Rowe v. Thompson

6 Pa. D. & C. 133, 1924 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 428
Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Greene County·Decided August 4, 1924·No. No. 250·Published

Opinion

Ray, P. J.,

This is a proceeding in equity. The bill of complaint was filed Nov. 13, 1923. On the same day, on motion of the attorneys for plaintiff, the court made an order directing service of the bill on the defendants, both of whom live out of the jurisdiction of the court, the defendant Thompson in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and the defendant Campbell in Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio. Service of the bill was duly made upon the defendants and duly returned in accordance with the provisions of the Act of April 6, 1859, P. L. 387, the Act of May 17, 1921, P. L. 899, and the Act of May 19, 1923, P. L. 272, except that it is denied that the defendant Thompson was served with a copy of the order of the court authorizing service of the bill upon him, as required by the said Act of 1859.

On Dec. 10, 1923, the defendant Thompson, by his attorneys, Kyle and Rinehart, under a special appearance entered by leave of court, moved the court to vacate the order of Nov. 13, 1923, and in support of the said motion assigned, inter alia, the following reasons:

“2. The said bill of complaint was served upon the defendant, J. V. Thompson, on November 24, 1923, in Fayette County, by W. C. Bishop, a Deputy Sheriff of Fayette County; but no copy of the said order authorizing the service of said bill was served upon the defendant, J. V. Thompson, as required by the said Act of April 6, 1859.
“3. That it appears in and by the said bill of complaint so served upon the defendant, J. V. Thompson, that the principal defendant in the said bill is the said J. V. Thompson, and that the defendant, James A. Campbell, has no real interest in the subject-matter of the said suit, but occupies the position of a stake-holder only.
“4. It further appears in the said bill that the said suit in equity is not concerning goods, chattels, lands, tenements or hereditaments, or for the perpetuating of testimony concerning lands, tenements, etc., situate and being within the jurisdiction of this court, or concerning any charge, lien, judgment, mortgage or encumbrance thereon.
“5. It appears by the said bill that the same is concerning a claim by the plaintiff against the defendant, Josiah V. Thompson, on certain alleged cove[134] nants of warranty in a deed, and that the plaintiff seeks by the said bill in equity to recover from the said Josiah V. Thompson a large sum of money which plaintiff alleges is due and owing to her from the said Josiah V. Thompson by reason of the failure of title to a certain tract of coal land in Cumberland Township, which she alleges was conveyed by the said Josiah V. Thompson to her by a general warranty.
“6. That in and by the first paragraph of the prayer of the said petition, plaintiff prays that it be ordered, adjudged and decreed that the defendant, James A. Campbell, convey by proper deed and assurance to your orator certain lands, situate in Greene County, and that the said prayer is a prayer for a personal decree against James A. Campbell.
“7. That in and by the second paragraph of the prayer of said bill, plaintiff prays that it be ordered, adjudged and decreed that the defendant, Josiah V. Thompson, make, execute and deliver to the plaintiff any necessary paper or assurance to vest in her the title to certain real estate described in said bill, and that this is a prayer for a personal decree against said Thompson.
“8. That in and by the third paragraph of the prayer of said bill, plaintiff prays that it may be ordered, adjudged and decreed that defendant Thompson is liable on his warranty, above referred to, in the sum of $22,500, with interest from Nov. 24, 1913, together with the expense and counsel fees incurred in the defence of the title, aggregating $8241.12, with interest from the time of bringing this suit, and it, therefore, appears that this suit is brought to recover said sum from the said defendant, and for no other purpose.
“9. That it appears in and by the said bill of complaint, that this court did not have jurisdiction, under the said Act of April 6, 1859, to make an order directing the service of the bill of complaint upon the defendants outside of the jurisdiction of this court.
“Wherefore, the defendant, Josiah V. Thompson, prays the court to vacate the order made on the 13th day of November, 1923, directing that service might be made upon him in Payette County, Pennsylvania, and upon defendant, James A. Campbell, in Mahoning County, Ohio, and to set aside (a) the service of the bill of complaint upon the defendant, Josiah Y. Thompson, and (b) the service of the bill of complaint and any other papers, if any such service has been made, upon the defendant, James A. Campbell, and to render such other and further relief in the premises as the nature of the case may require.”

Thereupon the court awarded the pending rule upon the plaintiff “to show cause why the order of this court, directing service upon the defendant, Josiah V. Thompson, in Payette County, Pennsylvania, and upon the defendant, James A. Campbell, in Mahoning County, Ohio, should not be vacated and the service of the bill and all other papers upon the said defendants, or either of them, in pursuance to said order, quashed and set aside.”

The principal facts set up in the bill of complaint, upon which the plaintiff bases her prayer for relief, briefly stated, are as follows:

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Rowe v. Thompson, 6 Pa. D. & C. 133, 1924 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 428 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1924).

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