Farnsworth v. Union Pac. Coal Co.

89 P. 74, 32 Utah 112, 1907 Utah LEXIS 23
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 18, 1907
DocketNo. 1808
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 89 P. 74 (Farnsworth v. Union Pac. Coal Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Farnsworth v. Union Pac. Coal Co., 89 P. 74, 32 Utah 112, 1907 Utah LEXIS 23 (Utah 1907).

Opinion

ERICE, J.

This is an action for damages for personal injuries sustained by respondent, arising out of alleged negligence on tbe part of appellant. Tbe alleged negligence consisted in, and tbe evidence tended to establish, that appellant permitted a projection of coal or rock to exist in and to' extend across tbe roof of tbe incline leading from the surface to tbe mine below, and in which appellant’s coal cars were being operated in transporting coal, as mined from tbe mine, to tbe surface above. Tbe incline was dark, and tbe cars were being operated at a speed stated to be from twenty to twenty-five miles an hour. It was respondent’s duty to ride on or between two of a string of cars loaded with coal passing from tbe mine to the surface, and, in case anything was or became wrong on tbe trip up with any one of tbe train of cars, be was required to signal tbe operator at tbe surface by means of wires strung along the side of tbe incline at or near tbe roof to have tbe operator stop tbe ears. On tbe day of tbe accident tbe respondent was at bis post of duty, standing in a stooping position on tbe projecting floors between two cars, and, something becoming wrong with one of tbe cars immediately after starting, be arose from bis stooping position, and with what is called a “ringer,” with which be was provided for the purpose, attempted to signal the operator while tbe cars were moving at the speed aforesaid, when bis bead came in contact with the sharp edge of tbe projection in tbe roof which extended downward about eleven inches from-the face of the roof in tbe form of what may be called a “saw tooth,” and be was thrown from tbe cars and sustained serious injuries. It further appeared that respondent was ignorant of tbe projection in tbe roof and that appellant knew, or, by the exercise of ordinary care as master, could have known, of it and the danger incident thereto. All acts of negligence were denied on tbe part of tbe appellant, and contributory negligence and assumption of risk were pleaded. Upon substan[116]*116tially tbe foregoing issues and facts tbe jury found for respondent by tbeir verdict, upon wbicb tbe court entered judgment for respondent, from wbicb this appeal is prosecuted.

One of the errors assigned arose as follows: ,It appeared •from tbe complaint that tbe respondent was a non-resident of this state and a resident of Wyoming, and that tbe appellant was a foreign corporation, to-wit, a corporation of tbe state of Wyoming. But it did not appear from tbe complaint that appellant bad any place of business or office in this state, nor whether it carried on any business in this state or not. Tbe appellant appeared in tbe action and filed a general demurrer, challenging the sufficiency of tbe complaint, in wbicb one of tbe grounds of demurrer was that “the court has no jurisdiction of tbe subject-matter of tbe action.” This demurrer was overruled, and tbe appellant answered, in which it set up as a defense'facts showing that it was a foreign corporation with its principal place of business in this state at Salt Lake City, and that it bad no place of business in Summit county, where tbe action was brought, and that the accident- occurred and tbe cause of. action arose in Wyoming. Before entering upon tbe trial on tbe merits, when a jury was about to- be impaneled, tbe appellant, by its counsel, suggested its willingness to prove tbe facts last above stated; but tbe court held that it bad jurisdiction of tbe subject-matter of tbe action and of tbe person of appellant — the latter, presumably upon tbe ground of its general appearance by filing a general demurrer to tbe complaint.

Tbe first error assigned is the ruling of tbe court in respect "to assuming jurisdiction. Tbe alleged error is based upon section 1, c. 92, p. 76, Laws of Utah 1903, where it is, in substance, provided that transitory causes of action arising without this state in favor of nonresidents and against corporations shall be brought in tbe county where such corporation has its principal place of business. Assuming, for tbe purpose of this decision, that a foreign corporation is included within tbe provision referred to, did tbe court err in assuming jurisdiction of the action in view of tbe state of tbe -record ? Tbe appellant certainly submitted itself to tbe juris[117]*117diction of tbe court by its appearance in filing a general demurrer in wbicb it invoked the judgment of tbe court in respect to tbe sufficiency of tbe complaint. (Section 3334, Rev. St. 1898.) It did not appear from tbe complaint that appellant’s principal’ place of business was not in Summit county, where tbe action was brought. It did appear therefrom, however, that tbe appellant was a foreign corporation, carrying on a business in a foreign state, and that tbe cause of action arose in such foreign state and in connection with its business. When tbe appellant appeared, therefore, neither tbe court nor any one else connected with tbe action was concerned in where its principal place of business was, or if, in fact, it had any in this state at all. Had it been a domestic corporation, it would have to be assumed as a matter of course that it bad a place of business in some county in this state. Not so where it appeared from the complaint that the appellant was a foreign corporation and was carrying on business in the state where the injury occitrred. Tbe qaestion, therefore, is: Did the court have jurisdiction of the subject-matter of the action? We think it did. It certainly is now beyond the pale of controversy that the district courts of this state have general jurisdiction of the subject-matter of all transitory actions, to which class the case at bar belongs. In view of the numerous decisions under statutes like the one in question, there can now remain no serious doubt that this and similar statutes are enacted for the benefit of the defendant merely, and do not affect the jurisdiction of the subject-matter, and therefore may be waived and are waived by filing a general demurrer to the complaint, since to' do so constitutes a general appearance. Tbe courts, with rare exceptions, have held that when a statute provides that suits shall be brought in the county where the defendant resides, or, if a corporation be sued, where it has its principal place of business, it confers a privilege on the defendant merely which may be waived, and does not go to the jurisdiction, of the subject-matter. (Hearne v. De Young, 111 Cal. 373, 43 Pac. 1108; Kenney v. Greer, 13 Ill. 432, 54 Am. Dec. 439; Toledo W. & W. Ry. Co. v. Williams, 77 Ill. 354; Christian [118]*118v. O'Neal, 46 Miss. 669; Clarke v. Lyon Co., 8 Nev. 181; Ross v. Konor, 2 N. Y. Supp. 169, 49 Hun. 610; McMinn v. Hamilton, 77 N. C. 300; Spicer v. Taylor [Tex. Civ. App.], 21 S. W. 314; Fairbanks & Co. v. Blum, 21 S. W. 1009, 2 Tex. Civ. App. 479.) While the foregoing cases are not in strict harmony as to when and how the objection should be made by a defendant claiming the privilege, they all agree that it is but a matter of privilege which may be, and is, waived in case timely objection is not made. Neither do we assert that all the cases cited above are like the case at bar in the facts stated. In some of them the privilege did not exist but in all of them the doctrine is announced that the privilege is waived unless timely objection is made; and in nearly all it is held that a general appearance constitutes a waiver.

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Bluebook (online)
89 P. 74, 32 Utah 112, 1907 Utah LEXIS 23, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/farnsworth-v-union-pac-coal-co-utah-1907.