Owens v. Wallace

336 So. 2d 191, 1976 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 701
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Alabama
DecidedJuly 21, 1976
DocketCiv. 808
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 336 So. 2d 191 (Owens v. Wallace) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Owens v. Wallace, 336 So. 2d 191, 1976 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 701 (Ala. Ct. App. 1976).

Opinion

HOLMES, Judge.

This is a suit for work and labor. The issue is whether the suit was due to be dismissed, as the trial court found, because of the applicability of the principle of res judicata.

In July of 1974, the plaintiff, appellant here, filed the following complaint in the Elmore County Law and Juvenile Court:

“IN RE:
“WALTER OWENS ’
“VS.
“MARION WALLACE
“Plaintiff claims of the defendant the sum of $1,318.90 for work or labor done by the plaintiff at the request of Marion Wallace on a building or improvement on the following described property, viz.,
Lot 25, Plat B, Broadmoor Estates, Millbrook, Elmore County, Alabama. As same is shown by a plat made by P. J. Jennings, Registered Land surveyor, dated September 16,1965 (Revision No. 1, dated April 6, 1966) recorded in Probate Office of Elmore County, Alabama iri' Plat Book 5, at page 112.
which said indebtedness accrued on, to-wit: the 15th day of December, 1973, and is now due and unpaid.
“Plaintiff alleges that the above described property is the property of the defendant, Marion Wallace, that said work or labor was done or performed on said buildings or improvement on said land under and by virtue of a contract with the said Marion Wallace, the owner or proprietor thereof; that within six [192]*192months after the said indebtedness had matured, on, to-wit: the 8th day of January, 1974, plaintiff did file in the office of the Judge of Probate in the county wherein said land is situated, verified statements as required by law, copies of which are attached hereto, made a part hereof, and marked Exhibits ‘A’ and ‘B’, wherefore, plaintiff claims a lien for said amount upon said land and buildings and improvements situated thereon.”

In October of 1974, after argument before the court the defendant-appellee’s motion to dismiss the aforementioned complaint was granted. No appeal was taken from this action of the Law and Juvenile Court of Elmore County. However, in June of 1975, the plaintiff filed a motion to set aside the dismissal. This motion was filed in the Law and Juvenile Court of Elmore County. That same month the Law and Juvenile Court overruled the motion to set aside the dismissal.

In July of 1975, the plaintiff again filed suit against the defendant. This suit was brought in the Circuit Court of Elmore County and is as follows:

“WALTER OWENS,
Plaintiff,
VS.
MARION WALLACE,
Defendant.
“COMPLAINT
“Plaintiff claims of Defendant the sum of One Thousand Three Hundred Sixty and 08/100ths ($1,360.08) DOLLARS Plus costs on account of the following:
“1. Plaintiff is a resident of Autauga County, Alabama. Defendant is a resident of Elmore County, Alabama.
“2. Defendant, Marion Wallace, owns or is in possession of the following described property:
Lot 25, Plat B, Broadmore Estates, Mill-brook, Elmore County, Alabama. As same is shown by a plat made by P. J. Jennings, Registered Land Surveyor, dated September 16, 1965 (Revision No. 1, dated April 6, 1966) recorded in the Probate Office of Elmore County, Alabama, in Plat Book 5 at Page 112.
“3. Heretofore, on, to-wit, the 31st day of October, 1973, the indebtedness, hereinbefore described, accrued and is due and owing on an open account.
“4. Heretofore, on, to-wit, the 31st day of October, 1973, the indebtedness, hereinbefore described, accrued and is due and owing on an account stated.
“5. Heretofore, on, to-wit, the 31st day of October, 1973, the indebtedness, hereinbefore described, accrued and is due and owing for work and labor done.”

The defendant in response to this second complaint filed a motion to dismiss. The basis of defendant’s motion is that the actions in both suits are the same and therefore the doctrine of res judicata is a bar to the second suit. The motion was argued before the Circuit Court of Elmore County and the trial court’s order indicates that testimony was taken. The trial judge granted defendant’s motion to dismiss. Hence, this appeal.

Able counsel for plaintiff’s basic contention urging reversal is that an adjudication of the first suit was not a bar to the second suit because the second suit is an action in contract whereas the first suit was an action to enforce a materialman’s lien. We cannot agree.

It is appropriate to note at the outset that to this court the dismissal of the prior suit by the Law and Juvenile Court was an adjudication of the merits, whatever they might be, of that lawsuit. Rule 41(b), ARCP, provides in pertinent part as follows:

“Unless the court in its order for dismissal otherwise specifies, a dismissal under this subdivision and any dismissal not provided for in this rule, other than a dismissal for lack of jurisdiction, for improper venue, or for failure to join a party under Rule 19, operates as an adjudication upon the merits.”

As seen from the above facts, the dismissal was clearly an involuntary one.

[193]*193In McGruder v. B. & L. Construction Company, Inc., Ala., 331 So.2d 257, rendered on April 16 ..of .1976, the Supreme Court of Alabama, speaking through Mr. Justice Merrill, stated the following in discussing the principle of res judicata:

“It has long been the policy in the courts of Alabama to provide a claimant a day in court, but he will not be allowed to continue to relitigate his claim. The underlying principle of res judicata or estoppel by judgment is based upon public policy and necessity, because it is to the interest of the state, that there should be an end to litigation, and that the individual should not be vexed twice for the same cause. Savage v. Savage, 246 Ala. 389, 20 So.2d 784.
“The doctrine of res judicata rests upon the primary principle that matters once adjudicated are settled and determined. Irwin v. Alabama Fuel & Iron Co., 215 Ala. 328, 110 So. 566; Suggs v. Alabama Power Co., 271 Ala. 168, 123 So.2d 4. Those cases are also authority for the rule that to sustain a plea of res judicata or judgment by estoppel, the parties must be the same, the subject matter the same, the point must be directly in question, and the judgment must be rendered on that point.” (331 So.2d 259)

It is interesting to note that in McGruder the complaint in the first lawsuit was dismissed on motion, as is the case here.

This court in this instance finds as the supreme court did in McGruder that the necessary elements were present in the first case filed in the law and juvenile court. Again, we quote from McGruder as it is applicable to the instant appeal:

“Appellant has had her day in court and the same issues were adjudicated, settled and determined, and that is dispositive of this case.

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Bluebook (online)
336 So. 2d 191, 1976 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 701, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/owens-v-wallace-alacivapp-1976.