Emanuel v. Cooper

133 N.W. 1064, 153 Iowa 572
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJanuary 9, 1912
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 133 N.W. 1064 (Emanuel v. Cooper) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Emanuel v. Cooper, 133 N.W. 1064, 153 Iowa 572 (iowa 1912).

Opinion

Deemer, J.

Plaintiff, a resident of California, employed defendant in July of the year 1907 to render certain legal services for him with reference to matters in the district court of Johnson county, Iowa, and about April, 1908, he, plaintiff, delivered to defendant the sum of $177.62 to be deposited with the clerk of the Johnson county court in a garnishment proceeding there pending. This defendant failed to do, and he refused to return the same to plaintiff, claiming an attorney’s lien thereon. On June 2, 1910, plaintiff tendered a bond to defendant for the release of the lien as provided in sections 322, 330, and 331 of the Code, to which reference will hereinafter be made. At that time defendant made no objection to the bond, and on the next day it was filed with the clerk of the Linn county district court. On this day plaintiff also filed his motion in the Linn county district court, asking that defendant be compelled to return the money received by him. On the same day defendant filed a bond under section 330 of the Code, to which we shall presently make further reference. On June 11th, defendant filed an itemized statement, or bill of particulars of his account against the plaintiff, and on the 14th of that month he filed objections and resistance to plaintiff’s motion. On June 25th, plaintiff tendered an additional bond under the sections of the Code hitherto mentioned; no objection being made thereto by defendant on account of its form or sufficiency. The matter came on for hearing before the court on June 27th, resulting in an order directing defendant to return the money, which order, however, [574]*574expressly declared that the value of defendant’s services to plaintiff were not considered or taken into account for the reason that no testimony was taken with respect thereto. The chief objections made by defendant to the motion were (1) that the Linn county district court had no jurisdiction; (2) that the bond or bonds tendered to defendant did not comply with the statute; (3) that, as defendant filed a bond to the plaintiff under section 331 of the Code, he was entitled to retain the money; and (4) that the defendant still has an attorney’s lien upon the money placed in his hands for services rendered.

As the proceedings are summary in character and based upon statutes of the state with reference to attorney’s liens, it seems necessary to an understanding • of this opinion that these statutes be set out. Section 3826 of the Code, so far as material, reads as follows: “Judgments or-final orders may be obtained on motion . . . by clients against attorneys; . . . for the recovery of money or property collected for them, and damages; and in all other cases specially authorized by statute.” Section 3830 is in this language: “It (the .motion)„shall be heard and determined by the court without written pleadings, and judgment given according to the very right of the matter.” Section 321 provides for attorney’s liens, and specifically states that an attorney shall have a lien upon any money in his hands belonging to his client for services rendered. Section 322 reads as follows: “Any person interested may release such lien by executing a bond in a sum double the amount claimed, or in such sum as may be fixed by any district judge, payable to the attorney, with security to be approved by the clerk of the Supreme or district court, conditioned to pay any amount finally found due the attorney for his services, which amount may be ascertained by suit on the bond. Such lien will be released, unless the attorney, within ten days after demand therefor, file with the clerk a full and complete [575]*575bill of particulars of the services and amount claimed for each item, or written contract with the party for whom the services were rendered.” Sections 330 and 331 read as follows: “An attorney who receives the money or property of his client in the course of his professional business, and refuses to pay or' deliver it in a reasonable time, after demand, is guilty of a misdemeanor.” Code, section 330. “When the attorney claims to be entitled to a lien upon the money or property, he is not liable to the penalties of the preceding section until the person demanding the money proffers sufficient security for the payment of the amount of the attorney’s claim, when it is legally ascertained. Nor is he in any case liable as aforesaid, provided he gives sufficient security that he will pay over the whole or any portion thereof to the claimant when he is found entitled thereto.” Code, section 331.

i Attorney and client*. summary projur" These are the relevant statutes bearing upon the questions submitted on this appeal. The jurisdictional question arises out of this state of facts. The proceedings in which defendant performed part of his services , _ were m Johnson county, while defendant ° ' res^es Li Linn county, and, as we understand it, there received the money which he was to deposit in a garnishment proceeding in Johnson county, which he never did. Some of defendant’s services seem to have been rendered in Linn county, and they do not appear to have had any connection with the Johnson county litigation. The receipt of the money in Linn county and the fact that it never was deposited in the Johnson county court is conceded. It is strenuously contended that as there was no case in Linn county, and as the money was deposited with defendant to be used in connection with proceedings in the Johnson county district court, the district court of Linn county had no right to entertain the motion. This proposition is based primarily upon the thought that such a motion will not lie save [576]*576where the money is deposited with reference to some proceeding in court, and that the court in which that proceeding is pending has exclusive jurisdiction to entertain such a motion as was here filed. This, we believe, is a mistaken notion. The remedy may be adopted, although there be no proceeding in court. Jurisdiction is assumed because of the fact that the attorney is an officer of court and subject to the summary jurisdiction of the courts in which he practices. It extends to any matter in which an attorney has been employed by reason of his professional character. Courts have always assumed power even without a statute to compel an attorney or solicitor to do his duty; and, if he receives money or other property belonging to his client in the character of an attorney, or because of his position as such, he may be dealt with in a summary way because of his failure to properly perform the duties of his office. Lord Tenterden, at an early date, announced this rule: “When an attorney is employed in a matter wholly unconnected with his professional character, the court will not interfere in a summary way to compel hitn to execute faithfully the trust reposed in him; but, when the employment is so connected with his professional character as to afford a presumption that his character formed the ground of his employment by the client, there the court will exercise 'jurisdiction.” See TSx parte Watts, 1 Dowl. 512.

The proceeding is not to enforce contracts, but to secure from attorneys the proper performance of their duties as officers of court. It is founded upon the rule that a court will summarily enforce an attorney’s undertaking by reason of the fact that confidence and trust are necessarily reposed in him. The question of jurisdiction necessarily depends, then, to some extent at least, upon what the duties were which were assumed by the attorney. If not in connection with pending litigation, manifestly the court of his residence has jurisdiction. If, as a result [577]

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Bluebook (online)
133 N.W. 1064, 153 Iowa 572, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/emanuel-v-cooper-iowa-1912.