Nunn v. Walker

212 S.W.2d 665, 186 Tenn. 685, 22 Beeler 685, 1948 Tenn. LEXIS 602
CourtTennessee Supreme Court
DecidedJune 12, 1948
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 212 S.W.2d 665 (Nunn v. Walker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nunn v. Walker, 212 S.W.2d 665, 186 Tenn. 685, 22 Beeler 685, 1948 Tenn. LEXIS 602 (Tenn. 1948).

Opinion

Ms. Justice G-ailos

delivered the opinion of the Cobrt.

[687]*687- This litigation rises from an automobile collision which occurred at the intersection of State Highways 20 and 51 in Dyer County on September 2, 1946. At the time of the collision, Mrs. Nell Avery Walker, with her husband, C- M. Walker, as a passenger, was driving his car north on Highway 51. C. M. Walker was killed in the accident and Thomas J. Walker has been appointed his administrator. The Walkers are residents of Dyer County. According to the declarations, the other car involved was owned by J. it. Lewis and being driven at- the time of the collision by his minor grandson, Stewart Lewis Nunn. Both Lewis and Nunn are residents of Lauderdale County.

The declaration in the case of Nell Avery Walker v. Nunn and. Lewis seeks damages for personal injuries to the plaintiff, and the declaration in the case of the Administrator v. the same parties seeks damages for the wrongful death of C. M. Walker. The original summons in each of these cases was issued August 16, 1947, and served “by accepting service” on September 2, 1947.

In connection with the aforesaid collision of automobiles, on September 2, 1947, the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Lauderdale County issued two summonses against Mrs. Nell Avery Walker, which purported to require’her to appear in the Circuit Court of Lauder-dale County, and answer (1) J. B. Lewis in a cross-action for personal injuries to his wife rising out of the automobile collision, and (2) Stewart Lewis Nunn, a minor suing by next friend, in a cross-action for his own personal injuries received in said collision. On the same day, the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Lauderdale County issued a summons against Thomas J. Walker, Administrator, requiring him to appear in the Circuit Court of Lauderdale County, and answer J. ft. Lewis in a [688]*688suit for damages for personal injuries sustained by Ms deceased'wife, in said accident. According to the official returns appearing upon them, these three summonses were served on the day of their issue, September 2, 1947, on Mrs. Nell Avery Walker and Thomas J. Walker, Administrator, in Dyer County, by J. L. Morris, a Deputy Sheriff of Dyer County.

The record discloses that Mrs. Nell Avery Walker and Thomas J. Walker, Administrator, appearing specially through their attorneys, filed motions to' quash these three summonses on the following identical ground:

. ‘ ‘ The summons shows on its face that it is a tort action or purported cross-action of said J. R. Lewis against this, mo vent; that it, said summons, was issued by the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Lauderdale County, Tennessee, to the sheriff of Dyer County, Tennessee, and the return thereon shows that it was executed on this movement in Dyer County, Tennessee, by a Dyer County deputy sheriff, notwithstanding there is nothing on or in said summons showing any authority, legal or otherwise, for the issuance of such summons in Lauderdale County as aforesaid to the sheriff of Dyer County to be there served on this movent.”

. It appears from copy of an order handed up with the-record after suggestion of diminution, that the trial judge sustained these motions to quash and that seasonable objection was' made to this action. However/ the only- assignment of error on this' action of the trial judge is as follows: . ‘

/‘Because it was erf or of the trial judge to overrule and quash the cross-summons issued in this cause.'”

This assignment is clearly insufficient under Rule 14 of our Court, 173 Tenn. 874, since it fails to-[689]*689state specifically or otherwise, wherein the action was erroneous.' However, rather than dismiss • the assignment as not being in conformity with the Rule, we have carefully read the brief and argument filed by Plaintiffs in Error in its support. The gist of the only argument made in the.brief or at the bar to support the assignment is that it was necessary to issue and serve these summonses to prevent the running of the one-year statute of limitations. Code 1932, sec. 8572. No reason or explanation is made or attempted why it was necessary' to issue the cross-summonses from the Circuit Court of - Lauderdale County, rather than from the Court of the: residence of the cross-Defendants in Dyer County, as required by Code, sec. 8640. No case or statutory authority is cited to .support the service of Lauderdale County process on'" a' resident of Dyer County in Dyer County in an action in tort. The procedure was clearly irregular and illegal as process and it was, therefore, invalid and illegal for any purpose. We have recently upheld the rule that a Defendant in a tort action under section ,86.40 of the. Code, has the right, with certain exceptions, to be sued in the County of his residence. Taylor v. McCool, 183 Tenn. 1, 189 S. W. (2d) 817. The facts of these cases do not bring them within the exceptions and, therefore, the trial judge was clearly correct in sustaining the motions to quash this process, and the first assignment of error is overruled.

. -The next step in • the pleading was that on October 18, 1947,. as cross-Plaintiffs, Stewart Lewis Nunn, b-n-f, and J. R. Lewis 'filed cross declarations in the Circuit Court of [Lauderdale County against Mrs.. Nell Avery Walker and T. J. ‘Walker, Administrator, stating the causes,of action indicated by the cross-sunMonses considered above.

[690]*690- .After • these cross -declarations were filed, they were-met ;by pleas in abatement, the pertinent parts of which are: . •

“.That the ..said Stewart Lewis Nunn, a minor, by his-next friend, Stewart H. Nunn, on October 18, 1947, filed-what purports to be a cross-declaration against her pursuant to the- issuance and purported service on her in-Dyer County of said (considered above) summons.

“That there was no copy of said declaration, certified or otherwise, delivered to her or read to- or served upon her and there was no copy, certified or otherwise, of said purported cross-declaration returned to the office of said clerk or to. the clerk by the sheriff showing that-he-had delivered a copy of same to her.

. “Thát no paper of any kind in this purported cross-action has been delivered to or. left with her and that the only notice she has had of said cross-action was the aforesaid service of the aforesaid cross-action summons.

. “That she has not in any wise or manner entered-her appearance .to the aforesaid purported cross-action - either in person or by Attorney.

..“That there has been no compliance whatever with the requirements in such cross-action as provided in - Section 8747 of the Code. ...”

, The pleas were duly sworn to be true in substance and in fact, and the grounds for them are identical- in - all three cases. The cross-tPlaintiffs, Nunn and Lewis, filed motions, to dismiss the pleas in abatement and on - the hearing the trial judge overruled the motion to dismiss and sustained the pleas in abatement and ordered the -cross-declarations stricken from the files. To this-’ action of the trial judge the cross-Plaintiffs, Nunn and--Lewis, excepted and on it have assigned error as follows'?-»

[691]*691‘ ‘Because it was "errbr of' the' trial "’judge' to quash and dismiss the cross-declarations filed in this-cause'on October 13,1947-.” • ' ' ''"

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Bluebook (online)
212 S.W.2d 665, 186 Tenn. 685, 22 Beeler 685, 1948 Tenn. LEXIS 602, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nunn-v-walker-tenn-1948.