Gilinsky Fruit Co. v. Davis

276 P. 1050, 98 Cal. App. 301, 1929 Cal. App. LEXIS 570
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 16, 1929
DocketDocket No. 6475.
StatusPublished

This text of 276 P. 1050 (Gilinsky Fruit Co. v. Davis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gilinsky Fruit Co. v. Davis, 276 P. 1050, 98 Cal. App. 301, 1929 Cal. App. LEXIS 570 (Cal. Ct. App. 1929).

Opinion

STURTEVANT, J.

The plaintiff commenced an action against the defendant to recover damages to some shipments of green fruit. The defendant answered and a trial was had before the trial court sitting with a jury. The plaintiff introduced its proof and rested. Thereafter the defendant introduced his proof and rested. Later the plaintiff introduced proof in rebuttal and then it rested. Thereupon the defendant made a motion that the jury be directed to *302 bring in a verdict in favor of the defendant. The motion was granted and a judgment based on that verdict was entered. In due time the plaintiff made a motion for a new trial, the motion was denied and the plaintiff appealed from the judgment.

The motion for a directed verdict was based on the ground that summons was served on E. A. Yan Wynen, statutory agent for the Southern Pacific Company, and was not served on anyone’ as statutory agent for Modesto & Empire Traction Company, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company, or Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, the roads over which the plaintiff alleged in its complaint the shipment was carried. In its brief the plaintiff quotes many parts of the record showing that the defendant did many different acts, each of which constituted a general appearance, and that the defendant’s objections were dilatory and should have been so treated, and that the facts proved by the plaintiff made out a prima facie case, every element being supported by substantial evidence, and therefore no directed verdict should have been ordered., The defendant filed a brief in which he does not controvert any of the foregoing contentions. However, he asserts most earnestly that “Under the Transportation Act of 1920 the presidential agent can be sued only in connection with a cause of action against a particular railroad arising out of federal control, and service of summons upon him can only be made through the agent of that particular carrier which caused the alleged liability to arise.” He then proceeds to quote the record showing that no summons was served on any one of the railroads specified in the complaint and contends that the verdict was properly directed in his behalf. The general contention so made by the respondent is admitted by the plaintiff; but, it replies, that service or non-service of summons had ceased to be a material factor in the case. It points to the record showing that the second amended complaint was filed June 29, 1923 ; that on July 10, 1923, the defendant, without limiting his capacity in any respect, filed a demurrer whch was overruled; that on May 22, 1925, in the same manner he interposed an answer specificaHy denying the material allegations of the plaintiff’s complaint, and that at no time and in no manner, by a special appearance therefor, or otherwise, did the defend *303 ant attempt to quash the service or claim nonservice of summons except as we will now state.

On September 16, 1926, the defendant filed an amendment as “of course” to his answer and therein alleged that the summons was served on the Southern Pacific Company but not on any one of the roads mentioned in the complaint. On December 1, 1926, the defendant, with leave of the court, filed an amended answer which combined the original answer and the amendment thereto. Plaintiff asserts that, by these acts, the defendant waived any defect in the service of summons, and, conceding the full force and effect of the general rule contended for by the defendant, nevertheless, when a sovereign comes into court the rules of practice are the same as those applicable to the humblest citizen. In reply the defendant claims “The presidential agent has no power or authority to waive any of the terms of the Transportation Act of 1920.” In this behalf he cites and relies on Stanley v. Schwalby, 162 U. S. 255 [40 L. Ed. 960, 16 Sup. Ct. Rep. 754; see, also, Rose’s U. S. Notes]; Tutsch v. Director-General of Railroads, 52 Cal. App. 650, 654 [199 Pac. 861]; Jenness v. Payne, 81 N. H. 308 [125 Atl. 679]; Vassau v. Northern Pac. Ry. Co., 69 Mont. 305 [221 Pac. 1069]; Davis v. Donovan, 265 U. S. 257 [68 L. Ed. 1008, 44 Sup. Ct. Rep. 513], In its reply brief appellant examined and distinguished each one of those cases, and showed that no one of them supported the claim made by the defendant. On the oral argument the defendant made no attempt to show that the criticism of the authorities so made by the plaintiff was unsound. We have examined those authorities and do not find them applicable.

The rule applicable to the ordinary suitor is against the claim made by this defendant. (4 C. J. 1350; 3 Cal. Jur. 15.) In the litigation entitled The Dlrik Holm, 298 Fed. 849, the following facts were involved: The “Ulrik Holm,” a vessel owned by a Danish corporation, and the-tug “Catawissa,” owned by the Redding Company, collided in the Boston Harbor. A libel was brought by the Redding Company and a cross-libel by the Danish corporation. Later, Walker D. Hines, Director-general of Railroads of the United States, appeared as claimant of the “Catawissa,” and on his request was made a party respondent. On the trial the District Court ruled against the Redding Company and *304 in favor of the Danish corporation. Appeals were taken to the Circuit Court of Appeals. The director-general complained that the decree of the district court was in effect a decree in persona, but the court replied that even though it was he had appeared in person and, on his request, he had been made a party respondent in the cross-libel and that the District Court had jurisdiction to enter a personal judgment against him as director-general. An application for a writ of certiorari was denied. (Reading Co. v. Marius Nielson & Sons, 266 U. S. 615 [69 L. Ed. 469, 45 Sup. Ct. Rep. 96].) In the case of Neto Jersey Shipbuilding & Dredging Co. v. Davis, 291 Fed. 617, the plaintiff was complaining of the acts of two different railroads which were under administration of the defendant. The defendant had retained an attorney, one for each of his agencies, and each attorney appeared for him generally. Process had not been served on the agent of either of the railroads. The defendant claimed that, therefore, the court had no jurisdiction of him. The court ruled against him saying no suggestion can be found in the books of any such limitation upon a general appearance. In the ease of Rosenzweig v. Hines, 285 Fed. 622, the process was served on the director-general. At that time he was not acting and the service was unauthorized. The court said: “Although the director general was irregularly served with a summons and complaint, I think the designated agent had the right afterwards to waive any irregularity of that nature, _ and submit himself to the jurisdiction of the court by his general appearance, and answer to the merits, or by his consent to be substituted in the place of the director general.

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Related

First Nat. Bank of Charlotte v. Morgan
132 U.S. 141 (Supreme Court, 1889)
Stanley v. Schwalby
162 U.S. 255 (Supreme Court, 1896)
Davis v. Donovan
265 U.S. 257 (Supreme Court, 1924)
Tutsch v. Director-General of Railroads
199 P. 861 (California Court of Appeal, 1921)
Jenness v. Payne
125 A. 679 (Supreme Court of New Hampshire, 1924)
Vassau v. Northern Pacific Railway Co.
221 P. 1069 (Montana Supreme Court, 1923)
Everett Ry., Light & Power Co. v. United States
236 F. 806 (W.D. Washington, 1916)
Rosenzweig v. Hines
285 F. 622 (W.D. New York, 1922)
New Jersey Shipbuilding & Dredging Co. v. Davis
291 F. 617 (S.D. New York, 1923)
The Ulrik Holm
298 F. 849 (First Circuit, 1924)

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Bluebook (online)
276 P. 1050, 98 Cal. App. 301, 1929 Cal. App. LEXIS 570, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gilinsky-fruit-co-v-davis-calctapp-1929.