephone Company all the property before conveyed by that company to the Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone Company and the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph [467]*467Company, upon the repayment by the Independent company to the Bell company, less the damages defendants have caused to the lines and plant of the plaintiffs of the Independent Long Distance Telephone Company, and that the plaintiffs have judgment against the defendants, jointly and-severally, in the sum of $341,016.75 and costs.

Issues were joined by defendants and a trial was had upon the issues and the following decree was entered by the trial court: “Wherefore, by reason of the law and the findings aforesaid, it is ordered, adjudged and decreed, that plaintiffs and intervenors take nothing by this action and that defendants be discharged and permitted to go hence without day, and that defendants have and recover of and from plaintiffs and intervenors their costs and disbursements herein, amounting to $1050.70.”

From this judgment an appeal was taken to this court by the plaintiffs and intervenors. The appeal to this court was perfected thereafter, and on the 27th day of June, 1913, there was filed in this court a stipulation, “that the plaintiffs and intervenors will dismiss the appeal in said cause now pending in said supreme court with prejudice; that defendants will pay to Messrs. Martin & Cameron, attorneys for plaintiffs and intervenors, the sum of Twenty-five Hundred Dollars ($2500.00), and in addition thereto will satisfy of record the judgment for costs in favor of the defendants and against plaintiffs and intervenors in the district court in the third judicial district of Idaho, in and for Ada county; that said sum so paid or to be paid shall be in full of all claims and demands of plaintiffs and intervenors, or either or any of them, or the Independent Long Distance Telephone Company, against defendants or either or any of them; and the defendants hereby release the plaintiffs and intervenors and each and all of them, from any and all claims arising in any way out of the institution of this suit, or the filing of any process therein. Dated, Denver, Colorado, this 20th day of June, A. D. 1913.”

This stipulation was signed as follows: Martin & Cameron, attorneys for plaintiffs and intervenors. Ira E. Barber, at[468]*468tomey for the Independent Long Distance Telephone Company. Milton Smith, attorney for the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company.

This stipulation was filed with the clerk of this court on the 27th day of June, 1913. On the 28th of June, 1913, there was filed in this court by S. L. Tipton, attorney for plaintiffs, Prosper A. Aveline, William Peterson, John Reirdon and John R. Hall and James A. Pinney, the following notice:

“To Messrs. Martin & Cameron, Boise, Idaho, and Ira B. Barber, Attorneys for Independent Long Distance Telephone Company.
“Gentlemen: You will take notice that Prosper Aveline, William Peterson, John Reirdon, and John R. Hall and James A. Pinney, by their attorney, S. L. Tipton, will, at 10 o’clock A. M. Monday, June 30, 1913, present to the Supreme Court of the State of Idaho at Boise, objections to the dismissal of the above entitled cause. Said objections will be based upon the affidavits herewith served and the stipulation on file in said court and the record of said cause.
“Dated this 28th day of June, 1913.
“S. L. TIPTON,
“Attorney for Plaintiffs, Prosper Aveline, William Peterson, John Reirdon, and John R. Hall, and James A. Pinney, Residing Boise, Idaho.”

The objections assigned in said notiee are as follows:

1. That the attorneys for plaintiff and the said E. C. S. Brainard had no authority or authorization to settle, compromise or dismiss said action.

2. That these plaintiffs never at any time authorized the attorneys, Martin & Cameron, or E. C. S. Brainard, to settle or compromise said cause or to enter into any stipulation of settlement, or to dismiss said action.

3. That these plaintiffs have never consented to and do not now consent to the settlement as shown by the stipulation now on file in this cause in this court.

4. That these plaintiffs never had any knowledge or information that any compromise or settlement was pending in said cause prior to the 26th day of June, 1913.

[469]*469These objections are based and supported by the affidavits served herewith and a stipulation on file in said cause and the record of said cause in said court. As a part of said application and notice is the affidavit of Prosper Aveline, James A. Pinney, William Peterson, John Reirdon and John R. Hall. The affidavit of Aveline' sets forth the facts upon which the protest against the dismissal of the case was based. In the affidavit Aveline swears that he is a stockholder of the Independent Long Distance Telephone Company and that he is a plaintiff; that he has never at any time authorized the attorneys for the plaintiffs or E. C. S. Brainard, to compromise, settle or dismiss the above-named suit now pending in this court; that he had no knowledge of any compromise, nor settlement pending between the plaintiffs and defendants; that the first information he had that a compromise or settlement was made or was in progress, was when he saw a notice in the Boise daily papers that the case had been dismissed; that after reading said article, he went on the 26th of June to the offices of Martin & Cameron, attorneys for plaintiffs, and Martin informed affiant that action had been dismissed and at that time informed affiant of the terms of settlement, and further stated to affiant that Martin and E. C. S. Brainard, one of the stockholders and plaintiffs in the suit, in company with Ira E. Barber, one of the attorneys of the defendants, to wit, the Independent Long Distance Telephone Company, went to Denver, Colorado, at the solicitation and expense of the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company, for the purpose of making settlement of said suit and that the suit was settled by them when in Denver; and that Brainard received in settlement two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) in cash and that Martin received five hundred dollars ($500) as attorney’s fees and Brainard the sum of two thousand dollars ($2,000). The affidavit also states that he did not think that any of the plaintiff stockholders knew anything about this and that he had no authority from any of the plaintiffs except Brainard, and that he informed Martin & Cameron and notified them not to dismiss the action until affiant had had an opportunity to in[470]*470vestigate his right, and that Martin informed affiant that he would file a stipulation and dismiss the case on that day.

The record further shows that the plaintiffs, with the exception of Prosper Aveline, have withdrawn from such protest against stipulation and dismissal and that Prosper Aveline is the only party who is contesting the dismissal of the ease upon the stipulation.

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Bluebook (online)
134 P. 832, 24 Idaho 466, 1913 Ida. LEXIS 163, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brainard-v-independent-long-distance-telephone-co-idaho-1913.