Mullins v. Merchandise, C., Union No. 641

185 A. 485, 120 N.J. Eq. 376, 19 Backes 376, 1936 N.J. Ch. LEXIS 57
CourtNew Jersey Court of Chancery
DecidedJune 12, 1936
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 185 A. 485 (Mullins v. Merchandise, C., Union No. 641) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Court of Chancery primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mullins v. Merchandise, C., Union No. 641, 185 A. 485, 120 N.J. Eq. 376, 19 Backes 376, 1936 N.J. Ch. LEXIS 57 (N.J. Ct. App. 1936).

Opinion

On January 6th, 1936, the complainants filed a bill of complaint against the defendant union, an unincorporated *Page 377 organization, and eight individuals of the union. The bill charges, and the affidavits substantiate the charges, that: (a) the affairs of the union are dominated by the defendant Joseph Markle; (b) when the members of the union complained of the actions of Markle, he threatened them with the loss of their jobs; (c) the complainants to earn their livelihood, as a matter of necessity must belong to the union; (d) Markle has refused to give an accounting or a financial statement of the affairs of the union; (e) the rules of the union were changed without proper notice so that opponents of the incumbents of the union could not be nominated and elected; (f) the tenure of office of the incumbents was extended in order to perpetuate them in office. The bill prayed for such other and further relief as the circumstances of the case warrant.

On January 27th, 1936, an amended bill was filed which, interalia, charged that the rights of the complainants are prejudiced and violated; that excessive salaries are being drawn by the officers of the union; and that the union is being operated at a loss. The prayers in this bill called for the appointment of a custodial receiver, and that election of officers of the union be held under the control and jurisdiction of such receiver. The verifying affidavits annexed to both bills specifically, and in detail verify each and every allegation. On the original bill, an order to show cause was issued requiring the defendants to show cause on January 13th, 1936, why an injunction should not issue pursuant to the prayers of the bill, and in the meantime, the union and the individual defendants were restrained from using violence and threats.

On January 27th, 1936, upon the filing of the amended bill of complaint, it appearing to the court that the situation existing was grave, and it further appearing that no affidavits had been filed on the return of the order to show cause issued on January 6th, 1936, this court appointed John J. Lenehan as custodial receiver and trustee for the assets of the local union, and it granted preliminary restraints, somewhat broader than those contained in the order to show cause of *Page 378 January 6th, 1936. The order of January 27th, 1936, was returnable February 3d 1936, on which day argument before the court was made by counsel, and on February 11th, 1936, an order, in effect making permanent the order of January 27th, 1936, and broadening the restraints, was advised.

The defendants filed answering affidavits which sought categorically to deny the allegations of the bill of complaint and the affidavits thereto annexed. It appears quite manifest that the defendants through such affidavits aim to bring this case strictly within the ruling made in the case of CitizensCoach Co. v. Camden Horse Railroad Co., 29 N.J. Eq. 299, which lays down three rules governing the issuance of preliminary injunctions, as follows: (1) one will not be ordered unless from the pressure of an urgent necessity — evidence of threatening irreparable mischief; (2) one will not be granted when the right on which the complainant bases his claim, as a matter of law, is unsettled or doubtful; (3) one will not be allowed when the defendant's answering affidavits controvert and deny every material allegation of the bill of complaint and the affidavits supporting it.

The defendants' answering affidavits clearly indicate that they were drawn with a view to falling within the third rule of theCitizens' Coach Company Case. However, there are several instances where the courts have indicated that if circumstances warrant, they will not obstinately and steadfastly adhere to the third rule, if sound judgment calls for a preliminary injunction despite the existence of answering affidavits. The courts are not persuaded so much by the formality of the filing of answering affidavits as they are by their substance. They do not always deny the issuance of a preliminary injunction where the bill and the affidavits are met by a denial. Chancellor McGill, inHemsley v. Bew, 53 N.J. Eq. 241, said:

"It does not appear that denial of the present application will deprive the court of ability to afford him relief at final hearing, if time or further proofs shall verify the theories upon which his present apprehension of damage is largely grounded * * *." *Page 379

In the case of Connett v. United Hatters of North America,76 N.J. Eq. 202, the following observation was made by the court:

"In short, the situation is one which ought not to be tolerated in any civilized community and is one of the situations which is intended to be taken care of by the ordinary common law methods. These acts of violence and disorder which are so fully testified to in the complainants' affidavits, and which everybody of ordinary intelligence knows about, are denied by a large number of the affiants on behalf of the defendants. These affidavits,in so far as they deny the acts of turbulence and rioting andother public affrays in the streets, are undoubtedly false. (Italics mine.) I must reject their statements on these points and do so with the remark that their evidence on other points, and in fact the whole of the defendants' case, is thereby very much weakened."

And in this last cited case, the chancellor further stated:

"These assaults seem to have been unprovoked. To some extent they are denied, but the denials are not clear and convincing, and I am led to believe that the facts are as are stated in the affidavits of the three men who were assaulted.

* * * * * * *
"These men united in an affidavit which is intended to deny the allegation on the part of the complainants in that behalf, but a reading of the affidavit shows that instead of a denial it is rather a confession of the fact charged against them. Their affidavit is a joint one, and I quote this from it as showing the sort of denial upon which they rely: `I am a member of said executive committee, and say that these charges and allegations are each and all of them false and untrue. The executive committee in question has been in existence for a number of years, and was not specially appointed at the beginning of this strike or for the purpose named.'"

The language of the court in this last cited case, applies most appropriately to the facts in the instant case. In Ideal LaundryCo. v. Gugliemone, 107 N.J. Eq. 108, a similar *Page 380 question was presented to the court of errors and appeals. The court of chancery had granted a temporary injunction. On the appeal the defendant contended "that a temporary injunction could not lawfully issue in the face of his denial of secret methods contained in his affidavits." The court unanimously held as follows:

"We think that it could, in view of the character of suchdenial.

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Bluebook (online)
185 A. 485, 120 N.J. Eq. 376, 19 Backes 376, 1936 N.J. Ch. LEXIS 57, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mullins-v-merchandise-c-union-no-641-njch-1936.