Scott v. Vulcan Iron Works Co.

1911 OK 281, 122 P. 186, 31 Okla. 334, 1912 Okla. LEXIS 56
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJuly 11, 1911
Docket735
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 1911 OK 281 (Scott v. Vulcan Iron Works Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Scott v. Vulcan Iron Works Co., 1911 OK 281, 122 P. 186, 31 Okla. 334, 1912 Okla. LEXIS 56 (Okla. 1911).

Opinion

HAYES, J.

This is an action in replevin, instituted by defendant in error, plaintiff in the court below, against plaintiff in error, defendant below, to recover the possession of a certain steam shovel, and damages for its detention. The action was originally brought in the United States Court for the Southern District of the Indian Territory, at Tishomingo, before the admission of the state. Upon the admission of the state, it was transferred under the provisions of the Enabling Act and the Schedule to the Constittuion to the district court of Johnston county, where a trial to a jury was had. The trial resulted in a verdict and judgment in favor of plaintiff. Plaintiff commenced the action by filing in the court below a pleading designated an “affidavit” together with a bond, and caused a writ of replevin and summons to issue, which were served and the property .in controversy was taken into possession of the marshal, who, after retaining bon<i had been executed and delivered to him by defendant, returned the property to defendant. The only attempt of plaintiff to file any complaint or other pleading when the action was begun consists of the instrument filed by him, designated an “affidavit,” which is as follows:

“In the United States Court at Tishomingo, Southern District Indian Territory before the Honorable Hosea Townsend, Judge. The Vulcan Iron Works Co., Plaintiff, v. William J. Scott, Defendant. The plaintiff, the Vulcan Iron W°ks Company, states that the property claimed by them in this court is one Giant, Class D, steam Shovel, No. 1087, and is worth $8,-750.00, $3,000.00 of which has been paid, and for the detention of said shovel they believe that they ought to recover $6,157.00. *337 That they are the owners of said steam shovel and are entitled to the immediate possession of the same. That the said steam shovel is wrongfully detained by the defendant, William J. Scott. That plaintiff’s cause of action herein accrued within one year past. Q. D. Gibbs, Attorney for Plaintiff.”

After the return of the writ by the marshal, defendant ap-. peared and moved the court to quash the writ upon the ground that no sufficient affidavit as required by statute had been filed. Upon a hearing of this motion, the court found that the complaint and affidavit were sufficient, but allowed plaintiff to amend by filing separate complaint and affidavit. To this action of the court no exception was taken, but, upon the filing by plaintiff separately his amended complaint and amended affidavit, motion was made by defendant to strike them from the files, and also a motion to quash the writ and dismiss the action, because there was never any original complaint filed, and the action for said reason never commenced. To the overruling of these motions, exceptions were taken and saved by defendant, and we think same sufficient to present the question whether upon plaintiff’s filing the foregoing instrument designated “affidavit,” and having summons issued, an action was thereby commenced sufficient to authorize the issuance of the writ of replevin. All questions presented by this appeal, regulated by statute, are determined by the statutes in force in the Indian Territory prior to the admission of the state, and we therefore must look to said statutes for answers of such questions. One of those statutes provides that in an action to recover the possession of specific personal property plaintiff may, at the commencement of the action, or at any time before judgment, claim the immediate delivery of the property by filing in the office of the clerk an affidavit showing certain things specified by the statute and by executing and filing a bond, conditioned as by statute provided. Sections 5571-5575, Mansf. Dig. (Ind. T. Ann. St. 1899, secs. 3542-3546').

Section 4967 of the same statute (section 3172) defines an action to be commenced by filing in the office of the clerk, a complaint and causing a summons to be issued thereon. It is contended by plaintiff in error that no complaint was filed in *338 this action before the attempted issuance of summons, and for said reason no action has ever been commenced. Defendant in error, on the other hand, contends that the instrument designated “affidavit” filed by it contains all the necessary elements of a complaint, and that it should be held to include both the com- • plaint and an affidavit, and to be sufficient to authorize the' issuance of a summons, and to sustain this action. This question does not appear to have been determined by the Supreme Court of Arkansas before the adoption of the statute into the Indian Territory in any case that arose in the circuit courts of that state; but it was considered and determined in cases that arose in courts of justices of the peace. Hanner v. Bailey, 30 Ark. 681; Hawes v. Robinson, 44 Ark. 308. We think these cases decisive of the question.

