Roehrs v. Thompson

240 N.W. 111, 185 Minn. 154, 1932 Minn. LEXIS 723
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedJanuary 8, 1932
DocketNo. 28,599.
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 240 N.W. 111 (Roehrs v. Thompson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Roehrs v. Thompson, 240 N.W. 111, 185 Minn. 154, 1932 Minn. LEXIS 723 (Mich. 1932).

Opinion

Stone, J.

Action by the obligee against the principal and his sureties on two appeal bonds. Special issues were submitted to a jury. Findings of fact and order for judgment in plaintiff’s favor followed. *155 Defendants appeal from the order denying their motion for a new trial.

The action is sequel to a former suit, the subject matter of which was a Martin county farm. Plaintiff, claiming that defendant W. J. Thompson was wrongfully in possession, instituted in justice court an action of unlawful detainer and prevailed. It was appealed to the district court, tried' de novo, and again plaintiff prevailed. The defendant’s second unsuccessful appeal brought the case here, and our decision of it will be found in 179 Minn. 73, 228 N. W. 340. Defendant’s appeal from the judgment for restitution entered in the justice court was taken within 24 hours. See G. S. 1923 (2 Mason, 1927) § 9157. Together with the bond then given, it enabled him to remain in possession. That bond was in the penal sum of §3,500, with defendants Christensen and J. It. Thompson as sureties. The appeal to district court was perfected July 23, 1928. In the district court defendant W. J. Thompson was again worsted, and his appeal to this court perfected April 29, 1929. The supersedeas bond then given was in the penal sum of §1,500. The sureties thereon were defendants Christensen and Koenecke. So Christensen became surety on both bonds; J. R. Thompson on only the first; and Koenecke on only the second. The decision below assessed damages against defendants W. J. Thompson, as principal, and Christensen, the surety on both bonds, in the full sum of §5,000; against defendant J. R. Thompson as surety on the first bond in the sum of §3,116; and against defendant Koenecke, surety on the second bond, in the sum of §1,500.

By demurrer, overruled, defendants made timely objection to the joinder in this action of the causes of action arising on the two bonds. It is not argued for defendants that they do not grow out of “the same transaction, or transactions connected with the same subject of action” as required by G. S. 1923 (2 Mason, 1927) § 9277. But it is contended that they do not “affect all parties to the action” as that section requires for joinder.

For plaintiff it is argued that there is really but one cause of action against W. J. Thompson, principal on both bonds; and that the bonds are sued upon merely as securities for plaintiff’s single *156 claim. It is argued also that the first bond covered the action during its pendency in the district court and on through the appeal here; that the second bond, given on the appeal from the district court to this court, covers a part of the same period, and so all defendant sureties are affected. Without suggesting that the first proposition is not -well taken, we hold that the second is sound.

The first bond, which stayed the judgment of restitution, G-. S. 1923 (2 Mason, 1927) § 9158, was conditioned for the payment of all costs entered against defendant W. J. Thompson; for his payment of “all rents and other damages justly accruing to” plaintiff while “excluded from possession of said premises during the pend-ency of said appeal”; and also that W. J. Thompson should “abide the order” of the court therein. When the action, by appeal on questions of law and fact, was transferred to the district court, it was there for trial “in the same manner as if commenced” there. G. S. 1923 (2 Mason, 1927) § 9131. It could not be remanded to the justice court. It would remain pending in the district court, or here on appeal, to the end. The words of the statute and the bond, “during the pendency of the appeal,” must therefore be considered as meaning “during the pendency” of the action. It was not interrupted by the appeal, nor at an end until final judgment in the district court, January 2, 1930. Then, and not until then, was there a compelled end of the wrongful possession of defendant W. J. Thompson and a restitution of possession .to plaintiff.

The second supersedeas bond accompanying the appeal to this court was conditioned in part, again in compliance with statute, G. S. 1923 (2 Mason, 1927) § 9500, for the payment by W. J. Thompson of “the damages sustained by the respondent [plaintiff] in consequence” of the appeal. Thereby the sureties became liable for damages arising from continuance of the wrongful possession so that their obligation overlapped that of the sureties on the first bond. That is enough to show that both sets of sureties were so ■ far affected that there was no misjoinder.

There is no question here of how these two sets of sureties must share liability for costs. That was the main problem in Hinckley *157 v. Kreitz, 58 N. Y. 583, much, stressed for defendants. Here we are concerned only with the underlying liability, shared by both sets of sureties after the second bond Avas given, to indemnify plaintiff for his wrongful exclusion from possession. In that, this case is much like Bennett v. Brown, 20 N. Y. 99 (distinguished in Hinckley v. Kreitz, 58 N. Y. 583, 587,) where an attachment bond was held to extend, through an appeal, to “final recovery in the action.”

When on his appeal to the district court defendant W. J. Thompson, to stay judgment of restitution, gave the first bond, crops were groAving on the farm which he harvested and sold. The thing which then entitled plaintiff to possession Avas that, as OAvner of the legal title, he had just completed cancelation of an executory contract for sale and conveyance of the land to defendant W. J. Thompson. If the history of that contract is material, it appears fully enough at 179 Minn. 73, 228 N. W. 340.

Plaintiff cannot be compelled to take rental value alone, to the exclusion of that of the 1928 crops as the measure of his damage. He was absolutely entitled to possession of farm and crops, growing and unsevered. Defendant W. J. Thompson had no right, legal or equitable, to either the land or growing crops. Were Ave at liberty to consider equities, his would not weigh heavily. He had been granted liberal terms by plaintiff; and when in the spring of 1928 he planted the crops in question, he took his own chances. He speculated on his ability to comply with the contract and so continue in possession. Such a vendee, whose contract is lawfully canceled, has no more right to emblements than the mortgagor under a mortgage so foreclosed that the right of redemption expires while crops planted by the mortgagor are groAving. The-purchaser takes the crops to the exclusion of mortgagor and his assigns (Hensler v. Warneka, 169 Minn. 468, 211 N. W. 680) unless the mortgagee has done something to vest in the mortgagor a right which the law does not give him. Schuchard v. St. Anthony & D. Elev. Co. 176 Minn. 37, 222 N. W. 292.

For defendants, Woodcock v. Carlson, 41 Minn. 542, 544, 43 N. W. 479, 480, is cited. The title of crops there discussed Avas governed *158 by a lease during the term of which they were grown. It did not reserve to the lessor any right of reentry for nonpayment of rent.

“It must be remembered,” said the court, stressing that feature, “that the right to reenter for nonpayment of rent is not incident to the estate of the lessor at common law, but must be reserved in the lease.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
240 N.W. 111, 185 Minn. 154, 1932 Minn. LEXIS 723, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/roehrs-v-thompson-minn-1932.