DeVall v. DeVall

109 P. 755, 57 Or. 128
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedJune 14, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by41 cases

This text of 109 P. 755 (DeVall v. DeVall) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
DeVall v. DeVall, 109 P. 755, 57 Or. 128 (Or. 1910).

Opinion

Opinion by

Mr. Chief Justice Moore.

1. Full faith and credit is required to be given in each state to the judicial proceedings of every other state, and Congress is empowered to prescribe the manner in which the actions of such tribunals shall be proved and the effect thereof. Section 1, Article IV, Constitution of United States. Pursuant to this authorization, the manner of authenicating judicial records has been ordained, and it is declared that when attested as prescribed, such enrollments shall be given the degree of faith and credit in every court within the United States that they have in the tribunals from which they are taken. Rev. St. § 905 (U. S. Comp. St. 1901, p. 677). Our statute reiterates this rule but asserts that a judgment of another state can only be enforced in Oregon by an action, suit, or proceeding. Section 750, B. & C. Comp. It will thus be seen that a memorandum of judgment of a sister state cannot, by being recorded in a lien docket in Oregon, become an incumbrance on real property therein or authorize the issuance of an execution based on such mere entry, but the enactments referred to make a valid judgment of another state such an obligation that when a copy thereof [134]*134is properly authenticated it may afford the foundation of an independent action in a sister state: Cole v. Cunningham, 133 U. S. 107, 112 (10 Sup. Ct. 269: 33 L. Ed. 538).

2. The full faith and credit clause of the organic law of the United States and the act of Congress passed in conformity therewith (Section 1, Article IV, Constitution United States and Rev. St. Section 905, U. S. Comp. St. 1901, p. 677) serve to establish a rule of evidence, rather than to fix a criterion of jurisdiction: Wisconsin v. Pelican Ins. Co., 127 U. S. 265, 291 (8 Sup. Ct. 1370: 32 L. Ed. 239).

3. As the construction of the full faith and credit clause of the federal constitution involves a federal question, its interpretation by the Supreme Court of the United States is controlling: Brigham v. Henderson, 1 Cush. (Mass.) 430 (48 Am. Dec. 610).

4. In an action of debt, brought in the circuit court for the District of Columbia, upon a judgment of the Supreme Court of New York, a plea of nil debet was interposed and it was. on general demurrer determined to be ineffectual, a majority of the Supreme Court of the United States intimating that the full faith and credit clause of the constitution of the general government contemplated a power in Congress to give a conclusive effect to a duly authenticated judgment of another state: Mills v. Duryee, 7 Cranch, 481, 484 (3 L. Ed. 411). In that case Mr. Justice Johnston, fearing that the implied acceptance in all cases or a plea of nul tiel record, as the only defense available in such an action, might at some future time be understood to preclude all inquiry into the jurisdiction of the court giving the judgment, dissented on the ground that the power of judicial tribunals to hear and determine causes, could not be exercised over property not within reach of their process, or over persons not owing them allegiance, or not subject to their jurisdiction by being found within their limits.

[135]*135The only question involved in that case was the sufficiency of the plea of nil debet in an action of debt based on a judgment of another state, and hence the inquiry of jurisdiction was not included, and any discussion of the matter was extrajudicial. The doctrine promulgated by the majority of the court in that case was reannounced in another opinion: Hampton v. McConnel, 3 Wheat. 234 (4 L. Ed. 378). In explaining the irrefutable character of the adjudication by a court of another state, it was subsequently held that in the two cases last cited, it was meant by the conclusiveness of the judgment that the determination of the causes related to a decision on the merits only, to which full faith and credit was required to be given: McElmoyle v. Cohen, 13 Pet. 312, 326 10 L. Ed. 177). Any doubt on this subject was finally put at rest by a later opinion stating that neither the full faith and credit clause spoken of nor the act of Congress mentioned prevented an inquiry into the jurisdiction of the court of a sister state by which a judgment rendered therein was offered in evidence, and that a copy of such record, though duly authenticated, might be contradicted as to the facts necessary to give the court rendering the judgment power to hear and determine the cause, or if it appeared in a collateral proceeding in another state, that such facts did not exist, the record would be a nullity, notwithstanding it might contain recitals that they did exist. Thompson v. Whitman, 18 Wall. 457, 469 (21 L. Ed. 897.) To the same effect see also: Public Works v. Columbia College, 17 Wall. 521, 528 (21 L. Ed. 687); Christmas v. Russell, 5 Wall. 290. 305 (18 L. Ed. 475) ; Cole v. Cunningham, 133 U. S. 107, 112 (10 Sup Ct. 269: 33 L. Ed. 538) ; Grover & Baker Sewing Machine Co. v. Radcliffe, 137 U. S. 287, 294 (11 Sup. Ct. 92: 34 L. Ed. 670); Simmons v. Saul, 138 U. S. 439, 448 (11 Sup. Ct. 369: 34 L. Ed. 1054.) The legal principle thus announced has been recognized by this court: Foshier v. Narver, 24 Or. 441, 443 (34 Pac. 21: 41 Am. St. Rep. 874.)

[136]*1365. The full faith and credit clause of the Constitution of the United States and the resultant federal legislation having been held by the highest judicial tribunal of the general government to be a rule of evidence, and the degree of proof thereof regulated, an action founded on a judgment of a sister state must be governed by the rules of pleading prevailing where such action is brought: Napier v. Gidiere, Spears’ Eq. (S. C.) 215 (40 Am. Dec. 613, 616.) This declaration must be accepted with the qualification, however, that the procedure obtaining in the latter state cannot impair the eificacy of a judgment of a sister state, or deny an adequate remedy for its enforcement.

6. The rule is settled in this State that in pleading a judgment of a court of special power to hear and determine causes it is not necessary to allege the facts conferring jurisdiction, but it may be averred that such judgment was duly given or made: Section 87, B. & C. Comp.; Fisher v. Kelly, 30 Or. 1, 11 (46 Pac. 146) ; Rutenic v. Hamaker, 40 Or. 444, 450 (67 Pac. 196) ; Ashley v. Pick, 53 Or. 410, 414 (100 Pac. 1103.) When, however, a party alleging a judgment of a subordinate-tribunal elects to set forth the facts conferring power to hear and determine a cause, the pleading must be complete in this- respect and state all the facts necessary to give jurisdiction: Fishburn v. Londershausen, 50 Or. 363, 373 (92 Pac. 1060: 14 L. R. A. (N.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
109 P. 755, 57 Or. 128, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/devall-v-devall-or-1910.