Sanders v. Eckman

17 Pa. D. & C. 67, 1931 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 281
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Northumberland County
DecidedMay 4, 1931
DocketNo. 746
StatusPublished

This text of 17 Pa. D. & C. 67 (Sanders v. Eckman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Northumberland County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sanders v. Eckman, 17 Pa. D. & C. 67, 1931 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 281 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1931).

Opinion

Lloyd, J.,

— The above proceeding is before us on certiorari and exceptions to the record of C. B. Wilvert, an alderman of the City of Sun-bury, Pa. The record shows a suit instituted by W. J. Sanders against the defendant to recover the cost of repairs to the chimney of a dwelling leased by Sanders to the defendant; that the defendant while a tenant of the plaintiff attached the one end of a heavy serial to the said chimney and the other end to a tree; that during a wind storm the shaking of the tree caused the said aerial to pull down a portion of the chimney; that the defendant failed to make the repairs to the chimney and that plaintiff instituted suit to recover the sum of $4.75 as the cost thereof; that a summons issued from the alderman to Frank Withington, constable of Snydertown, Northumberland County, Pa., and was by him served on the defendant; that there was no appearance by the defendant; that after hearing testimony on behalf of the plaintiff a judgment was publicly rendered against the defendant for the sum of $4.75, together with costs. The defendant thereupon caused a certiorari to issue and assigns in support the following exceptions:

“1. The copy of the summons served on L. C. Eckman shows on its face that it was not addressed to any constable whatsoever.

“2. The record of the alderman shows that the summons was served by a constable of the Borough of Snydertown, whereas the alderman being an aider-man of the City of Sunbury, under the law the summons should have been directed to a constable of the City of Sunbury.

“3. The copy of the summons served on L. C. Eckman was not a true copy and attested copy as required by the act of assembly. (A true copy of the summons served being hereto attached and made a part hereof.)

“4. The return of the constable does not show on whom the summons was served, it simply stating ‘by handing a true and attested copy thereof of summons of L. C. Eckman to an adult member of his family at his dwelling house.’

[68]*68“5. The record shows that the alderman was without jurisdiction of the cause of action, for the reason that the action was brought in assumpsit, while an examination of the record shows the action to be one in trespass and not assumpsit.

“6. Because the proceeding to No. 412, December Term, 1929, being between the same parties for the same cause of action, as appears from an examination of the two records, is res ad judicata.

“7. Under Rule of Court 15, sections ‘ (n) ’ and £(o)’, page 27 of the rules of court, it is provided:

(n) When any matter on or proper for the argument list shall have been adjudicated without making express disposition of the costs incurred in and about such matter, the same shall be paid by the party against whom the adjudication was passed.’

“ £(o) Where a case has been discontinued or a nonsuit has been entered, a second suit against the same defendant for the same cause of action shall not be brought until the costs of the first suit have been fully paid.’

“A comparison of the record to No. 412, December Term, 1929, with the record now under consideration will disclose that the suit under consideration is against the same defendant and for the same cause of action. The record of the Court of Common Pleas of Northumberland County at No. 412, December Term, 1929, shows that the costs were not paid in said former suit as required by the rule of court. The suit must, therefore, be dismissed and judgment entered in favor of the defendant for costs.”

We shall consider the exceptions in the order presented.

Exceptions 1 and 2. Section 1 of the Act of April 27, 1911, P. L. 86, provides :

“That from and after the passage of this act, any summons issued by an alderman or justice of the peace may be directed to and served by any constable of the county within which said alderman or justice of the peace reside,” etc.

The record of the justice shows the issuance of a summons to Prank Withing-ton, constable of Snydertown, this county, and the summons returned by him is in part as follows:

“County of Northumberland, ss.

“The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

“To Prank Withington, Constable of Snydertown, Pa., Greeting:

“You are hereby commanded to summon L. C. Eckman, of Sunbury, Pa., in said County, to be and appear on the 19th day of August, 1930, between the hours of 2 and 3 o’clock P. M., before the subscriber,” etc.

The defendant, however, assails the summons on the ground that it was not addressed to any constable whatsoever and for our inspection has presented the summons which he says was served upon him, and in this summons no name of any constable appears. If called upon to determine the summons upon which service was had, we would unhesitatingly elect that presented by the defendant; but no useful purpose would be conserved thereby, for the certiorari brings before us nothing but the regularity of the record which may not be contradicted by evidence aliunde. Also, the constable’s return is a part of the record and as such is conclusive: Holly v. Travis, 267 Pa. 136. Moreover, a like situation was presented in the case of Paul v. Vankirk, 6 Binney 123,124. The court, in sustaining the service, there said:

“The act of assembly orders that the justice shall direct his warrant to the constable of the district. This execution is directed to ..........constable. It would have been more proper to direct it to the constable by name or to the [69]*69constable of the district generally; but it may be supported because it is admitted that it was executed by the constable of the district. The word constable with a blank cannot be said to be directed to a wrong constable, and may be understood as intended for the right one.”

Exception 3. The constable returned under oath that the copy of the summons served on the defendant was a true and attested copy. This return, as before noted, is a part of the record, imports verity and may not be contradicted by evidence aliunde: Holly v. Travis, supra. Moreover, a comparison of the copy alleged to have been served when compared with the summons returned by the justice shows them to be identical in all respects except that the name of the constable is omitted from the one alleged to have been served. The omission is not fatal, for the alderman may correct or amend his docket to conform to the facts even after the issuance of a certiorari: Barlement v. Mecke, 22 Pa. C. C. 126; Wertzler v. Herchelroth, 8 Dist. R. 423; Com. v. Huyett, 25 Dist. R. 631; The C. Wilderman Co. v. St. Mary’s Church of Plymouth, 13 Dist. R. 686.

Exception 4. Section 1 of the Act of July 9, 1901, P. L. 614, provides the method under which the service of a summons may be had. The return of the constable shows a service in the precise language of the act. Hence a good service. The return is sufficient without naming the individual upon whom the service was had.

Exception 5.

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Related

Darlington v. DeWald
45 A. 57 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1900)
Holly v. Travis
110 A. 230 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1920)
Long v. Fitzimmons
1 Watts & Serg. 530 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1841)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
17 Pa. D. & C. 67, 1931 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 281, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sanders-v-eckman-pactcomplnorthu-1931.