Burger v. Sinclair

140 N.W. 235, 24 N.D. 326, 1912 N.D. LEXIS 34
North Dakota Supreme Court·Decided November 20, 1912·Published·Cited by 14 cases

Opinions

Fisk, J.

Eespondent moves to dismiss the appeal herein upon the grounds:

1st. That the undertaking for costs which was served and filed with [328] the notice of appeal on March 27th last is not conditioned, as provided by statute, for the payment by appellant of all costs and damages which may be awarded against him on the appeal, not exceeding $250.
2d. That such alleged undertaking does not contain a justification of the sureties to the effect that they were worth the certain sum mentioned in their affidavit of justification over and above their debts and liabilities “in property within this state not by law exempt from execution;” and
3d. That appellant has failed to file abstracts and briefs on such appeal at least twenty-five days prior to the October term of this court pursuant to statute and rule xxii. of this court.

Notice of such motion was not served on appellant’s counsel until September 23d, and the motion was noticed for the first day of the present October term.

The undertaking is concededly defective as to the justification of the sureties, and we think is also defective in the particular pointed out in the first ground of respondent’s motion. Appellant, however, makes a counter motion for leave to amend or supply a new undertaking. This is resisted by respondent, his contention, in brief, being that such undertaking was and is ineffectual to confer any jurisdiction on this court over such appeal; and that the time for appeal having expired, this court is powerless to grant appellant any relief under § 7224, Eev. Codes. Respondent relies upon the cases of Aldrich v. Public Opinion Pub. Co. 27 S. D. 589, 132 N. W. 278; Drinkwine v. Eau Claire, 83 Wis. 428, 53 N. W. 673; State ex rel. Rayssiguier v. Monroe, 37 La. Ann. 113; and Thompson v. Thompson, 24 Wis. 515.

To the extent that the South Dakota court in the Aldrich Case holds that no jurisdiction is conferred by the attempted appeal, sufficient to enable the supreme court to permit an amendment of, or the giving of a new undertaking in lieu of the defective one, we think the decision is both unsound and contrary to the great weight of authority under statutes substantially like that in South Dakota. It is held in effect by the majority opinion that the jurisdiction to permit such amendments or the giving of new bonds is derived from the statute conferring the power of amendments, and pot from the attempted appeal; the line of reasoning being that because § 445 of the South Dakota Code [329] provides that “to render an appeal effectual for any purpose an undertaking must be executed on the part of the appellant,” etc., a failure to comply therewith confers no jurisdiction, even for the purpose of permitting an amendment under § 461 of their Code. Among other things, it is there said: “If it [the legislature] had assumed that jurisdiction was acquired by the giving of notice of appeal, it would follow as a necessary consequence that, after the giving of such notice, the circuit court would cease to have jurisdiction of the case, and it is inconceivable to suppose that the legislature would confer upon the circuit court or judge power to relieve parties from default in cases over which they had lost jurisdiction and jurisdiction had vested in the appellate court, and by the same section, confer the same power upon the supreme court by virtue of its jurisdiction of the cause upon appeal.” The fallacy of such reasoning is apparent, for it is elementary that after an appeal is taken and perfected the lower court retains jurisdiction to take any step necessary in furtherance of the appeal; and were this not so, it is perfectly clear that the legislature would have the power, by express statute, to confer such jurisdiction. Jurisdiction to hear and determine the cause by the appellate court is one thing, while jurisdiction sufficient to enable the appellate court to permit amendments or the necessary acts to be done in order to complete its jurisdiction over the cause on appeal, is quite another thing, and such distinction is clearly made by the supreme court of Wisconsin in construing the statute from which both the statutes of South and North Dakota were borrowed. In Harrigan v. Gilchrist, 121 Wis. 127, 99 N. W. 909, it was said on page 212 of the opinion:

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Burger v. Sinclair, 140 N.W. 235, 24 N.D. 326, 1912 N.D. LEXIS 34 (N.D. 1912).

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