Peterson v. George

96 N.W.2d 627, 168 Neb. 571, 1959 Neb. LEXIS 58
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedMay 22, 1959
Docket34587
StatusPublished
Cited by93 cases

This text of 96 N.W.2d 627 (Peterson v. George) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Peterson v. George, 96 N.W.2d 627, 168 Neb. 571, 1959 Neb. LEXIS 58 (Neb. 1959).

Opinion

Wenke, J.

This is an appeal from the district court for Holt County. It involves an action brought by Charley W. Peterson, a farmer and rancher residing in Holt County, Nebraska, against J. L. George, a former State Veterinarian and Chief of the Nebraska Bureau of Animal Industry, Lee A. Wilcox, an employee of the State of Nebraska, acting under the direction, control, and supervision of J. L. George as Chief of the Nebraska Bureau of Animal Industry, and the Employers Mutual Casualty Company of Des Moines, Iowa, the state veterinarian’s official bondsman. The action was brought for the purpose of recovering damages which plaintiff alleged he suffered because of certain acts performed by George and Wilcox in the execution of their official duties.

Plaintiff alleged that insofar as here material he was at all times the owner of 224 head of Angus cows and 2 Angus bulls located in his pastures in South Da *573 kota, which cattle were in good health and not affected by brucellosis; that on December 12, 1956, he had these cattle examined by James Tate, an approved and accredited veterinarian of South Dakota, who, based on such inspection, did, on December 14, 1956, issue an official health certificate upon these cattle at Gettysburg, South Dakota; that on December 18, 1956, plaintiff caused these cattle to be transported from his pastures in South Dakota to a licensed auction market at Atkinson in Holt County, Nebraska, such auction market being operated by E. C. Weller, doing business as the Atkinson Livestock Market; that J. L. George, as State Veterinarian, Bureau of Animal Industry, acting through Lee A. Wilcox, thereupon caused a “Notice of Quarantine” to be served upon E. C. Weller, doing business as Atkinson Livestock Market, but directed to plaintiff; that as a result of this notice the plaintiff’s cattle were restrained in quarantine at the Atkinson Livestock Market until March 27, 1957, when 224 cows and 1 bull were released to the plaintiff; and that the act of quarantining said cattle was done without legal authority and was done negligently, wrongfully, and maliciously.

The damages claimed by the plaintiff because of his cattle being quarantined consist of the cost of feeding said cattle while being held, the value of two head thereof that died while being held, and for damages to plaintiff’s reputation as a stock breeder caused thereby.

The defendants George and Wilcox filed an answer generally denying plaintiff’s causes of action but specifically alleging that: “* * * the cows and bulls described in Paragraph 5 of the First Cause of Action of Plaintiff’s petition were transported from the State of South Dakota into the State of Nebraska contrary to the provisions of the laws of Nebraska and of the rules and regulations duly adopted by the Department of Agriculture and Inspection of the State of Nebraska, in that they had not been properly tested for Bang’s *574 disease within thirty days prior to their shipment into the State of Nebraska, and were shipped into the State of Nebraska in violation of the laws of that state and of the rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture and Inspection; that in placing said livestock in quarantine and testing them and in all other acts concerning said livestock, the said answering defendants and each of them were performing only the duties imposed on them by law as officers and agents of the State of Nebraska.”

The defendant the Employers Mutual Casualty Company filed a separate answer generally denying plaintiff’s causes of action, but specifically alleging: “* * * the cows and bulls described in paragraph five of the first cause of action were transported from the State of South Dakota into the State of Nebraska contrary to the provisions of the laws of Nebraska and the rules and regulations duly adopted by the Department of Agriculture and Inspection of the State of Nebraska, in that they had not been properly tested for Bang’s disease within thirty days prior to their shipment into the State of Nebraska, and were shipped into the State of Nebraska in violation of the laws of that state and of the rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture and Inspection; that in placing said livestock in quarantine and testing them and in all other acts concerning said livestock, the defendants J. L. George and Lee A. Wilcox were performing only the duties imposed on them by law as officers and agents of the State of Nebraska.”

Thereafter all three defendants joined in a motion for summary judgment. This motion came on for hearing on November 11, 1958. The judgment rendered pursuant thereto states that: “* * * this matter came on to be heard on the motion of the said defendants for summary judgment and affidavit of John L. George and attached exhibits in support thereof and affidavits of James Tate and of Charley W. Peterson and at *575 tached exhibits for counter showing on behalf of the plaintiff, * * The trial court found: “That there is no genuine issue as to any material fact involved in this controversy; that the defendant George did cause the said cattle of plaintiff to be placed in quarantine as alleged by plaintiff but that in doing so said defendant was acting within the scope of his authority as State Veterinarian of Nebraska and acting without malice and in the performance of duties imposed upon him by law; that any damages which plaintiff may have suffered by reason of the acts alleged to have been done by defendants, or any of them, were not caused by any wrongful or unlawful act or conduct on the part of said defendants, or any of them; that the motion of defendants for summary judgment should be sustained and that judgment should be entered herein in favor of said defendants.” The defendants’ motion for summary judgment was sustained and judgment rendered for the defendants.

Plaintiff filed a motion for new trial and perfected this appeal from the overruling thereof.

“A party against whom a claim * * * is asserted * * * may, at any time, move with or without supporting affidavits for a summary judgment in his favor as to all or any part thereof.” § 25-1331, R. R. S. 1943.

Section 25-1332, R. R. S. 1943, provides, insofar as here material, that: “The judgment sought shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.”

“A summary judgment is authorized only when the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. If there is a genuine issue of fact to be determined, a summary judgment may not be properly entered.” Dennis v. Berens, 156 Neb. 41, 54 N. W. 2d 259. See, also, Illian v. McManaman, 156 Neb. 12, 54 *576 N. W. 2d 244; Palmer v. Capitol Life Ins. Co., 157 Neb. 760, 61 N. W. 2d 396.

“The prerequisites of granting a summary judgment are that the movant establish that there is no genuine issue of fact in the case and that he is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Spidel Farm Supply, Inc. v. Line, 165 Neb. 664, 86 N. W. 2d 789. See, also, Mueller v. Shacklett, 156 Neb. 881, 58 N. W. 2d 344; Miller v. Aitken, 160 Neb. 97, 69 N. W. 2d 290.

As stated in Illian v. McManaman, supra:

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Bluebook (online)
96 N.W.2d 627, 168 Neb. 571, 1959 Neb. LEXIS 58, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/peterson-v-george-neb-1959.