Dippold v. Cathlamet Timber Co.

193 P. 909, 98 Or. 183, 1920 Ore. LEXIS 113
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 7, 1920
StatusPublished
Cited by58 cases

This text of 193 P. 909 (Dippold v. Cathlamet Timber Co.) 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
Dippold v. Cathlamet Timber Co., 193 P. 909, 98 Or. 183, 1920 Ore. LEXIS 113 (Or. 1920).

Opinion

BROWN, J.

1. What assignments' of error, if any, we shall here consider and decide, depends upon onr determination of the question of jurisdiction.

“When a court'has determined that it has no jurisdiction of the subject matter of an action, it cannot properly consider any other question raised in the case”: 17 Stand. Proc. 657.

This court, speaking through Justice Bonham, in the early case of Evans v. Christian, 4 Or. 375, 377, said:

“When a question of jurisdiction presents itself in any stage of a proceeding, and it is discovered that the court has no jurisdiction, either over the parties or the subject matter of the cause, it is the duty of the court, on its own motion, to refuse to proceed further. Any attempt to exercise judicial functions otherwise than as authorized by law would be a nullity, and an idle waste of time.”

To the same effect are Evarts v. Steger, 5 Or. 147; State v. McKinnon, 8 Or. 487; White v. Ladd, 41 Or. 324 (68 Pac. 739, 93 Am. St. Rep. 732); Kalyton v. Kalyton, 45 Or. 116, 127 (74 Pac. 491, 78 Pac. 332); Bynearson v. Union Co., 54 Or. 181 (102 Pac. 785); Kesler v. Nice, 54 Or. 585, 587 (104 Pac. 2); State v. Goodall, 82 Or. 329 (160 Pac. 595).

It has been said that—

“Jurisdiction is the power conferred on a court, by Constitution or statute, to take cognizance of the subject matter of a litigation and the parties brought before it, and to legally hear, try, and determine the issues, and render judgment according to the general rules of law, upon the issues joined, be they either of law or of fact, or both”: Brown on Jurisdiction, §2.

Speaking through Chief Justice Fuller, the Supreme Court of the United States has said that — ■

[189]*189“The fundamental question of jurisdiction, first of the appellate court, and then of the court from which the record comes, presents itself on every writ of error and appeal, and must be answered by the court, whether propounded by counsel or not: Defiance Water Co. v. Defiance, 190 U. S. 184 (48 L. Ed. 140, 24 Sup. Ct. Rep. 63). Jurisdiction is given by law: Clyde & R. Plank Road Co. v. Parker, 22 Barb. (N. Y.) 323.”

2, 3. The organic and statutory laws of the commonwealth of Oregon created her courts and define their jurisdiction. In fact, no other power could establish the courts of the state, nor could jurisdiction flow from any other source. The law must confer upon the courts the power to act on the subject matter upon which it gives judgment. The power or jurisdiction of the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon in and for Multnomah County to hear and determine the question as to whether or not the appellant, through negligence with fire, caused the shingle-mill described in the complaint to be injured, depends upon, the existence of the fact as to whether that mill was real or personal property, and that fact must appear from the pleadings. As was said by Justice Moore, speaking for this court in the case of Eagle Cliff Fishing Co. v. McGowan, 70 Or. 1, 7 (137 Pac. 766, 768):

“The authority of a court to hear and determine a cause depends upon the allegations of the initiatory pleading, and not upon the facts.”

It is stated in 17 Standard Proc., page 660:

“The jurisdiction of the subject matter of any controversy in any court must be determined in the first instance by the allegations in the complaint or petition as the case may be, made in good faith, and does [190]*190not depend upon the existence of a sustainable cause of action or by the evidence subsequently adduced. ”

Citing Manier v. Trumbo, 30 Fed. Cas. No. 18,309; Turner v. Cotton, 123 Ark. 40 (184 S. W. 415); Ransome-Crummey Co. v. Martenstein, 167 Cal. 406 (139 Pac. 1060); Lake Shore etc. R. Co. v. Clough, 182 Ind. 178, 184 (104 N. E. 975, 105 N. E. 905); Boone v. Poindexter, 12 Smedes & M. (Miss.) 640; Jersey City v. Gardner, 33 N. J. Eq. 622; Piekelko v. Lake View Brewing Co., 65 Misc. Rep. 365 (119 N. Y. Supp. 847); Gaw v. Glassboro Novelty G. Co., 20 Ohio C. C. 416 (11 Ohio Cir. Dec. 32); Eagle Cliff Fishing Co. v. McGowan, 70 Or. 1 (137 Pac. 766); Ridgely v. Bennett, 13 Lea (Tenn.), 210; Young v. Young, 12 Lea (Tenn.), 335; Kindell v. Titus, 9 Heisk. (Tenn.) 727, and note 38; 17 Standard Proc., p. 675; Geneva Furniture Mfg. Co. v. Karpen & Bros., 238 U. S. 254 (59 L. Ed. 1295, 35 Sup. Ct. Rep. 788; The Fair v. Kohler Die & S. Co., 228 U. S. 22 (57 L. Ed. 716, 33 Sup. Ct. Rep. 410, see, also, Rose’s U. S. Notes); In re James’ Estate, 99 Cal. 374 (33 Pac. 1122, 37 Am. St. Rep. 60); Shankle v. Ingram, 133 N. C. 254 (45 S. E. 578).

It has been held by the Supreme Court of the State of Georgia that—

“The jurisdiction of a court to entertain a cause, and the right of the plaintiff in such cause to finally prevail, present essentially different questions; the former is determined from an inspection of the record, the other results from a consideration of the facts as established by the proof”: Young v. Hamilton, 135 Ga. 339 (69 S. E. 593, Ann. Cas. 1912A, 144, 31 L. R. A. (N. S.) 1057).

The appellant asserts that the court in which this cause was tried was without jurisdiction, for the rea[191]*191son that this was an action prosecuted for the recovery of damages for injuries to real property; that therefore the action was barred by the provisions of Section 42, Or. L., which reads as follows:

“Actions for the following causes shall be commenced and tried in the county in which the subject of the action, or some part thereof, is situated:
“1. For the recovery of real property, or an estate or interest therein, or for injuries to real property”: Montesano Lumber Co. v. Portland Iron Works, 78 Or. 53, 70 (152 Pac. 244), and the many authorities therein cited.

4. The question of jurisdiction was not raised by demurrer, motion, answer or by objection to the introduction of evidence during the trial in the court below. The objection is made by appellant for the first time in this court, but under the law of Oregon he is within his legal right as declared by statute:

“If no objection be taken, either by demurrer, or answer, the defendant shall be deemed to have waived the same, excepting only the objection to the jurisdiction of the court and the objection that the complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action”: Section 72, Or. L., and the authorities therein cited.

5, 6.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
193 P. 909, 98 Or. 183, 1920 Ore. LEXIS 113, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dippold-v-cathlamet-timber-co-or-1920.