Pelzer Manuf'g Co. v. Hamburg-Bremen Fire Ins. Co.

62 F. 1, 1894 U.S. App. LEXIS 2841
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of South Carolina
DecidedJune 22, 1894
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 62 F. 1 (Pelzer Manuf'g Co. v. Hamburg-Bremen Fire Ins. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pelzer Manuf'g Co. v. Hamburg-Bremen Fire Ins. Co., 62 F. 1, 1894 U.S. App. LEXIS 2841 (circtdsc 1894).

Opinion

SIMONTON, Circuit Judge.

The plaintiff in this case, which was brought in the circuit court of South Carolina for Greenville county, is a citizen of the state of South Carolina. The defendant, at the [2]*2time suit was brought, was and has continued to be a corporation created under the laws of-Germany. The cause has -been removed into this court, upon the ground that it is between a citizen and an alien. This motion is to remand it to' the state court, on the ground that, notwithstanding this fact, it is not a removable cause. We can always examine into the character of the case to determine whether it be within the jurisdiction of this court. Arrowsmith v. Gleason, 129 U. S. 99, 9 Sup. Ct. 237; Barrow v. Hunton, 99 U. S. 80.

Suit had been brought in the circuit court of South Carolina for Greenville county by the plaintiff against this defendant on two policies of insurance against fire, — one for $5,500, and the other for $2,500. The complaint in the action counted on both policies, setting them forth in two separate causes of action,- — one cause of action on one policy, the other on the other. The case came up for trial 24th March, 1891. There were ready for trial, at the same term of the same court, several separate actions by the same plaintiff against several separate insurance companies for the loss by the same fire. All of these cases, including the one now in question, depended upon the very same facts, and the same issues of law as weE as fact. Two of these were tried, and a verdict had for plaintiff. Thereupon it was agreed that the jury should find a verdict in each case for plaintiff, subject to the right of appeal on the part of the defendant. In the 'hurry and confusion of taking all their verdicts, a verdict was taken on the case before us on only one cause of action, — that of the $5,500 policy, — and the other policy was overlooked. Appeals were entered. Ail the cases, including this one, went into the supreme court of South Carolina, upon exceptions (15 S. E. 562), none of which were as to the amounts of the verdicts, and the judgments below were aE affirmed. In this case the judgment had been entered on the verdict as found, one cause of action having been omitted. On 29th June, 1892, the defendant paid to the plaintiff the whole amount of the judgment as entered, with costs, and thereupon satisfaction was entered as of record on the judgment. The plaintiff remained in ignorance of this mistake or omission which had been committed untü 15th February, 1894, and then endeavored to get the defendant to rectify it. This being refused, the suit was brought 4th May, 1894. The complaint sets out these facts.' The prayer for relief is as follows:

“(1) That the mistake of the said jury be corrected, and their verdict reformed, and the judgment corrected so as to allow plaintiff judgment for said twenty-five hundred dollars, with interest thereon from May 15, 1889, being sixty days from the time of the fire at which said loss occurred; (2) that the judgment rendered in said action having been satisfied, that plaintiff have now judgment anew for said twenty-five hundred dollars, with interest thereon from May 15, 1889, and for the costs of this action; (3) and for such other and further relief as plaintiff may be entitled.”

The motion to remand is based on the contention that this suit is in fact anciEary or auxiliary to the former suit, a graft upon it, and not an independent and separate litigation. It therefore is not removable. Bank v. Turnbull, 16 Wall. 195. The law is stated by that eminent jurist, Mr. Justice Bradley, thus:

[3]*3“The question presented with regard to the jurisdiction of the circuit court is whether the proceeding is or is not in its nature a separate suit, or whether it is a supplementary proceeding, so connected with the original suit as to form an incident to it, and substantially a. continuation of it. If the proceeding is merely tantamount to the common-law practice of moving to set aside a judgment for irregularity, or to a writ of error, or to a bill of review, or an appeal, it would belong to the latter category, and the United States court could not properly entertain jurisdiction of the case.” Barrow v. Hunton, 99 U. S. 82.

