Dryden v. Sewell

2 Alaska 182
CourtDistrict Court, D. Alaska
DecidedFebruary 29, 1904
DocketNo. 278
StatusPublished

This text of 2 Alaska 182 (Dryden v. Sewell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Alaska primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dryden v. Sewell, 2 Alaska 182 (D. Alaska 1904).

Opinion

BROWN, District Judge.

The denial by the defendant, as will be seen from the above statement, is special, and not general. Under well-settled rules of pleading, every fact properly pleaded in the complaint and not denied is admitted. Before going into the facts in this case, I desire to refer to a single question raised by the brief of the defendant’s attorney, and deemed by him to be important, and in fact as settling the case in the defendant’s favor.

The claim is that the plaintiff is not the real party in interest, and that he cannot maintain this suit inasmuch as it appears by the evidence that T. Dryden and not the plaintiff, Dr. J. M. Dryden, is the real party in interest. It may be accepted as the rule of law that under our Code of Civil Procedure an action must be prosecuted in the name of the real party in interest in all cases save those pointed out by our statute.

Section 25 of our Code reads as follows:

“Every action shall be prosecuted in the name of the real party in interest except as otherwise provided in section 27, but this section shall not be deemed to authorize the assignment of a thing in action not arising out of contract.”

• Counsel for defendant cites many authorities to show that actions other than those excepted by the Code must be brought [185]*185in the name of the real party in interest. The court accepts that as 'the settled law. The question that arises here is not one of law but one of fact as to who is the real party in interest. Counsel refers in his brief to section 45 of Bliss on Code Pleading. The only thing we find under section 45 of Bliss touching the- question who is the real party in interest is in note 3, section 45, bottom of page 69:

“The real party in interest is the party who is to be benefited or injured by the judgment in the case. It will be observed that the rule provides that an action must be prosecuted in the name of the real party in interest, and of course if the defense can show that the plaintiff or plaintiffs are not the real parties in interest, the action must fail.”

Counsel also cites Pomeroy’s Remedies and Remedial Rights (2d Ed.) p. 157, and notes. Killmore v. Culver, 24 Barb. (N. Y.) 147, was an action on a -promissory note payable to Tanner or bearer, says Mr. Pomeroy. The answer denies plaintiff’s ownership, and alleges that Tanner was the real owner. It was sufficiently established by the evidence that the plaintiff was acting simply as agent for Tanner, and would be immediately accountable to the latter for all the money recovered. These facts were held to constitute a complete defense, on the ground that Tanner was the real party in interest.

In the note cited the court said that it was evident from the evidence that the plaintiff was not at all interested in the event of the suit. In that case the ownership or the interest of the plaintiff was put to issue by the essential averments of the answer. The answer denied the plaintiff’s ownership, and alleged that Tanner was the real owner, and the proof sustained it.

In James v. Chalmers, 6 N. Y. 209-215, Wells, J., remarked that it is held in Hereth v. Smith, 33 Ind. 514, and cases cited, that if the defendant desires to raise the issues in such action, he must allege facts showing that the plaintiff is not the true party in interest; a denial is not sufficient.

[186]*186In the court of last resort in the State of New York, in City Bank of New Haven v. Perkins, 29 N. Y. 554, 86 Am. Dec. 332, the rule of the court was reaffirmed and applied to the facts before the court, although no allusion was made in its opinion to the provisions of section 111 of the Code of Procedure. The court stated the doctrine as follows:

"Nothing short of mala fides or notice thereof will enable a maker or indorser of such paper to defeat an action brought upon it by one who is apparently a regular indorsee or holder, especially where there is no defense to the indebtedness. As to anything beyond the bona fides of the holder, the defendant who owes the debt has no interest.”

The same rule was adopted in Brown v. Penfield, 36 N. Y. 473, and in other cases, and the doctrine in that state settled. It is said that the same doctrine prevails in Iowa that is established in New York. In Indiana the Code has received different construction, so says this authority.

Counsel cites a California case in support of his contention, Wright v. Ward, 4 Pac. 534. In this case it is merely decided that a person who had not been made a party to the suit was a necessary party to the decision of the question before the court, and the case that had been decided was reversed upon this doctrine.

