Elliott v. Adams

160 S.E. 336, 173 Ga. 312, 1931 Ga. LEXIS 310
Supreme Court of Georgia·Decided July 18, 1931·No. No. 8259·Published·Cited by 18 cases

Opinion

Hines, J.

(After stating the foregoing facts.)

A motion was made to dismiss the bill of exceptions upon the ground that it was not sued out within the time required by law. The defendants contend that as this is an equitable proceeding, in which the extraordinary relief of injunction is prayed, the bill of exceptions should have been sued out within twenty days from the rendition of the judgment granting a nonsuit. This judgment was rendered on December 5, 1930, and the bill of exceptions was tendered and certified on January 3, 1931. The motion to dismiss is without merit. The bill of exceptions in this case was not a fast one within the meaning of section 6153 of the Civil Code of 1910. It was not brought to review a judgment granting or refusing an injunction. Where a bill is dismissed on demurrer by decree either at chambers or in term, there is no law authorizing a review of such decree under the speedy remedy applicable to injunctions under the above section. Sheibley v. Georgia So. R. Co., 65 Ga. 107. The same principle applies where, upon the final trial of an equity cause which seeks injunctive relief, a judgment of nonsuit is rendered by the court. In such case the exception is not to the grant or refusal of an injunction, but to a final judgment nonsuiting the plaintiff’s case. The motion to dismiss is therefore denied.

Did the court err in admitting in evidence, over the objection of the plaintiff that they were irrelevant, the proceedings before the ordinary, brought by Adams and others against Plaster, to -remove obstructions from the alleged private way which the defendants, Adams and Gardner, claim they have the right to use over the plaintiff’s lands? These proceedings were introduced for the dual purpose of showing that the rights of these defendants to use this way had been adjudicated in their favor, and that the [320] plaintiff was precluded from contesting these rights by the judgment rendered in that case. In the strict sense of the term a proceeding in rem is one which proceeds directly against propertjq or which is brought to enforce jus in re. Where a proceeding in rem is brought against a particular piece of property for charges against it, as a proceeding in admiralty against a vessel,- it is generally taken in possession, and the property itself is treated as the defendant’s; and after seizure subsequent proceedings are had by citation to the world, of which the owner is at liberty to avail himself by appearing in the case. There are two kinds of actions which are often spoken of as proceedings in rem. The first is a proceeding against property without suit against the owner, treating the property as if it were the defendant’s; but with monition or notice to any-person claiming to be owner and opportunity to be heard. In this class of cases; which are strictly proceedings in rem, the judgments are against the property involved, and bind all the world. The other class of proceedings in rem are proceedings to determine the status of some person or subject-matter. They are proceedings quasi in rem. Such are judgments of outlawry, judgments appointing guardians or administrators, judgments authorizing administrators to sell the property of their intestates, judgments adjudging persons bankrupts, and judgments in like proceedings. Such proceedings are brought to establish status, and not to set up rights in or title to property; and judgments in such proceedings are not conclusive against third persons as to their rights in, or title to, property where they have no notice or opportunity to assert their rights. Silvey v. Tift, 123 Ga. 804 (51 S. E. 748, 1 L. R. A. (N S.) 386). A judgment strictly in rem binds only those who could have made themselves parties to the proceedings, and those who had notice either actual or constructive by the thing condemned being first seized into the custody of the court. Scott v. McNeal, 154 U. S. 34 (14 Sup. Ct. 1108, 38 L. ed. 896); New Orleans Water Works v. New Orleans, 164 U. S. 480 (17 Sup. Ct. 161, 41 L. ed. 518); Riverside &c. Cotton Mills v. Menefee, 237 U. S. 189 (35 Sup. Ct. 579, 59 L. ed. 910).

. In Stroupper v. McCauley, 45 Ga. 74, this court held that a judgment on a mechanic’s lien is not a judgment in rem, and hence does not conclude those claiming under a title adverse to him who created the lien. In Childs v. Haymart, 72 Ga. 791, this court [321] further held that a suit for partition of land is not a proceeding in rem, nor is the final judgment partitioning the land binding on any of the cotenants who were not brought within the jurisdiction of the court with some service of process, actual or constructive. It seems clear that the party sought to be bound by a judgment in rem must have actual or constructive notice of the proceeding. The plaintiff in this case, not having been a party to the proceeding in the court of ordinary, and having no notice thereof, actual or constructive, is not bound by the judgment rendered therein. This being so, the trial judge erred in admitting the proceeding before the ordinary and the judgment rendered therein, over the objection of the plaintiff that they were irrelevant and immaterial.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Elliott v. Adams, 160 S.E. 336, 173 Ga. 312, 1931 Ga. LEXIS 310 (Ga. 1931).

160 S.E. 336 (Elliott v. Adams) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Berger v. McNatt
87 S.E.2d 73 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1955)
Waycross Military Association v. Hiers
76 S.E.2d 486 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1953)
Burton v. ATLANTA & WEST POINT RAILROAD COMPANY
58 S.E.2d 424 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1950)
Bowen v. Lewis
40 S.E.2d 80 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1946)
City of MacOn v. Herrington
32 S.E.2d 517 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1944)
Hall v. Browning
24 S.E.2d 392 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1943)
Slaughter v. Land
9 S.E.2d 754 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1940)
Bradley v. Shelton
7 S.E.2d 261 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1940)
Martin v. Martin
1 S.E.2d 46 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1939)
Kinney v. Crow
199 S.E. 198 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1938)
Scarboro v. Edenfield
199 S.E. 325 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1938)
Cook County v. Thornhill Wagon Co.
199 S.E. 117 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1938)
Couey v. Talalah Estates Corp.
188 S.E. 822 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1936)
Walden v. Weston
188 S.E. 335 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1936)
Miller v. Slater
186 S.E. 413 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1936)
First Christian Church v. Realty Investment Co.
178 S.E. 303 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1934)
Copeland v. McElroy
176 S.E. 67 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1934)