Glen Jean, Lower Loup & D. R. v. Kanawha, Glen Jean & E. R.

35 S.E. 978, 47 W. Va. 725, 1900 W. Va. LEXIS 144
West Virginia Supreme Court·Decided April 7, 1900·Published·Cited by 13 cases

Opinion

Dent, Judge:

The Glen Jean, Lower Loup and Deepwater Railroad Company filed its declaration in trespass on the case in the circuit court of Fayette County against the Kanawha, Glen Jean and Eastern Railroad Company, which demurred thereto. The demurrer was sustained, and, plaintiff refusing to amend, the suit was dismissed, and this writ of error followed.

The declaration contains five counts.' The first, second, and fifth are for damages sustained by reason of the suing out of an injunction which was afterwards dissolved. They fail to charge that the injunction was sued out maliciously .or without probable cause. This is a fatal defect. The authorities relied on by plaintiff’s counsel are all ag-ainst him. They are unanimous in holding that no ac[727] tion lies at common law if the injunction was sued out on probable cause and without malice; and the case of Gorton v. Brown, 27 Ill. 489, holds that, if a bond is given, no action will lie, even where there is lack of probable cause, and malice exists, but the action must be on the bond. If no bond is given, it is intimated that the action might lie, if there is want of probable cause, or malice exists. .In'7 Lawson, Rights, Rem. & Prac. 5791, it is said that a “defendant in an injunction suit has a common-law right of action to recover damages, in addition to the remedy by action on the bond.” But this is where the injunction is obtained and used maliciously, without probable cause. The cases cited to sustain the text show this .to be the true meaning of the language quoted. In the case of Mitchell v. Railroad Co., 75 Ga. 398, it is held that an action does not lie at common law unless the injunction is sued out maliciously and without probable cause. So with the cases of Manlove v. Vick, 55 Miss. 567; Iron Mountain Bank v. Mercantile Bank, 4 Mo. App. 505; Hayden v. Keith, 32 Minn. 277, (20 N. W. 195). These cases all sustain the text found in High, Inj. § 1648, and 10 Enc. PI. & Prac. 1119, and there are none to the contrary. The very purpose of the legislature in requiring an injunction bond to cover actual damages sustained was to supply this defect in the common law, and was not declarative thereof. The defendant to a dissolved injunction has two remedies,— one (statutory) on the injunction bond; the other (common law) for the malicious use of judicial process, without-probable cause. Where no bond is given, the latter remedy alone exists. It becomes the defendant to an injunction suit to see that a good and sufficient bond is given, and unless he does so, he can recover no damages, in the presence of probable cause, and in the absence of malice. The defect in the bond complained of, if a defect, — for this is a matter not to be determined in this suit, — could-have been easily remedied, had counsel been attentive to the interest of his client. • For this inattention it must look to the neglectful counsel, and not to the court or the present defendant. In the case of Tavenner v. Morehead, 41 W. Va. 116, (23 S. E. 673), a similar right of action was considered by this Court, and the following statement ot the law was ■ [728] quoted with approval (page 123, 41 W. Va., and page 676, 23 S. E.): “This rule of public policy, as has been well said, ‘is applicable alike to civil and criminal remedies and proceeding, that parties may be induced freely to resort to the courts and judicial officers for the enforcement of their rights and the remedy of their grievances, without the risk of undue punishment for their own ignorance of the law, or for errors of courts and judicial officers. The remedy of the partv unjustly arrested or imprisoned is by the recovery of costs which may be awarded to him, or the redress which some statute may give him, or by an action for malicious prosecution in case the prosecution has been irom unworthy motives and without probable cause.’ Teal v. Fissel(C. C.) 28 Fed. 351.” This law applies wuth equal force in this case. The remedy of the party unjustly enjoined is the recovery of costs in the first instance, damages on the statutory bond, if one be given, ot-an action ot trespass on the case for malicious prosecution of the injunction suit. The gist of the latter action is the want of probable cause, and the maliciousness of the defendant’s conduct. Vinal v. Core, 18 W. Va. 1; Hale v. Boylen, 22 W. Va. 234; Brady v. Stiltner, 40 W. Va. 289, (21 S. E. 729).

The fourth count does not even charge a legal trespass. It avers that the plaintiff hada right of way (describing it), and proceeds: “And plaintiff having said right of way and being possessed thereof, and then and there having the saíne graded by sundry laborers, and being so possessed thereof, the defendant, for the purpose of injuring the plaintiff, and harrassing it, took possession of said land and right of way, and forbade the said laborers to work on and grade the same, and held possession thereof from the 28th day of April, 1897, until the 22d day of April, 1898.” There is no allegation that the defendant entered and took possession either wrongfully or unlawfully. The defendant’s entry may have therefore been both rightful and lawful, although the plaintiff may have been harrassed and injured thereby. A tenant at will, it matters not that he is in possession of the tenement lawfully, majr be dispossessed by his landlord entering and taking possession; and although such tenant may consider himself harrassed and [729] injured thereby, and although the landlord may enter for such purpose, still he has the lawful right to do so. It is an injury and harrassment resulting from the tenancy, of which the tenant has no right to complain. This count is .therefore bad, for defectively stating what might he a good cause of action if properly stated.

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Glen Jean, Lower Loup & D. R. v. Kanawha, Glen Jean & E. R., 35 S.E. 978, 47 W. Va. 725, 1900 W. Va. LEXIS 144 (W. Va. 1900).

35 S.E. 978 (Glen Jean, Lower Loup & D. R. v. Kanawha, Glen Jean & E. R.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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