Jorgenson v. Farmers & Merchants Bank of Robinson

170 N.W. 894, 44 N.D. 98, 1919 N.D. LEXIS 191
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 2, 1919
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 170 N.W. 894 (Jorgenson v. Farmers & Merchants Bank of Robinson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jorgenson v. Farmers & Merchants Bank of Robinson, 170 N.W. 894, 44 N.D. 98, 1919 N.D. LEXIS 191 (N.D. 1919).

Opinion

Grace, J.

The appeal is from a judgment of the county court of Stutsman county, North Dakota, Honorable John H. Hemmi, judge.

A complete statement of the facts in this case and also the facts in ■ the case of Frank McHale v. John Lang, out of which the instant case originated, the judgment roll of which is before us in this case, will be very conducive to a clear understanding of the questions presented in the instant case for decision.

McHale sued Lang in the justice court for damages alleged to have been received by reason of an assault and battery committed by Lang upon McHale. The summons was dated the 30th day of October, 1916, and was returnable on the 10th day of November, 1916. The defendant defaulted and judgment was entered against him on November 10th, 1916, for the sum of $200, the amount sued for and $24 costs. The summons specified the amount to be recovered was $200 with interest. The defendant, in due form and manner, after the entry of judgment, perfected an appeal to the district court. Notice of appeal was admitted by plaintiff’s attorney, one Munson, on December 1st, and duly filed in the district court on December 6th, 1916. The appeal was heard in the district court at Steele, North Dakota, on the 16th day of July, 1917, both parties appearing in person or by their attorney, and the action having been called for trial, the defendant moved that all proceedings had in the justice court be reversed and set aside and the action be dismissed for want of jurisdiction of the justice of the peace, or this court (meaning the district court) over the subject-matter of the action, which motion was granted and an order by the district court, Honorable Judge Nuessle, made, dismissing, setting aside, and reversing all proceedings had in the justice court. The judgment was entered by the district court in harmony with the order, on the 19th day of July, 1917, also awarding the defendant costs for $37. On the 30th day of October, plaintiff procured a writ of attachment from the justice court; the same was served upon the Fanners’- & Merchants’ Bank of Robinson, North Dakota, in which the defendant had deposited certain funds. On the 10th day of November, and after the entry of judgment, the plaintiff’s attorney made an affidavit that unless an execution was issued before the expiration of ten days he would be in danger of losing his claim. The court thereupon issued such execution immediately. Plaintiff’s attorney then made a [101]*101garnishment affidavit and served a garnishee summons upon the bank and also improperly served it upon the defendant. The garnishee summons was returnable November 18, 1916. On that day the garnishment proceedings, previously commenced, were dismissed. A new affidavit of garnishment and a new garnishee summons were issued on the 18th day of November, returnable November 25th, and were served upon the bank. On the 25th day of November, court opened at 12 o’clock noon, the time in which the garnishee summons was returnable, and, after waiting one hour and the garnishee, the Farmers’ & Merchants’ Bank, having made no appearance but made default, judgment was entered against the garnishee in favor of the plaintiff for $226.75. This garnishment proceeding was in aid of execution. The court ordered the garnishee, the bank, to pay to A. D. Brown, deputy sheriff, the sum of $150 and thereby be discharged from all liability as garnishee. Brown appeared before the court with said money and the same was paid over to the plaintiff by the court.

On the 16th day of November, 1916, the defendant, John Lang, executed the following instrument:

“In consideration of professional services to be rendered for money by John A. Jorgenson, attorney at law of Jamestown, North Dakota, I hereby assign, set over, and transfer to him all the money now belonging to me in the hands of the Farmers’ & Merchants’ Bank of Bobin-son, Kidder county, North Dakota, or due me from said bank or shall now be garnished in the hands of said bank in the case of Frank Mc-Hale, Plaintiff, v. John Lang, Defendant, and said bank, garnishee, brought before Bert Wagner, a justice of the peace, of Kidder countv, North Dakota.
“Dated this 16th day of November, a. d. 1916.
“Witness: PI. H. Chance. “Signed: John Lang.”

At about noon, or a little after noon, on the 18th day of November, plaintiff in the instant case called by telephone the Farmers’ & Merchants’ Bank of Bobinson, North Dakota, and conversed with the cashier, B. G. Meyers, and notified him of the assignment of the money that was on deposit at the bank. The plaintiff, in the instant case, brought suit against the Farmers’ & Merchants’ Bank to recover by virtue of his assignment of November 16th, 1916, the amount then on deposit to the credit of Lang in the bank, which money the bank paid over to Brown, the deputy sheriff, in the manner as above stated.

[102]*102Plaintiff in the instant case has placed much stress upon the alleged lack of jurisdiction of the justice court in the case of McHale v. Lang. His objection is that the justice has no jurisdiction to try an action for damages sounding in tort. There is no merit in the contention and the justice court has jurisdiction to try all civil actions where the amount claimed is not in excess of $200. Section 112 of the Constitution of the state of North Dakota, contains the following language:

“The justices of the peace herein provided for shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the district court in all civil actions when the amount in controversy, exclusive of costs, does not exceed two hundred dollars.”

Our statute on the subject, Comp. Laws 1913, § 9006, is in harmony with this provision of the Constitution. There can be no doubt, so far as the character of the action is concerned, that the justice court has jurisdiction to try and determine an action for damage even though such actions sound in tort where the amount demanded or in controversy does not exceed $200. The plaintiff, in this case, presents the further point that the summons having named the sum of $200 with interest, the amount claimed is more than $200. He supports this point with the theory that the jury in trying a tort action could or could not allow interest from the time of the injury or the commission of the tort complained of. We do not think it is necessary in this case to enter into a lengthy discussion of that principle. We do not believe it is involved in this case. The amount stated in the summons was $200. It was an ordinary printed summons with the words “With interest” printed thereon. The amount for which recovery is sought is $200 and that is written in both in words and figures. With these facts plainly evident from the summons itself, it is clear the intention was to charge interest from the date of the summons. The amount in controversy is the amount stated in the summons. Pair construction of the summons in this action discloses that there is $200 in controversy, and the interest is held to be claimed from the date of the summons, that is, October 30th, 1916. As we view this case, the defendant can have no relief by reason of the attachment. To all intents and purposes, it appears to us the attachment was abandoned, and reliance had entirely upon the garnishment in aid of execution. The money was turned over in pursuance of the garnishment, and not the attachment nor execution. The justice’s docket and the execution so discloses. [103]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
170 N.W. 894, 44 N.D. 98, 1919 N.D. LEXIS 191, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jorgenson-v-farmers-merchants-bank-of-robinson-nd-1919.