Logan v. McMillen

60 N.W.2d 498, 244 Iowa 1328, 1953 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 379
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedOctober 20, 1953
Docket48351
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 60 N.W.2d 498 (Logan v. McMillen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Logan v. McMillen, 60 N.W.2d 498, 244 Iowa 1328, 1953 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 379 (iowa 1953).

Opinion

Bliss, J.

The factual matters as alleged in the pleadings are that the defendant Bolton & Hay, a copartnership, and the individual defendants composing it owned a business building in Des Moines in which there was an elevator shaft, with elevator and the necessary operating equipment for the use of the tenants, but not included in their leases, and over which said defendants retained control. The plaintiff, Balph Logan, an employee of Niles & Jones, the lessee of the first floor and most of the basement of the building, while engaged in his work approached the open door of the elevator shaft on the first floor, and, thinking the elevator was there, stepped through the open door. The elevator was not there and he fell to the bottom of the shaft and was severely injured. He brought action against the owners of the premises and alleged in his petition various grounds of common-law, and statutory, negligence on their part.

The defendants had a written, contract with a corporation, known as Chenoweth-Kern Elevator Service, to furnish monthly inspection service and lubrication for the elevator equipment.

Pursuant to the provisions of rule 33(b) of the Iowa Buies of Civil Procedure, defendants, after the filing of plaintiff’s petition against them, and on October 21, 1952, filed a motion in the district court to bring in as third-party defendants, on the cross-petition of defendants, Chenoweth-Kern Elevator Service and the partnership, Niles & Jones, and its individual mem *1330 bers. A copy of the cross-petition was attached to the motion. No resistance was filed to the motion and it was granted on November 15, 1952. The cross-petition, in four divisions, wras filed November 28, 1952.

Rule 33 entitled “Cross-petitions” is as follows:

“(a) Against coparties. * * *.
“(b) Against new parties. When a defendant to a petition, cross-petition or counterclaim will, if held liable thereon, thereby be entitled, to a right of action against one not already a party, he may move to have such party brought in, to the end that the rights of all concerned may be determined in one action. * *

Division I of the cross-petition applied to Chenoweth-Kern Elevator Service. It was stated therein that plaintiff’s petition: in subparagraph B of paragraph 9, alleged, in substance, that defendants so negligently maintained the interlock device of the elevator that it became ineffective to prevent the opening of the hoistway doors when the car was not standing at the landing door; and also neglected and refused to replace a burnt-out light within the elevator car, thereby making it impossible to ascertain when the car was opposite a landing door; in subparagraph C of paragraph 9 lack of inspection was alleged; in subparagraph D of paragraph 9 negligence was alleged in defendants’ failure to correct specified dangerous conditions about the elevator known to them. It was also alleged in Division I of the cross-petition that at the time of the injury to plaintiff the inspection service agreement with the Chenoweth-Kern Elevator Service was in effect, and by reason thereof said corporation, third-party defendant, had the primary-duty with regard to the inspection of the elevator, and if, in the trial of the case, said allegations in subparagraphs B, C and D are submitted to the jury and it should return a verdict for plaintiff against the defendants, it would be because of the primary negligence of the Chenoweth-Kern Elevator Service as alleged in said subparagraphs, and because thereof said corporation would be liable over to defendants for such verdict. Defendants in said Division I prayed judgment for recovery over against Chenoweth-Kern Elevator Service for any judgment plaintiff might recover against them based on said specified allegations of negligence.

*1331 División II of the cross-petition was directed to tbe third-party defendants, Niles & Jones and its individual members. It was stated therein that in subparagraph A of paragraph 9 of plaintiff’s petition it was alleged that defendants were negligent in failing to have the elevator shaft, elevator car and opening, and the area in the vicinity properly lighted. It was stated in this Division that said alleged improperly lighted places were all in the exclusive control and custody of said Niles & Jones and its members, and any improper lighting was their primary negligence, and for any verdict based thereon in favor of plaintiff against defendants the latter were entitled to judgment for recovery over against third-party defendants — for which judgment defendants prayed.

Division III of the cross-petition also applied to the third-party defendants, Niles & Jones et al. It was stated therein that their negligence was the proximate cause of any injury to plaintiff, in that their employees tampered with the interlocking mechanism of the elevator and “blocked it off” manually so that it failed to operate properly, and that such negligence was primary on the part of said third-party defendants, and for any judgment in favor of plaintiff based on such primary negligence the defendants will be entitled to judgment over against Niles & Jones and its members.

Division IY of the cross-petition alleged that at the time and place of plaintiff’s injury “all instrumentalities causing it were under the exclusive control, custody, supervision and domination of these third-party defendants”, Niles & Jones and the individual members composing it, “and that said injuries could not have occurred without primary negligence” on their part; and for any judgment plaintiff may recover against defendants because’bf the negligence referred to in Divisions II, III and IY of the cross-petition, the defendants prayed judgment over against said Niles & Jones et al.

On December 24, 1952, Niles & Jones and its members filed their motion to dismiss the cross-petition as to them, alleging in Division I thereof that Divisions II, III and IY of the cross-petition are not permitted under rule 33(b) or “under any statute or Rule of Civil Procedure and state no cause of action *1332 recognized in Iowa practice”, for the following reasons, to wit: “The action of plaintiff is for damages for personal injury alleged to have been sustained by reason of negligence of defendants as stated therein. Said Divisions of defendants’ cross-petition against these third-party defendants are for indemnity or recovery over in the event plaintiff is successful in his suit against defendants. In that event, defendants will not ‘thereby be entitled to a right of action’ against these third-party defendants as in said rule provided. One of the basic elements of a cause of action for indemnity is payment by defendants of the plaintiff’s demand.' Defendants cannot and will not automatically be vested with an indemnity cause of action against these third-party defendants if they are ‘held liable’ on the petition of plaintiff as in said rule provided. Mere success of plaintiff in holding defendants liable will not entitle defendants to an indemnity right of action.”

On December 27, 1952, the Chenoweth-Kern Elevator Service filed motion to dismiss the cross-petition as to it. Division I of the motion was the same as Division I of the motion to dismiss the cross-petition as to Niles & Jones et al.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
60 N.W.2d 498, 244 Iowa 1328, 1953 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 379, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/logan-v-mcmillen-iowa-1953.