The other California case cited by counsel is Young & Allen v. Hoglan, 52 Cal. 466, which is to the effect that a settlement of partnership accounts between the partners can only be made in ah action in which all the partners are parties.

And considering the question as to who are the proper parties plaintiff, it is said, in general, an action on a contract, w'hether express, implied, or by parol, under, seal or of record, must be brought in the name in whom the legal interest in such contract is vested.

In Larned v. Carpenter, 65 Ill. 543, and also Mudge v. Rinkle, 45 Ill. App. 604, it is said that it is an inflexible rule that an action at law upon a contract must be brought in the name of the person in whom the legal interest is vested.

[187]*187Again, it is said that the legal interest in a contract is in the person to whom the promise is made and from whom the contract passes, and he is the one to bring the action upon such contract. Buck v. Carlisle, 98 Ala. 580, 13 South. 585; Treat v. Stanton, 14 Conn. 445; Saladin v. Mitchell, 45 Ill. 79; Davis v. Clinton Waterworks Co., 54 Iowa, 59, 6 N. W. 126, 37 Am. Rep. 185.

Again, it is said that no person can be sued for breach of contract who has not contracted, either in person or by agent, or, in other words," who is not a party to the contract. Grenade v. Hardaway, 73 Ga. 526; Strawn v. O’Hara, 86 Ill. 53; Derickson v. Krause, 4 Ill. App. 507; Terre Haute, etc., R. Co. v. Brown, 107 Ind. 336, 8 N. E. 218.

For a breach of contract the person to be sued is the person who has promised or who has allowed credit to be given him. Leach v. French, 69 Me. 389, 31 Am. Rep. 296; Viner v. Cadwell, 3 Esp. N. P. 88.

A person who expressly contracts and permits credit to be given to him is liable, though he was not the strict legal owner of the property in respect of which the contract was made, nor beneficially interested. Briggs v. Partridge, 64 N. Y. 361, 21 Am. Rep. 617.

It is said on page 690, Encyclopedia of Pleading & Practice, that a bill in equity is never dismissed for want of parties, and it is undoubtedly the general rule that however and whenever the objection is raised the bill may be and should be allowed to stand over, in order to afford the complainant an opportunity to bring in the necessary parties by amendment;.for the defect of nonjoinder is curable by amendment.

On page 696 of the same volume it is said, where the objection is not taken in limine by plea, answer, or demurrer, the court, considering the mischief already incurred, and the objection being merely technical and formal, will not, except in [188]*188special cases, allow it to prevail at the hearing, but will deem it to he waived.

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Related

City Bank of New Haven v. . Perkins
29 N.Y. 554 (New York Court of Appeals, 1864)
Brown v. . Penfield
36 N.Y. 473 (New York Court of Appeals, 1867)
Spooner v. D., L. & West. Railroad
21 N.E. 696 (New York Court of Appeals, 1889)
James v. . Chalmers
6 N.Y. 209 (New York Court of Appeals, 1852)
Briggs v. . Partridge
64 N.Y. 357 (New York Court of Appeals, 1876)
Leach v. French
69 Me. 389 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1879)
Young v. Hoglan
52 Cal. 466 (California Supreme Court, 1877)
Wright v. Ward
4 P. 534 (California Supreme Court, 1884)
O'Connor v. Irvine
16 P. 236 (California Supreme Court, 1887)
Grenade v. Hardaway
73 Ga. 526 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1884)
Buck v. Carlisle
98 Ala. 580 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1893)
Treat v. Stanton
14 Conn. 445 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1841)
Robbins v. Deverill
20 Wis. 142 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1865)
New England Loan & Trust Co. v. Brown
59 Mo. App. 461 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1894)
Saladin v. Mitchell
45 Ill. 79 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1867)
Larned v. Carpenter
65 Ill. 543 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1872)
Strawn v. O'Hara
86 Ill. 53 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1877)
Derickson v. Krause
4 Ill. App. 507 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1879)
Mudge ex rel. County of Madison v. Rinkle
45 Ill. App. 604 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1892)
Hereth v. Smith
33 Ind. 514 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1870)

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Bluebook (online)
2 Alaska 182, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dryden-v-sewell-akd-1904.