Chapter 91, Mansf. Dig. (Inch T. Ann. St. 1899, c. 41), defines the jurisdiction of courts of justices of the peace, and regulates the procedure in such courts. One of the sections of that chapter provides that ordinary actions shall be commenced by summons, but, before the summons is issued, the plaintiff shall file with the justice the account, the written contract, or a short written statement of the facts on which the action is founded. Section 2716. But another section of said chapter provides that the provisions of said chapter are not intended to govern the proceedings of justice courts in replevin actions, but that in such actions the rules of procedure then in force or that might thereafter be in force in the circuit courts, so far as they are applicable, shall govern justices’ courts. Section 4124, Mansf. Dig. (Ind. T. Ann. St. 1899, sec. 2804). This section clearly requires all rules of procedure in replevin actions in the justices’ courts and in the circuit courts to be the same where the rules in the circuit courts may be made applicable to the justices’ courts. In Hanner v. Bailey, supra, an affidavit in an action of replevin was filed before a justice of the peace, but no separate complaint or statement of facts constituting plaintiff’s cause of action was filed. The affidavit filed contained the facts upon which the action was founded, and it was held that such affidavit served the office of both complaint and affidavit, and that the statute requiring a writ *339 ten statement of the facts upon which the action was based had been substantially complied with. In Hawes v. Robinson, supra, it was said:

“In a justice of the peace’s court the first object of the affidavit is to procure the order of delivery. When that is accomplished, it has performed its office as an affidavit, and thereafter serves as a complaint.”

No reason appears why this rule applied to a replevin action in the justice’s court would not be applicable in the district courts, or that this rule was adopted because a different rule should apply in the circuit courts which was not applicable to the justice’s court. It is also in harmony with the rule adopted by the Supreme Court of that state in attachment proceedings under a similar statute.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Reed v. Reed
304 P.2d 590 (Montana Supreme Court, 1956)
Warren v. Pulley
1943 OK 248 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1943)
International Harvester Co. v. Snider
1939 OK 162 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1939)
Inner Shoe Tire Co. v. Tondro
257 P. 211 (California Court of Appeal, 1927)
Long v. Ideal Elec. & Mfg. Co.
1926 OK 357 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1926)
Massey-Harris Harvester Co. v. Hammer
244 P. 1043 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1926)
Advance-Rumely Thresher Co. v. Yancy
1924 OK 686 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1924)
Reed v. Fichencord
1923 OK 841 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1923)
Nunn v. Brillhart
242 S.W. 459 (Texas Commission of Appeals, 1922)
Seneca Co. v. Darnell
1921 OK 140 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1921)
Moline Plow Co. v. Adair
1919 OK 184 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1919)
Voris v. Hall
1918 OK 528 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1918)
Moline Plow Co. v. Wilson
1918 OK 373 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1918)
Remsberg v. Hackney Manufacturing Co.
164 P. 792 (California Supreme Court, 1917)
Remington Typewriter Co. v. Rutherford
1916 OK 309 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1916)
Updegrove v. Gould Balance Valve Co.
1916 OK 195 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1916)
T. H. Rogers Lumber Co. v. M. W. Judd Lumber Co.
1915 OK 923 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1915)
Mann v. Ridenhour
1915 OK 344 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1915)
Best Manufacturing Co. v. Hutton
141 P. 653 (Montana Supreme Court, 1914)
St. Louis S. F. R. Co. v. Long
1913 OK 751 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1913)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1911 OK 281, 122 P. 186, 31 Okla. 334, 1912 Okla. LEXIS 56, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/scott-v-vulcan-iron-works-co-okla-1911.