Patton v. Marshall

173 F. 350, 26 L.R.A.N.S. 127, 26 L.R.A (N.S.) 127, 1909 U.S. App. LEXIS 5075
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
DecidedJuly 13, 1909
DocketNo. 871
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 173 F. 350 (Patton v. Marshall) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Patton v. Marshall, 173 F. 350, 26 L.R.A.N.S. 127, 26 L.R.A (N.S.) 127, 1909 U.S. App. LEXIS 5075 (4th Cir. 1909).

Opinion

BOYD, District Judge

(after stating the facts as above). It is the privilege of a complainant in a bill in equity to make such parties defendant in his suit as he may elect, provided such parties come within the class of tiecessary parties, or proper parties, or both; but even the complainant has no right to go beyond these 'classes, and bring into his suit those who have no connection with the controversy disclosed in the bill, nor interest or concern in its determination. It seems that the complainant in the equity cause of Fulton against Marshall, pending in the Circuit Court of the United States, had brought before the court all llie parties, so far as interests are disclosed by the record, necessary to a complete determination and adjudication of the subject-matter of his bill. In the outset he made party defendant T. Marcellus Marshall, in his own right and as administrator, with whom [354]*354the contract of sale had been made, and as against these parties the complainant sought specific performance. It was afterwards ascertained that Robert M. Marshall and John S. Withers claimed an interest in the proceeds of the sale, and it was further ascertained that the legal title to one of the tracts of land included was in Robert G. Rinn. It cannot be denied that if the Marshall last named and Withers and Rinn held title to> portions of the land included in -the contract of sale, or were entitled to participate in the distribution of the proceeds, they were at least proper, if not necessary, parties. It was the orderly course, therefore, when Fulton discovered that these persons were claiming an interest in the lands wherein he had contracted to buy coal rights which might in some way affect the title to be derived from T. Marcellus Marshall, that he should proceed by an amended bill to make them parties defendant. When Fulton had brought before the court as defendants in his action all such parties as he knew or had ground to believe were interested in the subject-matter of his action, he had the right to proceed with his cause without interruption on the part of one of the defendants by an effort to introduce into the litigation an independent disconnected controversy between such defendant and outside parties.

If the complainant had omitted to bring in parties who were necessary to a complete determination of equities between himself and one or more of the defendants, or among defendants themselves, in regard to the subject-matter of the suit, a cross-bill was not the proper proceeding by which to' supply such defect. A cross-bill in equity possesses no such function.

“The purpose of a cross-bill is either to obtain a discovery in aid of a defense to the original bill, or,to obtain full relief to all the parties touching the matter of the original bill.” Story’s Equity Pleading, § 385.
“New parties cannot be introduced into a cause by a cross-bill. If the plaintiff desires to make new parties, he amends his bill and makes them. If the interest of the defendant requires their presence, he takes the objection of nonjoinder, and the complainant is forced to amend or his bill is dismissed.” Shields et al. v. Barrow, 17 How. 130, 15 L. Ed. 158.

But, aside from this, Fulton’s suit was for the specific performance of 'a contract of sale, a cause of action peculiarly cognizable in a court of equity. It was of no concern to him what Marshall had agreed to pay his agents whom he had authorized to secure a purchaser for the coal rights in the lands, nor could the compensation for services due or claimed by such agents enter into Fulton’s cause, of action. In equity pleading, the answer is a defense to complainant’s bill, and does not set up grounds for affirmative relief. Such relief is granted upon a cross-bill. But affirmative relief in response to the prayer of a cross-bill is against either the plaintiff or a codefendant in the original bill. Street’s Fed. Equity Frac. vol. 2, § 1020.

“The cross-bill' must, so it is held, be germane to the original bill. It must be confined to the same matters as the original bill, and it cannot introduce a new controversy not embraced in the original bill.” Street’s Fed. Eq. Prac. vol. 2, § 1030.

This author lays down the further principle that a cross-bill is primarily a defense, and, being so considered, is confined to matters in [355]*355litigation in the original suit; otherwise, new matters might he introduced into a litigation by cross-suits without end; and still further says the same author, in section 1031:

“A cross-bill is bad that goes beyond the original bill, and states a canse of action foreign to the primary dispute. A cross-bill may allege new or additional facts not set forth in the original bill, and be germane to the subject-matter of the action. The introduction of new facts do not render a cross-bill objectionable, but the making of a foreign or multifarious issue.”

Johnson Railroad Signal Co. v. Union Switch & Signal Co. (C. C.) 43 Fed. 331, holds as well settled the rule that a cross-bill cannot introduce any new or distinct matter not within the scope of the original bill, nor such matter as is not necessary as a defense to the original bill or is foreign to the primary controversy. A cross-bill-which seeks no discovery and sets up no defense, except such as would be available by answer, is bad. Street, Fed. Eq. Prac. vol. 2, § 1022. See, also, Miller v. Rickey (C. C.) 146 Fed. 577.

In Railway Co. v. United States, 101 U. S. 639, 25 L. Ed. 1074, it is held that a cross-bill cannot be used to bring in new and distinct matters, and in support the court cites in that case Ayers v. Chicago, 101 U. S. 184, 25 L. Ed. 838. A cross-bill must grow out of the original suit. It cannot bring in new and distinct matters. Rubber v. Goodyear, 9 Wall. 788, 19 L. Ed. 566, and Cross v. Del Valle, 1 Wall. 5, 17 L. Ed. 515. In this last case it is said by the court:

“That a cross-bill is a mere, auxiliary suit, and a dependency of the original. It may be brought by a defendant against the plaintiff in the said suit, or against other defendants, or against both; but it must be touching the matters in question in the bill.”

A cross-bill cannot introduce a new controversy, which it is not necessary to be decided in order to have a final decree on the case presented by the original bill. A cross-bill is “a proceeding to procure a complete determination of a matter already in dispute.” 2 Dan. Ch. Pr. 154-9, and note 2. The matter in dispute, as disclosed by Fulton’s bill, was only specific performance of Marshall’s contract. Suppose, for the sake of the argument, that Marshall had been the moving party, and had filed his bill against Eulton for specific performance of the contract of sale; no one would contend that Patton and Evans would have been either necessary or proper parties, for in the broadest view they had no interest which a decree against Eulton compelling him to carry out .his contract could affect. Then how can they be necessary parties to a decree requiring Marshall to accept the balance of the purchase money and make title to Eulton in compliance with the terms of the contract which the latter’s bill seeks to have specifically performed? We feel constrained in answer to this question to hold that Patton and Evans were not necessary or proper parties to Fulton’s bill.

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Bluebook (online)
173 F. 350, 26 L.R.A.N.S. 127, 26 L.R.A (N.S.) 127, 1909 U.S. App. LEXIS 5075, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/patton-v-marshall-ca4-1909.