Myles v. Meineke

72 N.E.2d 675, 47 Ohio Law. Abs. 490, 1946 Ohio App. LEXIS 659
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 2, 1946
DocketNo. 20538
StatusPublished

This text of 72 N.E.2d 675 (Myles v. Meineke) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Myles v. Meineke, 72 N.E.2d 675, 47 Ohio Law. Abs. 490, 1946 Ohio App. LEXIS 659 (Ohio Ct. App. 1946).

Opinions

OPINION

By HURD, J.

This is an appeal on questions of law from the Municipal Court of Cleveland.

The facts which are not in dispute, are briefly as follows:

The Fidelity & Casualty Company of New York on the 24th of July, 1946, made application to the Municipal Court of Cleveland for leave, to become a party defendant and to file an answer and cross-petition against The Indemnity Insurance Company of North America, claiming to have an interest in the controversy which required it to become a party for the protection of its interests.

This application for leave to intervene and become a party defendant was denied, the journal entry being as follows:

“Aug. 7,1946. To Court: Application of Fidelity & Casualty Co., to become party defendant and file answer and cross-petition denied on sole ground that same cause of action is pending in common pleas court. Other ground not considered, petition and cross-petition ordered stricken. Fidelity & Casualty Co. excepts.”

The appeal is from this ruling denying intervention.

The answer and cross-petition presented is a part of the record in this case and sets forth inter, alia that one Cary Myles recovered a judgment in the common pleas court of Cuyahoga County against The Lees-Bradner Company, in the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars, for injuries sustained when he was shot by Melvin Meineke, a private policeman, patrolling the premises of The Lees-Bradner Company. The judgment was paid by The Fidelity & Casualty Company of New York as insurer of The Lees-Bradner Company.

[492]*492It is conceded, by the parties that thereafter The Fidelity & Casualty Company of New York commenced suit in the common pleas court against The Indemnity Insurance Company of North America, a defendant in this case, on a $1000.00 private policeman bond, issued by The Indemnity Insurance Company of North America, with Melvin Meineke as principal, and another $1000.00 concealed weapons bond, issued by the same company on Melvin Meineke, claiming to be subrogated to the rights of Gary Myles, under the bonds, by virtue of the payment of the judgment. Thereafter, Gary Myles, the minor, by Meredith H. Myles, his guardian and next friend, brought this action against Melvin Meineke and The Indemnity Insurance Co. of North America, in the Municipal Court of Cleveland, to recover upon the same bonds.

The controversy in this case hinges upon the construction of §11255 GC, which is as follows:

“Any person may be' made a defendant who has or claims an interest in the controversy adverse to the plaintiff, or who is a necessary party to a complete determination or settlement of a question involved therein.”

It has been held that this section adopts the rule in equity which allows all parties interested in the controversy or who are necessary to a complete determination of the questions involved to become parties. See Penn v Hayward, 14 Oh St 302; Osborn v McClelland, 43 Oh St 284; 1 N. E. 644; Barnes v Christie, 102 Oh St 160, 131 N. E. 352; 107 Oh St 630.

Apart from the statute, this is the general rule. It is stated in 39 American Jurisprudence p. 939, as follows:

“As a general rule the right to intervene exists in favor of one who claims to be the owner or to have some interest in property which is the subject of litigation, and this without particular regard to the value of the property or the right claimed therein.”

It has also been held that §11255 GC contemplates that one sought to be made a defendant shall have an interest adverse to plaintiff, or shall be a person who is a necessary party to a complete determination or settlement of a question involved therein and that the overruling of a motion .to intervene as a defendant is a final order from which appeal will lie and that a failure to file a bill of exceptions is not ground for dismissal of an appeal from an order overruling a motion to intervene. In such a case a reviewing court is limited to [493]*493a determination of error from the transcript of docket and journal entries and original papers. See Central Nat'l Bank v Newton Steel Co., 61 Oh Ap 57, 15 OO 83; 22 N. E. (2d) 428.

The appellant here claims an interest adverse to that of plaintiff and likewise adverse to that of defendant, Indemnity Insurance Co. of North America; that it is entitled to be subrogated. to the rights of plaintiff against defendant, Indemnity Insurance Co. of North America, by reason of the judgment of $10,000 recovered against it by plaintiff herein. This claim is denied by plaintiff.

While there is a specific provision for intervention under §11263 GC in an action for the recovery of real or personal property, the courts have not restricted the right of intervention of a third person to such actions.

“Secs. 11255 and 11261 GC relating to parties defendant and to the right of a person claiming an interest to be made a party, provide for the equitable rule which prevailed In chancery practice prior to the adoption of the Code. They confer a discretion in the trial court, but this discretion is not to be arbitrarily exercised; it must be exercised with due regard to established rules, prominent among which is the duty to avoid a multiplicity of suits and to attain a final and complete termination of all questions involved with the least delay and the least possible expense. The court may abuse its discretion in this regard by overruling the motion of one who is a proper but not a necessary party to the determination of the suit ” 30 O. Jur. §65, page 794.

The supreme court in the case of Lake Erie & Western Railroad Co. v Falke, and The Phoenix Insurance Company, 62 Oh St 297, paragraph 4 of- syllabus, held:

“4. In an action brought by the owner against the railroad company to enforce such liability, an insurer, having before the termination of the action, made payment to the owner on account of such loss, should intervene for the purpose of being subrogated to the rights of the owner to the extent of such payment, and the amount recovered from the railroad company should be adjudged to the owner and the insurer according to their respective interests.” (emphasis ours)

In the case of General Construction Company v Village of Lakewood, 17 O. C. C. Rep. (N. S.) 165, this court held: (syllabus 1)

[494]*494... “1. Because a judgment against a surety binds the principal having notice of the pending action, and payment thereof by the former may be recouped from the latter, in a suit against the surety alone, the principal has ‘an interest in the controversy adverse to the plaintiff’ and may therefore become a party defendant.”

Construing §11225 GC in consonance with its obvious purpose, and in the light of the authorities cited and quoted, and other authorities to the same general effect, it would appear that in the instant case the appellant comes within the pur•view of the provisions of §11255 GC, and therefore should be permitted to intervene and file an answer and cross-petition on the ground that the interest of the appellant is adverse to that of plaintiff and also adverse to the defendant, The Indemnity Insurance Company of North America.

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Bluebook (online)
72 N.E.2d 675, 47 Ohio Law. Abs. 490, 1946 Ohio App. LEXIS 659, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/myles-v-meineke-ohioctapp-1946.