Custer County v. Albien

64 N.W. 533, 7 S.D. 482, 1895 S.D. LEXIS 104
South Dakota Supreme Court·Decided October 1, 1895·Published

Opinion

Kellam, J.

This was an action upon the official bond of Edwin H. Flynn, as treasurer of the respondent county. The bond ran to “J. F. Street, F. A. Towner, and Joseph Humphrieus, as commissioners, and their successors in office,” and was in the penal sum of $10,000, “for which payment, well and truly to be made, we jointly and severally bind ourselves in the amount set opposite our respective names,” etc. The condition was: “That whereas, the abpyg-named Edwin H. Flynn was on the 6th day of [485] November, 1889, duly'elected treasurer in and for the county of Custer, in said county, for the term of two years, and is about to enter upon the duties of said office: Now, therefore,” etc. The bond was signed as follows: “Edwin H. Elynn. [Seal.] Dennis Carrigan, $3,500. [Seal.] Martin T. Schoonmaker, $1,000. [Seal.] Henry A. Albien, $1,500. [Seal.] Paul Kleemanj $1,500. [Seal.] Ü-. C. Boland, $1,000. [Seal.] A. P. Smith, $1,000. [Seal.]” The complaint alleged, among other things, the making and delivery of the bond, its due approval, and its breach. The defendants, except Elynn, the principal, who answered separately, and Smith, deceased, answered together, admiting the execution of the bond to the obligees named, and its delivery to the county clerk of the plaintiff county, but denied that it' was approved by the board of county commissioners, and denied its breach, and further set up affirmative matter in defense. The case was tried to a jury, who returned a verdict as follows: “We, the jury in the above-entitled action, find for the plaintiff on all the issues, and assess plaintiff’s damages at ten thousand ($10,000) dollars.” Upon this verdict the court entered judgment against Elynn for $10,000, and against each of the sureties for the amount opposite his name in the bond, and from the judgment so entered Henry A. Albien and Paul Kleeman bring this appeal.

It is first objected that the complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. The objection that the bond is not actionable by the county because the county commissioners and their successors in office are named as obligees, instead of the county, as provided in section 1373, Comp. Laws, is not good. It is very plain, from the recitals of the bond) that it was given and received as the security the statute called for from the treasurer. The commissioners, as the proper agents of the county, in taking it, took it in their names, as such official agents, instead of in the name of their principal, the county. The complaint sets out the facts showing that the county was the real benficiary, and that the bond was given for its protection. This action upon it is brought in the name of the real party in interest. [486] It is not fatal to the bond, nor can it relieve the sureties of their liability to the county under it, that the fiscal officers of the county were named as obligees, instead of the county itself. Town of Plattville v. Hooper (Wis.) 23 N. W. 581; Bay Co. v. Brock, 44 Mich. 45, 6 N. W. 101; Tevis v. Randall, 6 Cal, 632; Mechem, Pub. Off. § 269, and cases cited. But even if there should be doubt of the validity of this instrument as a statutory bond, we see no reason why it is not good as a general or common-law bond, and the principal and sureties bound by its terms, and upon which an action may be brought by the county, as the real party in interest. Id. § 271, and many cases cited.

Appellants further insist that the complaint was defective in not specifically alleging- that Flynn was elected to the office of county treasurer. The bond, which the appellants admit they gave, recited and admitted the fact that he had been elected, and was about to enter upon the discharge of his official duties, and that was the reason why they gave the bond. It was not necessary to allege or prove the fact which they had themselves asserted in the very contract sued upon. Defendants wei’e estopped from disputing- it. Mechem, Pub. Off. § 296; Brandt, Sur. § 29; Herm. Estop. § 631, and cases cited; People v. Huson (Cal.) 20 Pac. 369.

It is further objected that the verdict is fatally defective because — First, it is not responsive to the issue; second, it does not find the entire issue; third, it varies from the issue; and, fourth, it does not conform to the complaint. We cannot understand how, in a law action, for the recovery of a sum of money, against one or several defendants, a general verdict for the plaintiff, assessing his damages at a certain amount, can be obnoxious to either of the above objections. The issues were the matters in controversy, and a verdict which finds that plaintiff was right as to all of them would seem to be “responsive to the issue.” A verdict which finds all the issues in favor of the plaintiff would seem to “find the entire issue”; where the issue is whether the plaintiff shows itself entitled to recover, as against a defense set up and attempted to be proved, and, if so, how much, and the verdict finds for the [487] plaintiff, and assesses Ms damages at a definite sum, the verdict does not seem to vary from the issue; and where the complaint claims from the defendants a certain sum, on facts, fully stated, and the verdict is for the plaintiff; within that sum, it would seem to conform to the complaint.

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Custer County v. Albien, 64 N.W. 533, 7 S.D. 482, 1895 S.D. LEXIS 104 (S.D. 1895).

64 N.W. 533 (Custer County v. Albien) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

People v. Love
25 Cal. 520 (California Supreme Court, 1864)
People v. Huson
20 P. 369 (California Supreme Court, 1889)
Town of Platteville v. Hooper
23 N.W. 581 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1885)
County of Bay ex rel. Houghtaling v. Brock
6 N.W. 101 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1880)