McLain v. Nurnberg

112 N.W. 245, 16 N.D. 138, 1907 N.D. LEXIS 37
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedMay 3, 1907
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 112 N.W. 245 (McLain v. Nurnberg) 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
McLain v. Nurnberg, 112 N.W. 245, 16 N.D. 138, 1907 N.D. LEXIS 37 (N.D. 1907).

Opinion

Morgan, C. J.

This action is between the same parties and concerns the same property as the -case -of McLain v. Nurnberg (just decided), 112 N. W. 243. Like that action, this is brought for the possession of certain real property and for rent under the forcible detainer statute of this state. In the former action the possession of the lot was demanded, together with judgment for the [140]*140rent due up to April 14, 1903. A trial was had in justice court, and the plaintiff recovered judgment for the possession of the lot and for all rent due up to the date named. The defendant appealed to the district court from the judgment, and gave a supersedeas bond conditioned for the payment of “all rents for the use and occupation of said property and all damages from the time of said appeal until the delivery of possession thereof by him to said plaintiff.” Pending that appeal, and before the trial thereof in the district court, this action was commenced. It was brought for the possession of the same property, and for the sum of $25 rent, and for the sum of $25 damages for the detention of the property. The rent and damages claimed in the last action were claimed as due from the time that damages and rent were allowed in the first action. It therefore appears that the two actions involved the same issues, except as to the time during which rent and damages were claimed. The defendant interposed by answer the defense that another action was pending and undetermined involving the same issues. Upon a trial in justice court there was a judgment in favor of the defendant; a jury having been regularly waived. The plaintiff appealed to the district court, and upon a trial to the court without a jury the judgment of the justice of the peace was reversed, and a judgment in favor of the plaintiff for rent and damages was rendered. From this judgment the defendant has appealed to this court.

Many of the errors assigned on this appeal were disposed of on the appeal in the former action, involving similar, if not identical, issues, and need not be referred to on this appeal.

The principal contention on this appeal pertains to an alleged error that did not arise on the former appeal. The answer, so far as it alleged a former action pending, was as follows: “That as a further defense to the action of the plaintiff the defendant shows to the court: That on the 11th day of April, 1903, an action at law was commenced before Peter Pearson, a justice of the peace in and for Stutsman county, North Dakota, by the plaintiff in this action, to recover possession of the rooms occupied by this defendant in the building situated on lot 4, block 18, city of Jamestown, North Dakota, being the same and identical rooms and premises as described in the complaint in this case, and for recovery of possession of which this action is brought; that upon the trial of said cause a finding was made and a final judgment rendered by said justice of the peace, Peter Pearson; that from the finding made and judgment rendered, [141]*141as above set forth, an appeal was taken to the district court of Stutsman county, North Dakota; that a bond was given by the defendant to indemnify plaintiff against any and all loss and for all rents and damage by reason of any unlawful detention of said premises by ■defendant; that said bond has been approved and accepted by the proper authority prior to the commencement of this action, and now in full force and effect; that the parties plaintiff and the parties defendant in the aforementioned suit are the same parties plaintiff and parties defendant in this case, and all of the issues involved in this case are the same and identical issues as are awaiting adjudication in that case now pending in the district court of Stutsman county, North Dakota, as by the record thereof remaining in said court appears.”

It is contended that the answer does not state facts sufficient as a plea of a former action pending, for the alleged reason that its allegations are mostly matters of conclusion. No demurrer was interposed thereto, nor was any objection made to the introduction of evidence in support of it. The objection to it is first raised in this court by way of argument. If the answer be deficient technically under strict rules of pleading, we think that the objections should not now be noticed. The trial proceeded to judgment without objection to the answer; hence we deem that the defective allegations thereof were waived and cannot now be taken advantage of. The objections to it are technical, and could easily have been amended if attention had been called to them on the trial. The question is therefore squarely presented by the amended abstract whether the former action was a bar to this one. As before stated, the only distinguishing fact between them is that rent for a different and later period was sued for in this action. Otherwise the issues are in all respects identical. -It is elementary that, unless the issues are identical in the two actions, an answer pleading the pendency of the former action must fail. If, however, the issues are the same, the answer setting forth the pendency of the former action will be sustained, as litigants are not to be harassed by a multiplicity of suits, or even two suits involving the same issues.

The principal issue in the first case was the right to the possession of the premises. The jury found on the trial that the defendant was not entitled to the possession. There was an appeal from the judgment on that verdict. A stay of execution was procured by the giving of an undertaking, conditioned in the precise language of [142]*142section 6774, Rev. Codes 1899, that the defendant would surrender possession if the judgment was affirmed, and would pay all damages and all rent due up to the time of the surrender of possession. By virtue of the provisions of said section the giving of the stay bond entitled the defendant to remain in the undisturbed possession of the premises until the termination of the litigation and secured to the plaintiff indemnity for damages and rents. If another action for possession and accruing rents is lawfully maintainable after the giving of such a bond, the statute permitting a stay of execution in such cases is of no practical use. Everything that the plaintiff could hope to accomplish by the second suit will be obtained by her by virtue of the provisions of the bond. Hence, so far as practical results are concerned, the bringing of another action.added nothing to the plaintiff’s rights. They were all provided for by the bond given pursuant to law.

It is claimed that the plaintiff could not recover for rent for any period after the commencement of the action. We do not think the contention tenable. It is certain that section 6774, supra, under which the bond was given, secures the recovery for all rents up to the disposition of the appeal. Besides that section, a recovery for rents to the day of verdict or judgment is recoverable under section 4973, Rev. Codes 1899, which reads as follows: “Damages may be awarded in a judicial proceeding for detriment resulting after the commencement thereof or certain to result in the future.” Under this section, the rent asked for in the second suit could have been recovered in the first. In Hicks v. Herring, 17 Cal. 566, the court said: “It was different with the rents and profits. The monthly value of these was known at the institution of proceedings. For them a claim was made, and the loss of them was a necessary consequence of the deprivation of the possession, and of necessity continued until restitution.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Lucas v. Porter
2008 ND 160 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2008)
Meagher v. Quale
77 N.W.2d 878 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1956)
Beehler v. Schantz
1 N.W.2d 344 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1941)
First State Bank of Kief v. Osborne-McMillan Elevator Co.
207 N.W. 37 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1926)
Lee v. Braggman
162 N.W. 788 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1917)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
112 N.W. 245, 16 N.D. 138, 1907 N.D. LEXIS 37, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mclain-v-nurnberg-nd-1907.