Burns v. Singer Manufacturing Co.

87 Ind. 541
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1882
DocketNo. 9372
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 87 Ind. 541 (Burns v. Singer Manufacturing Co.) 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
Burns v. Singer Manufacturing Co., 87 Ind. 541 (Ind. 1882).

Opinion

Bicknell, C. C.

This was a complaint to review a judgment obtained by the appellee against the appellants in the Decatur Circuit Court, upon a joint and several bond for $2,000, executed by the appellants to the appellee, and dated October 7th, 1874. The complaint alleged error of law in the judgment sought to be reviewed, in this, to wit;

1. The court erred in overruling the demurrer of E. R. Forsyth to the complaint of said Singer Manufacturing Company.

2. The court erred in sustaining the demurrer of the said Singer Manufacturing Company to the first paragraph of E. R. Forsyth’s separate answer.

3. The court erred in sustaining the said company’s demurrer to the second paragraph’ of said E. R. Forsyth’s separate answer.

[543]*5434. The court eri’ed in sustaining the demurrer of the said company to the first paragraph of Columbus Burns’ separate answer.

5. The court erred in sustaining the demurrer of the said company to the fourth paragraph of said Columbus Burns’ separate answer.

The defendant demurred to this complaint for review, for want of facts sufficient, etc. The court sustained the demurrer, and, the plaintiffs declining to amend the complaint, final judgment was rendered against them upon the demurrer. The plaintiffs appealed. The only error assigned is the following: The said appellants come, and each severally alleges and says that the court erred in sustaining the demurrer of the appellee to the complaint of the appellants.

The judgment sought to be reviewed was a joint judgment upon the bond against all the defendants in the original suit. They all unite in the complaint for review, but the errors of law alleged to exist in the proceeding sought to be reviewed are all errors against the sureties on the bond. No error is alleged as against William H. Forsyth, the principal in the bond. He has really, therefore, no interest in the complaint for review; but the technical rule requires that all the parties to the original suit must be parties to the bill of review ; Story’s Eq. PI. 335; and it is held that if a person not a party to the original suit has become interested in the subject-matter he may be made a defendant to the suit for review. Mitford Eq. PI. 89, 90. The statute provides that any party to a judgment may file a complaint for review, 2 R. S. 1876, p. 247, sec. 586; and that on the hearing the court may reverse or affirm the judgment in whole or in part, or modify the same, as justice may require. 2 R. S. 1876, p. 249, sec.. 591. In Sloan v. Whiteman, 6 Ind. 434, it was held that, as a general rule, a bill of review ought to have the same parties as the proceeding sought to be reviewed, but they may be either complainants or defendants, according to their interests in the matter to be reviewed. As Elias R. Forsyth - and [544]*544Columbus Burns are joint judgment defendants, we think they may properly unite in a complaint for review of that judgment, and, as the technical rule requires William H. Forsyth to be a party to the proceeding, although he has really no interest in the matters upon which the errors of law are alleged, we think it is quite immaterial whether he is made a party plaintiff or a party defendant, and that the complaint for review in this case is not open to the objection that there are too many parties plaintiffs.

The complaint in the original suit was in the common form, and the condition of the bond sued on was as follows:

“If the above bounden William H. Forsyth, his heirs, executors or administrators, shall well and truly pay, or cause to be paid, any and every indebtedness or liability now existing, or which may hereafter in any manner exist or be incurred on the part of the said William H. Forsyth to the said The Singer Manufacturing Company, whether such indebtedness or liability shall exist in the shape of book accounts, notes, renewals, acceptances, endorsements, or otherwise (hereby waiving presentment for payment, notice of non-payment, protest, and notice of protest and diligence, upon all notes, now or hereafter executed, endorsed, transferred, guaranteed or assigned by the said William IT. Forsyth to the said The Singer Manufacturing Company), then this obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force and effect.”

The complaint alleged that on the faith of this bond said companysold said William H. Forsyth four sowing machines, for which he gave the company his four notes, payable to its order, one for $223.75, dated October 4th, 1877; one for $223.75, of the same date; one for $110, dated November 30th, 1877; and one for $65, dated December 31st, 1877; and that all of said notes were due and unpaid. The complaint prayed judgment for the amount of the notes and interest.

There was no error in overriding the demurrer of E. R. Forsyth to this complaint. The bond was joint and several. E. R. Forsyth was not a guarantor but -a surety, and by the [545]*545terms of his obligation ho was liable for every indebtedness now existing, or which hereafter may in any manner exist or be incurred on the part of said W. H. Forsyth to said company. McMillan v. Bull’s Head Bank, 32 Ind. 11 (2 Am. R. 323); Morgan v. Smith American Organ Co., 73 Ind. 179. These cases show that no notice of default was necessary to fix the liability of the sureties, and a written instrument promising to pay money implies a consideration. Beeson v. Howard, 44 Ind. 413.

The answers, to which demurrers were sustained in the original suit, are sufficiently alike to be considered together. They allege in substance that the appellee made a contract with William H. Forsyth, by which-he was appointed its agent, and at the same time took from him the bond sued on, bearing even date with the contract of agency; that said contract of agency was shown to appellants E. R. Forsyth and Columbus Burns, by said William H. Forsyth, and that he .and the appellee represented to them that the bond was to secure the faithful performance of the duties of such agency; that, in consideration of the contemporaneous execution of said contract of agency, by the parties thereto, the bond was exe'Cuted, and that the bond and the contract of agency together formed one transaction ; that afterwards, without the knowledge or consent of said Elias R. and Columbus, said contract of agency was several times changed, and was finally, on October 4th, 1877, entirely abrogated and said agency was terminated, and all the liabilities of said William H. as such agent were fully settled and accounted for; that afterwards said William H. bought sewing machines from the appellee, for which he gave his notes, upon the non-payment whereof the indebtedness arose for which the judgment sought to be Teviewed was rendered. Copies were annexed to the answers of the contract of agency, and of the subsequent contracts. The contract of agency contained this stipulation : “And the .said W. II. Forsyth agrees to give satisfactory security for [546]*546the payment of his indebtedness to the said company, and for the prompt and faithful fulfilment of the terms and conditions' of this agreement.” This contract was dated October 27th,. 1874. It fixed no time for the end of the agency, but provided that it should be terminated at the pleasure of either of the parties.

On May 15th, 1875, another contract was made, containing' this stipulation: Said W. H.

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Bluebook (online)
87 Ind. 541, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burns-v-singer-manufacturing-co-ind-1882.