The essential questions, therefore, are, what relief is sought by ibis plaintiff? Could he obtain such relief in the state court in which the first cause was tried by any motion or proceeding in said cause? Is this proceeding one wholly independent, based on some new ground for relief? The relief sought is to correct a mistake in a verdict on which judgment, was entered 24th March, 1891. The purpose is to correct the mistake in the verdict, by adding to it the amount of the second cause of action, and then entering a judgment thereon. Could this relief be obtained in the state court in which the cause was tried by any motion or proceeding in that cause? The cause lias ended by complete satisfaction of the judgment, and if. no longer exists. But were this not the case, according to the practice in South Carolina, if there be error or mistake in a verdict, the party injured may move for a new trial. Bat he must do ibis during the term. Xo such motion was made in this case. If the judgment is complained of, there are certain modes of obtaining relief, — one is by writ of error or appeal. In order to secure a right of appeal, the party desiring to correct an error must give notice in writing to the other party within 10 days after the rising of the court. This is imperative, and the omission cannot be cured, even by the supreme court. Code § 345; Renneker v. Warren, 20 S. C. 581. In this case the defendant appealed, on grounds not affecting the amount of the verdict. Plaintiff gave no notice of appeal, and did not in fact appeal. So It lost this mode of relief. The Code of Procedure (section 195) also provides for* relief from a judgment. But this is where the judgment is obtained against a person through his mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect; and if wo broaden the terms of this section, and let them embrace cases of judgments obtained by a person, still he must apply for his relief within one year after notice of Hie judgment. It would seem as if plaintiff has lost this mode of relief also. His judgment was in March, 1891; his proceeding for relief May, 1894. Even, therefore, if we conclude that the peculiar facts of this case would have given the plaintiff the right, by ancillary, auxiliary, or supplemental proceedings in his cause, to obtain relief in the state court, it seems that he has lost this right; and he has lost the right by reason of the same mistake which existed when tiie verdict was rendered, and which continued to exist until a very recent period,- — the period during which Ms remedy was lost. He can seek relief nowhere but in a court whose jurisdiction is grounded on mistake. He cannot get 1his relief except in an original proceeding. The error of which he complains is not patent on the fa,ce of the record: Non constat that, because he had a count on his cause of action, the [4]*4jury were bound to find it in Ms favor. To establish Ms case, be must go debors tbe record, and establish an unintentional error by testimony; and, when that is done, Ms only remedy is on tbe conscience of the defendant. Tbe judgment at law will always in a law court stand res judicata Tbe language of Bondurant v. Watson, 103 U. S. 286, is not inapplicable to this case.

“The case which was removed had all the elements of a suit in equity.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

MacH v. TRIPLE D SUPPLY, LLC
773 F. Supp. 2d 1018 (D. New Mexico, 2011)
State v. Portee
216 A.2d 227 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1966)
Sanitary Vendors, Inc. v. Byrne
190 A.2d 876 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1963)
State v. Dolce
188 A.2d 305 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1963)
In Re Application of Bogish
173 A.2d 906 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1961)
Band's Refuse Removal, Inc. v. Fair Lawn Bor.
163 A.2d 465 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1960)
State v. Sturdivant
155 A.2d 771 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1959)
State v. Kohn
127 A.2d 451 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1956)
Mortgage Corp. of NJ v. Aetna Cas. & Surety Co.
115 A.2d 43 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1955)
Henderson v. Celanese Corp.
104 A.2d 720 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1954)
State v. Tracy
102 A.2d 52 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1953)
Armstrong v. Alliance Trust Co.
112 F.2d 114 (Fifth Circuit, 1940)
Lavagnino v. Prall
281 F. 581 (D.C. Circuit, 1922)
Platt v. Threadgill
80 F. 192 (U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Western Virginia, 1897)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
62 F. 1, 1894 U.S. App. LEXIS 2841, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pelzer-manufg-co-v-hamburg-bremen-fire-ins-co-circtdsc-1894.