Hector Isabelle Builder, Inc. v. Welch

214 A.2d 63, 125 Vt. 267, 1965 Vt. LEXIS 237
CourtSupreme Court of Vermont
DecidedJune 1, 1965
StatusPublished

This text of 214 A.2d 63 (Hector Isabelle Builder, Inc. v. Welch) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Vermont primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hector Isabelle Builder, Inc. v. Welch, 214 A.2d 63, 125 Vt. 267, 1965 Vt. LEXIS 237 (Vt. 1965).

Opinion

Keyser, J.

The defendants have appealed by permission of the court before final order from the ruling of the chancellor over-ruling defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s motion to set aside a stipulation of the attorneys providing for settlement and the entry of “Judgment Satisfied” based thereon.

The plaintiff brought proceedings against the defendants on August 5, 1961 to foreclose its real estate mortgage. Decree for the payment of $10,578.58 was entered August 13, 1963 with redemption period of one year. On May 5, 1962, Allen Lumber Company brought suit for $3,000.00 against the plaintiff with defendants named as trustees. The defendants also brought a suit against the plaintiff on August 27, 1963 for $15,000.00.

On March 2, 1964 the parties in this action by their then respective attorneys entered into and filed with the clerk of the court, a written stipulation which provided for the disposition of this foreclosure action, and the law action brought against the plaintiff. On May 13, 1964 this case was entered “Judgment Satisfied”.

[268]*268On July 7, 1964 the plaintiff, by newly appointed counsel, filed in this case its motion to set aside (1) the stipulation (copy of which was attached) and (2) the entry of “Judgment Satisfied.” The defendants responded on July 13, 1964 by filing their motion to dismiss plaintiff’s aforesaid motion. Plaintiff filed an amended motion to strike on July 27, 1964 which added one further ground to its prior motion.

After hearing on July 27, 1964, the court overruled with exceptions defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s motion. The court granted permission to apeal to this court under the provisions of 12 V.S.A. §2386.

The questions certified for determination can be reduced fundamentally to whether the court in this case has authority (1) to strike the stipulation of the parties and (2) to strike the entry of “Judgment Satisfied” based thereon.

The stipulation signed by the attorneys of the parties on March 2, 1964, reads as follows:

“Now comes the plaintiff and defendants in the above entitled case by their respective attorneys and stipulate- and agree as follows:
1. Whereas, the Honorable Court has entered its Decree of Foreclosure dated August 13, 1963 for the plaintiff for the principal sum of Seven Thousand Dollars ($7,000.00) plus labor, materials, solicitors fees and costs, in the total amount of Ten Thousand Five Hundred Seventy Eight and 58/100 Dollars ($10,578.58) plus interest, and
Whereas, the defendants have brought their suit entitled James S. Welch and Rosemarie B. Welch v. Hector Isabelle Builder, Inc. dated August 27, 1963 in the amount of Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00), then the respective parties agree and stipulate that notwithstanding the amount in the court’s forclosure decree of August 13, 1963, that the defendants may pay to the clerk of the court for the benefit of the plaintiff the sum of Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) on or before August 13, 1964 in full satisfaction of said Decree of Foreclosure.
2. Upon payment of said sum, the clerk of the court may make an entry of “settled and discontinued” in the case of James S. Welch and Rosemarie B. Welch v. Hector Isabelle Builder, Inc.
3. In the event the defendants do not pay to the plaintiff the said sum of Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) on or before August 13, 1964, the defendants hereby agree and do release any counter-claim which they may have against the plaintiff as far as [269]*269the foreclosure proceedings is concerned but it is expressly understood that the defendants are not dismissing any other claim or claims that they might have against the plaintiff relative to the building and erecting of a building now occupied by the defendants in the Town of Barre.
4. The plaintiff hereby agrees that the defendants may offset from the amount due on the note described in paragraph 1 any amount received from a claim entitled James S. Welch and Rosemarie B. Welch v. Hector Isabelle Builder, Inc. dated August 27, 1963 and entered with the Honorable Court, and that each of the attorneys in this matter may accept service in this claim with all other notice being expressly waived.”

Plaintiff’s motion to strike is based upon the grounds that the stipulation was signed by its then attorney, R. Barton Sargent, Esq., without the authority, consent or knowledge of the plaintiff and was signed, entered into and obtained by fraud, accident or mistake.

Defendants deny the authority of the court to grant plaintiff’s motion, alleging that plaintiff has an adequate cause of action at law and further alleging numerous facts in the nature of an answer, or reply, to plaintiff’s motion.

Defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s motion to strike is similar in effect and nature to a demurrer and must be so treated. Jobidon v. Lussier, 124 Vt. 242, 243, 204 A.2d 88. Its function and purpose is to test the sufficiency of plaintiff’s motion, and it admits the truth of the facts well pleaded therein. Price v. Rowell, 121 Vt. 393, 395, 159 A.2d 622. Defendants’ motion is not aided by facts not appearing in the pleading to be tested. Canfield v. Hall, 121 Vt. 52, 54, 147 A.2d 886. A demurrer which introduces extraneous facts is bad in relation to such facts as a speaking demurrer. Lapham Motors v. Rutland Railway Corp., 119 Vt. 443, 445, 128 A.2d 320.

The defendants’ motion was heard by the chancellor on oral arguments. No evidence was introduced; thus there are no findings of fact before us.

The docket entries and plaintiff’s motion disclose that this cause was terminated on May 13, 1964 by the final entry of “Judgment Satisfied” and that other terms of the stipulation were complied with.

The fact is established with certainty from the docket entries that there was a material change in the defendants’ situation on and after May 13, 1964. They had raised the sum of $2,000.00 in some manner and had parted with this sum by paying into the hands of the clerk [270]*270of the court. Under the stipulation this payment authorized the entry of “settled and discontinued” of their pending suit for $15,000.00 against the plaintiff which would carry with it a discharge of any attachment lien.

The matters between these parties had been settled and concluded for about two months after the date of the stipulation before action was taken by the plaintiff. At that time this case was not pending before the chancery court. Further, the law action brought by the defendants against plaintiff, also the subject of and involved in the stipulation, was brought in county court. There was also involved the county court law suit brought by Allen Lumber Company against the plaintiff with these defendants as trustees. The two courts are essentially distinct in the trial of causes. These latter cases are not involved in or a part of the foreclosure case in which the motions were made.

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Canfield v. Hall
147 A.2d 886 (Supreme Court of Vermont, 1959)
Jobidon v. Lussier
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Cohen v. Goldman
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Price v. Rowell
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Lapham Motors, Inc. v. Rutland Railway Corp.
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Bluebook (online)
214 A.2d 63, 125 Vt. 267, 1965 Vt. LEXIS 237, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hector-isabelle-builder-inc-v-welch-vt-1965.