Huxford v. Southern Pine Co.

52 S.E. 439, 124 Ga. 181, 1905 Ga. LEXIS 684
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
DecidedNovember 13, 1905
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 52 S.E. 439 (Huxford v. Southern Pine Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Huxford v. Southern Pine Co., 52 S.E. 439, 124 Ga. 181, 1905 Ga. LEXIS 684 (Ga. 1905).

Opinion

Cobb, J.

1. There was no motion to dismiss the writ of error, bnt the point is raised in the brief of counsel for the defendant in error that the assignments of error are not sufficiently definite and specific to be considered. The bill of exceptions recites that a motion to dismiss the petition was made upon grounds therein set forth, and was overruled; and the assignment of error is in the following language: “to which said ruling the defendant then and there excepted and now assigns the same as error.” This was sufficient to bring under review any question raised by the motion to dismiss. Melson v. Thornton, 113 Ga. 99(2). The bill of exceptions also recites that a motion for a new trial was overruled, and the assignment of error on this judgment is in the following language : “to which said order the defendant excepted and now assigns the same as error.” This assignment of error is in compliance with the rule of this court in reference to assignments of error of the character now under consideration. Eule of Court 6, Civil Code, §5605.

2. The plaintiffs are not the owners of timber complaining of a trespass by a timber cutter, but they are timber cutters themselves, whose right to cut is alleged to have been interfered with by one who they allege is not the owner nor in any way interested in the timber. It is apparent, therefore, that the timber cutter’s act (Civil Code, §4927) has no application to the case. ' The case must therefore be determined upon general equity principles governing where an application is made to enjoin a wrong-doer or trespasser from interfering with a property right of another. The circumstances under which a court of equity will by injunction interfere in such a case are set forth in the Civil Code, §4916, which is in the following language: “Equity will not interfere to restrain a trespass, unless the injury is irreparable in damages, or the trespasser is insolvent, or there exist other circumstances which, in the discretion of the court, render the interposition of this writ necessary, among which shall be the avoidance of circuity and multiplicity of actions.” There is no allegation of insolvency. The petition sets forth the wrongful conduct complained of, which is the interference with the plaintiff in the right to the exclusive control of their property and the quiet possession of the same, and the [185]*185narrative concludes with the averment that the plaintiffs are without a remedy at law and would be irreparably injured and damaged. A mere general averjnent that the damages resulting from a wrongful act would be irreparable, being only a conclusion of the pleader, is generally not sufficient. Burrus v. Columbus, 105 Ga. 46(2). It is necessary that the petition should set forth the facts so that the court may determine whether the damages would be of this character. It is therefore necessary to determine whether, under the averments of the petition, such a case is made as would authorize' a court of equity to interpose in behalf of the plaintiffs and grant the injunction prayed for. The question of the sufficiency of the petition not having been raised until the trial term, the averments of the petition will not be subjected to that scrutiny which would be required if the defects had been pointed out by special demurrer. While it is not alleged in terms that the wrongful acts complained of would give rise to a multiplicity of actions for damages, still it is apparent that the only remedy which the plaintiffs would have at law would involve a multiplicity of actions. The. Pine Company is the owner of the land, and Crawley holds a timber lease under it. The Pine Company is entitled to the peaceful and uninterrupted occupation of its property, either by itself or its ten-, ant, and Crawley is entitled to possession of the same character-under his lease. The servants of Crawley have been driven from the place by the wrongful act of the defendant, and by intimidation which continues from day to day he prevents Crawley and his servants from using the timber upon the property for the purposes, for which, under the lease, he had a right to use it. Every day that he is deprived of the possession of the premises gives him a right of action against the defendant to recover such damages as would result from this wrongful act. Frequent acts of trespass accompanied with a threat to continue constitute a sufficient reason to grant an injunction. Bisph. Prin. Equity (4th ed.) 490; 1 High on Injunctions (3d ed.), 536. In Gray Lumber Co. v. Gaskin, 122 Ga. 351, it was said: “An action at law for damages would have been a complete remedy for the injury sustained prior to the suit, but it would not have prevented further trespasses. Ought the plaintiff to be harassed and annoyed by being required to bring a new suit every day as long as the trespasses continued, when the whole controversy could be settled in one suit ? As has been shown above, the [186]*186code expressly authorizes the judge, in his discretion, to grant an injunction to restrain a trespass in any case where under equitable principles the writ should issue, and enumerates among such eases the prevention of a multiplicity of suits.” But even if he were to bring suit each day for the wrongful conduct of the defendant on the day preceding, the damages recovered in all such suits would not be an adequate compensation for the wrong done by depriving him of the right to cut, and dispose of the timber as he is authorized to do under the lease. It is not a sufficient reply to an application for an injunction that the defendant has a remedy by suit at common law for damages, but it must appear in addition that the common-law remedy is adequate and complete. Even if in a suit for damages against the defendant for wrongfully preventing Craw-ley from taking possession of the timber a recovery could be had for the value of the standing timber, there could not be a full recovery for all the damages sustained by him, for the reason that the profits resulting to him from the marketing of the timber after it has been cut, or other uses to which he may lawfully put the same, are dependent upon so many contingencies that it is impossible to estimate what such profits would be. The allegations of the petition are sufficient not only to make a case of irreparable injury, as against a motiomto dismiss in the nature of a general demurrer, but also to show that the only remedy at law available to the plaintiffs involves a multiplicity of actions.

But it is said that the application is one merely to prevent the commission of a crime, and that a court of equity has no criminal jurisdiction, and that an injunction will not be granted for the purpose of preventing a criminal act. The general rule undoubtedly is that no injunction, or order in the nature of an injunction, will be granted to restrain proceedings in a criminal matter; but where it is evident that a right of private property is involved and is invaded, or is about to be invaded, by acts which are criminal in their nature, equity will interfere by injunction to protect such right and prevent the commission of the criminal act. See cases cited, 7 Ency. Digest Ga. Bep. 347. None of the grounds in the motion to dismiss was well taken, and there was no error in overruling the same.

3. While an assignment of error upon the admission of evidence will not be considered unless it appears that the objection relied on [187]

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Bluebook (online)
52 S.E. 439, 124 Ga. 181, 1905 Ga. LEXIS 684, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/huxford-v-southern-pine-co-ga-1905.