Crane Co. v. Aetna Indemnity Co.

86 P. 849, 43 Wash. 516, 1906 Wash. LEXIS 740
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 28, 1906
DocketNo. 6033
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 86 P. 849 (Crane Co. v. Aetna Indemnity Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crane Co. v. Aetna Indemnity Co., 86 P. 849, 43 Wash. 516, 1906 Wash. LEXIS 740 (Wash. 1906).

Opinion

Mount, C. J.

This is the second appeal in this case. When it was here before we held that the answer was sufficient, and that the sufficiency of the complaint was not raised on that appeal. Crane Co. v. Pacific Heat & Power Co., 36 Wash. 95, 78 Pac. 460. The issue© made by the pleadings are stated in that opinion. When the case went bach, the answer .of the Aetna Indemnity Company was amended so as to deny all liability. In other respects the answer was the same as stated when it was here before. Upon the issues thus presented the case came, on for trial. The Aetna Indemnity Company objected to the introduction of any evidence, upon the ground that the complaint did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action against it. The court properlv refused to consider the sufficiency of the complaint, because the record shows that a demurrer had been interposed upon that ground and expressly waived. Healy, v. King County, 37 Wash. 184, 79 Pac. 624, and eases there cited. The evidence was then heard by the court and findings, m'ade as follows:

“(1) This is the second trial of this cause. On the original trial in this court plaintiff obtained judgment for the full amount p|rayed, upon the pleadings then on file, namely, upon the demurrer of plaintiff to the defendant’s answer. Defendants appealed, the only assignment of error being that the court erred in sustaining plaintiff’s demurrer. The cause was reversed for certain reason's expressed in the opinion of the supreme court. At the close of the evidence of this trial defendants moved for a nonsuit for the reason, as alleged, that the evidence was not sufficient to support the action, viz., for the reason that the evidence did not show that the notice provided in the statute (Pierce’s Code, § 6123) has been given. (2) This action was brought by the plaintiff against [518]*518the defendants for the sum of eighteen hundred and eleven and 88-100 ($1,811.88) dollars upon a certain bond given by the Pacific Heat & Power Company to School District Ho. 1 of King county, Washington, to secure the performance of a certain contract entered into between the defendant Pacific Heat & Power Company and said School District upon which bond the defendant, the Aetna Indemnity Company, became the surety, and which bond is fully described and set out in plaintiff’s complaint. (3) That at the time of the commencement of this action there was due to the plaintiff from the defendant Pacific Heat & Power Company the full sum of eighteen hundred eleven and 88-100 dollars* for material furnished and which went into the performance of said contract and which was secured by said bond. (4) That before the commencement of this action the defendant, the Pacific Heat & Power Company, had paid to the plaintiff as alleged in the defendant’s affirmative answers, the sum of one thousand’ dollars, which money arose out of the subject-matter of said contract secured by said bond; but that at the time of said payments by the Pacific Heat & Power Company to' the plaintiff, it, the Pacific Heat & Power Company, nor any one for it, nor did the Aetna Indemnity Company, inform the plaintiff from whence said money arose* nor did said Pacific Heat & Power Company, nor the Aetna Indemnity Company, direct in any way the application of said payments; that the said Crane Company, nor any of its officers, or agents or servants* knew that said money so paid arose out of the subject-matter of said contract for which said bond stood as surety; that at the time of said payments the defendant, Pacific Heat & Power Company, was indebted to the plaintiff on indebtedness other than that arising out of said contract, and the said plaintiff applied said payments to said other and different indebtedness, leaving the full balance due from the defendant, Pacific. Heat & Power Company, to the plaintiff upon said Warren avenue contract, and bond, the sum of eighteen hundred eleven and 88-100 dollars. (5) That the bond sued upon in this action was not at the commencement of this action, and has not been since* filed in the auditor’s office of King county, Washington, as by law provided in such eases.”

Upon these, findings the court concluded that the plaintiff was entitled to' a judgment against both defendants for [519]*519$811.88, with interest, and against the Pacific Heat & Power Company for $1,000 and interest, in addition to the first amount named. And also,

“That the defendants are now barred from raising the question of notice provided for by the statute, for the reason that the same was waived in the trial of the original cause and for failure to assign the same as error in their appeal to the supreme court, and for the further reason that the bond provided for in the statute, Pierce’s Code, § 6123 (B. C. § 5927), has never been, filed in the office of the auditor of King county, Washington.”

A judgment was thereupon entered against both defendants for $811.88 and interest, amounting to $918.50, and costs. The Aetna Indemnity Company aiplpeals, alleging that the court erred in refusing to sustain its challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence; and plaintiff appeals, alleging that the court erred in refusing to' enter judgment against the Aetna Indemnity Company on the bond sued on for the full amount sued for, viz., $1,811.88, with interest and costs.

This court has uniformly held that, where a demurrer challenging the sufficiency of the complaint has been filed and waived, such complaint will be considered sufficient upon appeal and that § 4911, Bal. Code (P. O. §378), does not apply in such oases. Francioli v. Brue, 4 Wash. 124, 29 Pac. 928; Coats v. West Coast Fire & M. Co., 4 Wash. 375, 30 Pac. 404, 850; Mosher v. Bruhn, 15 Wash. 332, 46 Pac. 397; Hardin v. Mullen, 16 Wash. 647, 48 Pac. 349; Watson v. Kent, 35 Wash. 21, 76 Pac. 297; Healy v. King County, 37 Wash. 184, 79 Pac. 624. These decisions are based upon the theory that amendments may be made to' the complaint, and that the allegations of thei complaint will be liberally construed and every reasonable intendment indulged in favor of the pleader. ,The statutes of this state are liberal in regard to amendments'. When a demurrer is sustained, the court has power to grant leave to amend, and where the complaint is not sufficient and no demurrer is filed or a demurrer filed [520]*520and waived, the trial court has power on the trial to permit amendments. Richardson v. Moore, 30 Wash. 406, 71 Pac. 18. In view of these rules, we have held that § 4911, Bal. Code, does not apply to a pleading where the objection has been waived, but we have not gone to the extent of holding that the waiver of the demurrer prevents a party from challenging the sufficiency .of the evidences In the case of Watson v. Kent, supra, we said:

“It might be that, if, after the introduction of all the testimony of the plaintiffs, the whole testimony did not show that a case had been made out which would "bind the town, this question could be raised by a motion for nonsuit; and a motion for a nonsuit was made by the appellant in this case, but not upon the ground that the complaint did not state a cause of action, or that the evidence would not sustain a, verdict, so far as the allegations of the complaint were concerned. An examination of the testimony shows that the proof was practically as broad as the allegations.”

Both parties to this appeal rely on this case. The; Aetna Indemnity Company relies upon the first statement quoted, and the Crane Company uppn the last statement.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
86 P. 849, 43 Wash. 516, 1906 Wash. LEXIS 740, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crane-co-v-aetna-indemnity-co-wash-1906.