Chandlee v. Shockley

150 A.2d 438, 219 Md. 493, 1959 Md. LEXIS 379
CourtCourt of Appeals of Maryland
DecidedApril 15, 1959
Docket[No. 163, September Term, 1958.]
StatusPublished
Cited by52 cases

This text of 150 A.2d 438 (Chandlee v. Shockley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chandlee v. Shockley, 150 A.2d 438, 219 Md. 493, 1959 Md. LEXIS 379 (Md. 1959).

Opinions

Hammond, J.,

delivered the opinion of the Court.

On June 25, 1957, Clara R. Chandlee, the appellant, filed a declaration against the administratrix of the estate of Homer W. Shockley, deceased, the appellee, to recover damages for personal injuries sustained in a collision between her automobile and an automobile negligently operated by Shockley, who was killed in the accident, on October 8, 1956. After a demurrer had been sustained, the appellant filed an amended declaration which made the added allegations that the appellee qualified as administratrix on October 18, 1956, [495]*495and that following such qualification “duly authorized representatives and agents of the * * * Administratrix” had “requested and induced” the appellant not to file suit and assured her “that said claim would be settled and * * * damages paid by * * * deceased’s estate without the necessity of filing suit.” These statements were alleged to have lulled appellant “into a false sense of security in the belief that the said Administratrix had waived the benefit of six (6) months limitation period in cases of this type” and “by reason of said statements, representations and inducements, the * * * Administratrix * * * is now estopped from relying on the six (6) months limitation period.

Particulars filed in response to demand set forth various verbal communications between the appellant’s attorneys and persons alleged to have been acting in behalf of the administratrix over a period from October 15, 1956, to May 15, 1957, particularly a Mr. Petrick, who, when told by appellant’s counsel that he wanted to be sure, if settlement failed, that Petrick would not “knock me out of Court by pleading limitations”, replied: “There is no reason for you to say that. * * * I think this is the type of a claim which can and should be settled out of court. * * * We will not take any more advantage of you than I know you will take of us. My company does not work that way.” Mr. Petrick also said on a later occasion that nothing would be gained by filing suit, that more time was necessary to learn the extent of the damages, and that he would not take advantage of a delay. “My company does not make a practice of taking advantage of legal technicalities in order to keep from paying legitimate claims. Insofar as I know, we are not arguing here over liability. We are discussing damages and you can take my word for it that there is no reason for you to file suit. I repeat, don’t file suit, because there is no reason for it.” The appellant was hospitalized on several occasions and not finally released until after the six-month period had expired. Between May 15 and June 21, repeated efforts to reach Mr. Petrick failed, and suit was then filed.

The appellee demurred to the amended declaration, as particularized, on the grounds that the declaration showed on [496]*496its face that suit was not commenced within six calendar months after the qualification of the administratrix, under Code (1957), Art. 93, Sec. 112, and that the right of action was lost and barred; that the defendant could not be estopped from setting up the defense; that the condition prescribed by the Statute could not be waived by a personal representative; and finally that the facts set forth in the bill of particulars were insufficient to constitute a waiver or estoppel. The trial court sustained the demurrer and directed the clerk to enter judgment for the defendant, administratrix, for costs. The appeal is from that judgment.

The appellant’s first contention is that the defense of limitations cannot be raised by demurrer. Many courts recognize that where the period of limitations is set forth in the statute and is considered a part of the grant of the right itself, the lateness of the suit may be invoked by demurrer. See Clark, Code Pleading (2d Ed.), p. 522. In State v. Parks, 148 Md. 477, 482, it was held that the provision of Article 67 of the Code (1924), Sec. 2 (now Code (1957), Art. 67, Sec. 4), requiring suits for wrongful death to be brought within the prescribed statutory period after the death of the deceased person was a “condition precedent to the right to maintain the action, and that a declaration which discloses on its face that the suit was not brought within twelve months is bad on demurrer.” In Dunnigan v. Cobourn, 171 Md. 23, it was held that a demurrer properly was sustained to a declaration which failed to allege that an action under Code (1935 Supp.), Article 67, Sec. 1 (Code (1957), Art. 67, Sec. 1) against the administrator of a deceased tortfeasor was filed within the statutory period. The annotation following this case in 107 A. L. R. 1048 indicates that it is in line with the great weight of authority. In Board of Education v. Lange, 182 Md. 132, 135, there was a similar ruling in regard to a statutory bond.

The appellant contends, however, that these cases are distinguishable on the ground that Code (1957), Art. 93, Sec. 112, is a “survival statute” rather than a statute creating a new cause of action. The section provides that an executor or administrator may be sued “in any action (except slander) which might have been maintained against the deceased * * * [497]*497provided, however, that any such action for injuries to the person to be maintainable against an executor or administrator must be commenced within six calendar months after the date of the qualification of the executor or administrator of the testator or intestate.” Maryland Rule 205 a 2 did not replace the Statute, which has not been repealed, but is merely declaratory of the procedural aspects. The argument seems to be that under this Statute the cause of action remains one against the tortfeasor, with the personal representative merely substituted for his decedent. Compare Maryland Rule 220 a, which provides that an action for personal injuries, once instituted, does not abate by reason of the death of one of the parties. But under Section 112, the representative does not merely take the place of one against whom a claim has been asserted, but is made amenable, in his representative capacity, to service of process as an original party. Such direct liability did not exist at common law but is conferred wholly by the Statute. Compare Demczuk v. Jenifer, 138 Md. 488, 490, and White v. Safe Deposit & Trust Co., 140 Md. 593, 596. The legislative history of Lord Campbell’s Act and Sec. 112 tends to show that the legislative purpose was that the two statutes should have similar meanings and effects. See Ch, 570, Acts of 1929 and Ch. 468, Acts of 1949. There is also an analogy to cases brought against an executor or administrator under Code, 1957, Art. 93, Secs. 119, 120. “It has been repeatedly held by this Court that [these sections] * * * create a statutory bar as distinguished from a mere period of limitations which may be waived. It extinguishes the right to sue, not merely the remedy.” Nowell v. Larrimore, 205 Md. 613, 624; Donnally v. Welfare Board, 200 Md. 534, 540. See also Neuenschwander v. Wash. San. Com., 187 Md. 67, 76, holding that an act requiring notice of a claim for personal injuries was a condition precedent, and that failure to give the notice could be raised on demurrer. We hold that the question in the instant case properly was raised on demurrer.

Appellant further contends that despite her failure to bring the action within the time prescribed by statute, she is not barred because the administratrix waived or induced the de[498]*498lay and is estopped to rely on it.

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Bluebook (online)
150 A.2d 438, 219 Md. 493, 1959 Md. LEXIS 379, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chandlee-v-shockley-md-1959.