Republic Motor Truck Co. v. Buda Co.

179 N.W. 474, 212 Mich. 55, 1920 Mich. LEXIS 482
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 13, 1920
DocketDocket No. 16
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 179 N.W. 474 (Republic Motor Truck Co. v. Buda Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Republic Motor Truck Co. v. Buda Co., 179 N.W. 474, 212 Mich. 55, 1920 Mich. LEXIS 482 (Mich. 1920).

Opinion

Steere, J.

The purpose of this proceeding is to test the jurisdiction of the court in which the above case was commenced. It comes here on writ of certiorari to the circuit court of Gratiot county obtained by defendant to review an order of said court denying application to dismiss said action for want of jurisdiction. The Republic Motor Truck Company is a corporation organized under the laws of the State of New York and authorized to transact business in this State under the terms of our statute upon that subject. It owns and operates a manufacturing plant at Alma, Michigan. The Buda Company is a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Illinois, owning and operating a manufacturing, plant at the city of Harvey in that State.

Plaintiff began this suit on December 30, 1918, by summons served on an officer of defendant company who was, when served, in Gratiot county, Michigan. On January 13, 1919, defendant made a motion in said court, supported by affidavit and accompanied by a bond, to remove the case to the district court of the United States for the eastern district of Michigan, northern division, plaintiff at the time filing an affidavit in opposition thereto made by one of its attorneys stating in part:

* * * “that said plaintiff was, prior to the time of the commencement of said action, a corporation [57]*57duly authorized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, and has. continuously since said time remained and is now organized as such corporation under the laws of said State of New York, and during all of said time has continuously been and is now a resident and citizen of said State of New York, and during all of said time said plaintiff has not been, and is not now either a resident or a citizen of said State of Michigan.” * * *

Said motion was heard and denied by the court on that date, January 13, 1919. Plaintiff then, on the same date, filed its declaration. On January 14, 1919, defendant by its counsel filed and served notice of its general appearance in said cause, and on January 27, 1919, plaintiff served a copy of its declaration on defendant’s attorney. On January 31, 1919, defendant by its counsel filed and served upon plaintiff’s counsel demand for a bill of particulars. On February 17, 1919, plaintiff filed a lengthy amended declaration, comprising some 60 pages of the printed record, stating its cause of action more fully with certain written contracts, between the parties for breach of which damages are claimed set out at length in the first two special counts, supplemented by the common counts.

Briefly stated, these contracts provided for the manufacture by defendant at its plant in Harvey, 111., to be there delivered to plaintiff free on board, certain models and quantities of motors for use by said plaintiff in its motor trucks which it was engaged in manufacturing and assembling in Alma, Michigan. Said undertaking expressly reserved the right to plaintiff of inspecting said motors at Harvey, 111., before shipment, the same to be paid for in cash, terms of payment “fifteen days net,” the purchaser to assume all transportation charges of every nature and all loss or damage “that may accrue to engines or parts thereof while in transit to or from the purchaser.” Plaintiff’s declaration alleges that its cause of action, based on [58]*58breach of those contracts, “accrued to plaintiff within said county of Gratiot.” For defendant it is asserted that the contracts provide by their terms for performance by it at Harvey, 111., and not elsewhere, which by reason of a qualified guarantee of material and workmanship plaintiff denies. In its demand for a bill of particulars defendant especially requested amplification of plaintiff’s allegations respecting the place of accrual of the cause of action, and a bill of particulars was filed and served by plaintiff on December 17,1919.

On ‘March 3, 1919, defendant filed its plea of the general issue with notice in part as follows:

“Now comes the above named defendant, and demands a trial of the matters set forth in the plaintiff’s declaration; subject to and limited by all the provisions of, and notices under section 4, chapter 14, and section 12, chapter 14, of the judicature act of Michigan for 1915. * * *
“Please be advised that independent of and antecedent to an issue upon the merits herein, to be raised fey the general issue above, tendered, the defendant comes and
“First. Denies the allegation in the declaration and amended declaration, to the effect that ‘the causes of action asserted herein “occurred” to plaintiff within said county of Gratiot’ and ‘the causes of action asserted herein accrued to plaintiff within, said county of Gratiot.’ And the defendant hereby raises an issue upon such quéstion of fact so denied as a preliminary question to be tried herein.
“And the defendant gives notice that, upon the coming in of a finding that the said cause of action' asserted by plaintiff did not accrue to the plaintiff in the county of Gratiot, and based upon the other facts stated in said declaration and files and records herein, defendant will move the court to dismiss said suit on the ground that this court has no jurisdiction of the parties and subject-matter hereof.
“This issue will be supported by the files, records and proceedings herein, and upon proofs to be tendered upon notice hereunder.
[59]*59“Second. The defendant comes and denies that the plaintiff has made or stated such a cause of action in its declaration herein as entitles it to be heard upon the merits thereof; for the following reasons:” * * *

The jurisdictional question was on due notice heard by the court October 24, 1919, somewhat as a motion to dismiss for want of jurisdiction based on the files and records of the case, the formal order of the court reciting, however, that the matter came oh to be heard

“upon the notice for hearing and trial of the jurisdictional issue raised by. the notice under the plea of the general issue, as to the place where the cause of action herein accrued, and the court having had before it the proofs and allegations' of the respective parties, * * * here finds:

“First. That the cause of action asserted in the plaintiff’s declaration accrued within the county of Gratiot, and
“Second. The said defendant by its actions and proceedings in this cause has submitted its person to the jurisdiction of this court. ,
“Therefore, the said motion of the said defendant is hereby denied, with costs to plaintiff.”

In support of the second finding of the court it is contended for plaintiff that not only did defendant submit itself to the jurisdiction of the court by appearing generally and pleading issuably, but under our practice the interlocutory order of the court in question is not subject to review by certiorari, and much space in the briefs of counsel is devoted to a discussion of those questions with citation and review of authorities urged as applicable. It is the consensus of opinion in this court, however, that the trial court rightly disposed of the preliminary question of jurisdiction within the principles of the first ground stated, and we therefore deem it unnecessary to review the arguments of counsel on other issues raised.

This is a transitory action founded upon contract.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
179 N.W. 474, 212 Mich. 55, 1920 Mich. LEXIS 482, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/republic-motor-truck-co-v-buda-co-mich-1920.