Kerns v. McAulay

69 P. 539, 8 Idaho 558, 1902 Ida. LEXIS 46
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJune 24, 1902
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 69 P. 539 (Kerns v. McAulay) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kerns v. McAulay, 69 P. 539, 8 Idaho 558, 1902 Ida. LEXIS 46 (Idaho 1902).

Opinions

SULLIVAN, J.

— This is an appeal from an order made after judgment vacating and declaring said judgment null and void,quashing and setting aside a writ of attachment issued in said action, and revoking and setting aside all proceedings had under said judgment, and entering judgment against plaintiff, who is appellant here, for costs of said motion. Suit was brought by the appellant, as receiver of the property of the Coeur d’Alene Bank, against George B. McAulay and Yan B. De Lashmutt, to recover a balance on an account amounting to $24,045.16, with interest thereon at the rate of ten per cent per annum, and costs of suit. An affidavit and undertaking in attachment were filed. Summons was issued, and returned by the sheriff, “Defendants not found.” Service was then attempted to be-: made by publication. The writ of attachment was levied upon [563]*563the California lode mining claim. On March 12, 1901, the default of the defendants was entered. The plaintiff proved the allegations of his complaint, and judgment was entered in favor of plaintiff for the sum of $51,045.21. It is not claimed that a personal appearance was ever entered by the defendants, or that personal service of summons was ever made on either of them. The affidavit for service of summons by publication states that the defendants were nonresidents, and could not be found in the state, and the only service of summons upon either of the defendants was by publication thereof in a newspaper, and sending a copy of the summons and complaint through the mail to the address of defendants in the 6tate of Washington. An attempt was made to obtain jurisdiction of certain property belonging to defendants, situated in Shoshone county, state of Idaho, consisting of said California mining claim, by attaching the same as above stated. Said judgment was rendered on March 12, 1901. The defendants appeared specially in the trial court on the twenty-sixth day of September, 1901, and moved to dissolve said attachment and vacate said judgment on the following grounds, to wit: “1. That the said plaintiff, Abner Gr. Kerns, was at no time authorized by the court by whom he was appointed such receiver of the said Coeur d’Alene Bank to institute and bring this action against these defendants. 2. That these defendants, or either of them, were not personally served with the process of this court, requiring them to appear and defend against the complaint filed herein. 3. That no valid and sufficient affidavit for the attachment of the property of these defendants to secure the jurisdiction of this court was ever filed prior to the issuance of the writ of attachment herein. 4. That the pretended affidavit for attachment filed herein, to wit, November 26, 1900, was insufficient and absolutely void, for the following reasons, to wit: (a) Because it is not stated and averred in said pretended affidavit that the indebtedness therein mentioned is ‘over and above all legal setoffs and counterclaims.’ (b) Because it is not stated and averred in said pretended affidavit whether said indebtedness is ‘upon a judgment,’ or ‘upon a [564]*564contract for the direct payment of money,’ or either or both, (c) Because it is not stated and averred in said pretended affidavit that these defendants therein named, or either of them, are nonresidents of the state of Idaho, (d) Because the said pretended affidavit is false as to material facts, in this: That it is therein stated that these defendants were then and there in- ■ debted to the plaintiff in the sum of forty-three thousand nine hundred ninety-five and 72/100 dollars ($43,995.72), whereas it appears from the complaint herein, verified upon the oath of plaintiff, that the sum of nineteen thousand nine hundred and fifty and 56/100 dollars ($19,950.56) had, to wit, and theretofore, April 1, 1897, been paid on said principal sum of forty-three thousand nine hundred and ninety-five and 72/100 dollars ($43,995.72), and such payment is therein duly credited, (e) Because it does not appear from said pretended affidavit that the indebtedness therein referred to was due. (f) Because it appears from the said pretended affidavit that the indebtedness therein referred to was barred by the statute of limitation at the time of the commencement of this action. 5. Because the complaint herein does not state a cause of action against these defendants. 6. Because the said judgment rendered herein as aforesaid is purely a personal judgment, not based on personal service on these defendants, and is not a judgment against any of the property of these defendants, or either of them.”

After a hearing on said motion the court quashed the attachment, set aside the judgment, revoked all proceedings thereunder, and entered judgment against appellant for costs of the motion. Appellant contends that the court erred in holding said judgment void and vacating the same. The judgment to the extent of the value of the attached property is good, provided the attachment was valid; but, if the attachment was void, the judgment is absolutely void, for a personal judgment is not good against one who has not appeared in the action, and not personally served with summons. It is shown that the defendants were nonresidents, and it is well settled that a personal judgment cannot be rendered [565]*565against a nonresident served only by publication. Such service is not “due process of law,” and tbe court does not thereby obtain jurisdiction to render a personal judgment. (Pennoyer v. Neff, 95 U. S. 714, 24 L. ed. 565; Galpin v. Page, 18 Wall. (U. S.) 350, 21 L. ed. 959; Hart v. Sansom, 110 U. S. 151, 3 Sup. Ct. Rep. 586, 28 L. ed. 101; Freeman v. Alderson, 119 U. S. 188, 7 Sup. Ct. Rep. 165, 30 L. ed. 372.) In the last-cited case it is held that a state court cannot determine the validity of any demand against a nonresident, in the absence of personal service or his personal appearance, beyond such as may be satisfied by property within its jurisdiction; and to the same effect are all of the above-cited cases. (See, also, Dull v. Blackman, 169 U. S. 243, 18 Sup. Ct. Rep. 333, 42 L. ed. 733; Dewey v. City of Des Moines, 173 U. S. 203, 19 Sup. Ct. Rep. 379, 43 L. ed. 665.

It is contended that an attachment of property of a defendant within the jurisdiction of the court, although a proceeding in rem, will not support a personal judgment against a nonresident upon whom personal service has not been had, and for that reason that the personal judgment in the ease at bar is absolutely void. We agree with counsel in that contention in cases where a personal judgment has been entered, and no property of the defendant has been attached prior to the entry of such judgment. But in cases where property has been attached, such attachment brings the property attached into the jurisdiction of the court, and a personal judgment entered in such case is good as to the property attached. (Cooper v. Reynolds, 10 Wall. 308, 19 L. ed. 931.) We have no law in this state requiring a judgment in eases like that at bar to recite that an execution shall issue against the attached property, or that it is a judgment in rem, and only valid to the property attached. In such eases, after the attached property is exhausted no execution can be legally issued for any unpaid balance on such judgment after the application of the proceeds of the sale of the attached property.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
69 P. 539, 8 Idaho 558, 1902 Ida. LEXIS 46, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kerns-v-mcaulay-idaho-1902.