Newlon v. Wade

27 S.E. 244, 43 W. Va. 283, 1897 W. Va. LEXIS 32
West Virginia Supreme Court·Decided April 7, 1897·Published·Cited by 22 cases

Opinion

Dent, Judge :

0. K. Newlon filed a creditor’s Dill in the Circuit Court of Braxton county to enforce judgment liens against the real estate of L. M. Wade. Much proceedings were had that, after reference and report of commissioner, a. certain house and lots in the town of Sutton, being a small portion of defendant’s property, were decreed to be sold to pay various liens ascertained against the same. From this decree the defendant Wade appeals, and the errors relied lipón by him are contained in the. exceptions to the commissioner’s report, which are in short as follows:

1. That the two nominal plaintiffs in the suit, Newlon and Mansbach, had no right to maintain the same, for the reason that the executions issued on their judgments had [285] not remained in the officer’s hands sixty days before lie made the return thereon of “No projjerty found,” and that the suit was therefore prematurely instituted. This question was settled contrary to the appellant’s pretensions in the case of Findley v. Smith, 42 W. Va. 299 (26 S. E. 370). This Avould not prevent the debtor showing the return to have been made falsely and eollusively, in avoidance of the statute, to enable the plaintiff to institute chancery proceedings without exhausting the debtor’s personal estate. The circuit court erred, therefore, in sustaining the demurrer to the bill, but as this error was cured by the final decree in favor of plaintiffs it is not ground for reversal. As to allowing other creditors to be made plaintiffs and carry on the suit, there was no error committed. Lewis v. Laidley, 39 W. Va. 422 (19 S. E. 378). A surety who has paid a debt, for which he is bound with others, is entitled to be subrogated to all the rights of the creditor against either the principal debtor or co-sureties, to the extent of their liability. Hawker v. Moore, 40 W. Va. 49 (20 S. E. 848); McNeil v. Miller, 29 W. Va. 480 (2 S. E. 335). This applies to the demurrer of the appellant to the amended bill, and to his tenth exception to the commissioner’s report.

2. A justice of the peace has jurisdiction throughout his county both by the Constitution and statute, and, while he is required to reside in the district for which he is elected, he is authorized to hear and determine cases in other districts of the county. This applies to exception sixth.

8. The seventh and eleventh exceptions, being as to insufficiency of notice, and also the first exception as to the thirty-live dollars credit on O. K. Newlon’s judgment, if not waived by the appellant, may be properly cured in the further progress of the cause, as it will for other reasons have to be recommitted to the same or another commissioner.

4. The various objections to the judgment of J. P. Cole are not well taken. The appellant does not deny liaving-been duly served with process to appear before Justice Oliver in the county of Lewis. But his objections are that the process was served by a special constable. This is provided for under section 80, chapter 50, Code. That [286] the return does not. show that it was served in Lewis comity: This is a presumption of law, it not otherwise appearing. That the cause of action did not arise in Lewis county: This is settled by the justice’s judgment. The appellant, having notice, should have appeared and objected to the want of jurisdiction. Not doing so, he waives the same, and is bound thereby, unless it should clearly appear to the contrary on the face of the record. Justices’ courts are a part, of the judiciary system of this State, with extensive jurisdiction, and their process and judgments are entitled to the same respect, to the extent of jurisdiction, as other tribunals; and he who neglects such process when duly served on him must endure the consequences of his own negligence. If the appellant had a good defense by reason of the cause of action, or any part thereof not arising in the county, he should have appeared and presented it, and, having failed to do so, lie can only be relieved therefrom collaterally on equitable grounds, such as fraud, accident, mistake, surprise, or some adventitious circumstance beyond the control of the party. Hubbard v. Yocum, 80 W. Va. 740 (5 S. E. 867); Knapp v. Snyder, 15 W. Va. 434; Freem. Judgm. (3d Ed.) § 524.

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Newlon v. Wade, 27 S.E. 244, 43 W. Va. 283, 1897 W. Va. LEXIS 32 (W. Va. 1897).

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