Elliott v. Lewis

463 S.W.2d 698, 225 Tenn. 96, 1971 Tenn. LEXIS 282
CourtTennessee Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 17, 1971
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 463 S.W.2d 698 (Elliott v. Lewis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Elliott v. Lewis, 463 S.W.2d 698, 225 Tenn. 96, 1971 Tenn. LEXIS 282 (Tenn. 1971).

Opinion

OPINION

CHATTIN, Justice.

We granted certiorari in this cause solely for the purpose of considering the propriety of the Court of Appeals in holding the denial of the demand for a jury in this case was harmless error.

After a thorough consideration of the case, we are of the opinion the writ was improvidently granted and adopt the original opinion and the opinion on petition to rehear of the Court of Appeals as the opinion of this Court, which are hereinafter set out.

We will hereinafter give our reason for such action.

“This is an unlawful detainer action commenced in Hamilton County Court of General Sessions where on October 27, 1969, judgment was rendered in favor of the plaintiff Mrs. Lewis for accrued rent in the amount of $250.00. The judgment also provided that a writ of possession might issue to put Mrs. Lewis in possession.

“No writ of possession was ever issued.

“On November 3, 1969, defendant was granted an appeal to the Circuit Court on the pauper’s oath. No question of defendant’s right to appeal without giving bond was made in the Circuit Court.

“On December 22, 1969, the case came on for trial before the Court without a jury on the merits, resulting in a judgment for $420.00 accrued rent and an order restoring plaintiff to possession of the property. The same order granted defendant an appeal to this Court upon giving bond or otherwise complying with the law. On the following day defendant filed her pauper’s oath for appeal to this Court.

“Plaintiff-appellee has moved for a dismissal of the appeal on the ground defendant failed to perfect her appeal by giving bond for rent pending the appeal.

“As above pointed out, plaintiff made no question of defendant’s right to appeal to the Circuit Court without surrendering possession and giving bond. T.C.A. 23-1634, however, expressly makes applicable in unlawful detainer suits the provisions of T.C.A. 23-1321 — 23-1325 relating to bond and possession in actions of ejectment pending appeal where appeals have been granted and perfected from the Circuit Court to the Supreme Court and to this Court. See also Hawkins v. Alexander, 91 Tenn. 359, 362 [18 S.W. 882]. We must, therefore, give first consideration to the motion to dismiss.

“These sections of the Code provide that where the plaintiff prevails he shall be placed in immediate possession by writ of possession unless the defendant appeals to the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals. In that event the plaintiff is required to execute a bond in double the value of two years’ rent ‘conditioned that he will pay all costs and damages sustained by defendant from plaintiff’s wrongfully enforcing said writ.’

“If the plaintiff executes such bond the writ of possession will issue upon his application, ‘unless the defendant shall execute a like bond to plaintiff for rent.’ T.C.A. 23-1323.

“In this case the plaintiff failed to exercise the right to give bond as authorized by T.C.A. 23-1633 and T.C.A. 23-1322. Until that was done defendant was not required to elect whether to surrender pos[700]*700session or give bond for the rent pending appeal. T.C.A. 23-1633 reads:

“ ‘23-1623 Possession pending appeal from justice. When judgment shall be rendered in favor of the plaintiff, in any action of forcible entry and detainer, forcible detainer, or unlawful detainer, brought before a justice of the peace, and a writ of possession shall be awarded, the same shall be executed and the plaintiff restored to the possession immediately; provided, that if the defendant pray an appeal, then, in that case, the plaintiff shall execute bond, with good and sufficient security, in double the value of one (1) year’s rent of the premises, conditioned to pay all costs and damages accruing from the wrongful enforcement of said writ, and to abide by and perform whatever judgment may be rendered by the appellate court in the final hearing of the cause.’
“It is to be seen this Section substantially follows the procedure outlined in ejectment suits by T.C.A. 23-1322; 1323 which T.C.A. 23-1634 makes applicable in unlawful detainer suits.
“We think the sense and purpose of this statutory scheme was to give to the land owner the right of immediate possession as contemplated by the statute, conditioned upon giving bond to protect the tenant from damages from wrongful eviction. If the tenant wishes to retain possession he can do so by giving bond to protect the land owner but it is only after the appeal has been prayed by the defendant and the plaintiff has given bond, that the tenant must choose whether to surrender possession or give bond. Since plaintiff never gave the bond defendant was not called upon to elect. Thus, we do not have here the constitutional question, advanced by defendant’s counsel, that to deprive defendant of the right to retain possession pending appeal on the pauper’s oath would deny her the equal protection of the law to which she is entitled under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. We are not called upon to decide whether, if plaintiff had given bond, defendant could have retained possession pending appeal without first giving a bond for rent. It is conceded that if defendant had surrendered possession she could have appealed on the pauper’s oath. If we are correct in the above holding, it follows that she was properly allowed to appeal on taking the oath.
“We must next consider the propriety of the action of the Circuit Court in striking defendant’s demand for a jury on the ground the demand came too late.
“The Sessions Judge rendered judgment on October 27, 1969. On November 3, 1969, defendant filed her pauper’s oath and was granted an appeal to the Circuit Court. On the same day the papers were marked filed by the Circuit Court Clerk. On November 10, 1969, defendant through her attorney, demanded a jury.
“The case was set for trial on December 1, 1969. On that date the Court sustained plaintiff’s motion to strike the demand for trial by jury and the case was assigned for trial on December 22, 1969, with the result already noted.
“T.C.A. 27-501 allows ten days for perfecting appeals from inferior tribunals to the Circuit Court.
“T.C.A. 27-506 provides:
“ ‘In such case, either party may demand trial by jury within seven days after the right of appeal has accrued.’

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
463 S.W.2d 698, 225 Tenn. 96, 1971 Tenn. LEXIS 282, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/elliott-v-lewis-tenn-1971.