Stevens v. The Railroads

4 F. 97, 1880 U.S. App. LEXIS 2595
CourtUnited States Circuit Court
DecidedSeptember 18, 1880
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 4 F. 97 (Stevens v. The Railroads) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Circuit Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stevens v. The Railroads, 4 F. 97, 1880 U.S. App. LEXIS 2595 (uscirct 1880).

Opinion

Hahmond, D. J.

Those causes were called for trial at tlie regular call of the docket, and set for hearing, by consent of parties, for September 6, 1880. On that day the plaintiffs moved to dismiss their suits upon payment of the costs, “with[98]*98out prejudice to the bringing of another suit, at law or in equity, concerning any of the matters involved therein.” The defendants resist this motion, and deny that the plaintiffs can dismiss at all, because by the record it appears that they have acquired rights by the defences they set up, as against these plaintiffs, which would be prejudiced by the dismissal. It is needless, in our view of the case, to state the facts relied on by defendants to take the case out of the ordinary rule allowing a plaintiff to dismiss at pleasure, because the plaintiffs do not ask to dismiss generally, but only without prejudice. It may be stated, however, that it. is not claimed that any decree has been made which prevents a dismissal, but only that by the pleadings and the record it appears that certain defences have been made and peculiar circumstances exist which make it inequitable to allow a dismissal without a hearing on the ' merits, so that their rights may be declared and protected by proper decrees, both against the plaintiffs and as between the defendants themselves.

The general proposition is laid down in the books that the plaintiff may move to dismiss his own bill, with costs, as a matter of course, at any time before decree. The ordinary form of the decree is that, “upon motion of the plaintiff he has leave to dismiss his bill upon payment of the costs,” or that “upon payment of costs to be-taxed the bill stand dismissed.” 2 Hoff. Ch. Pr. Appdx. form No. 117; 1 Id. 328, note. It seems to be a conditional order, and depends upon actual payment of costs to give it effect, unless the defendant chooses to treat the bill as dismissed, and takes steps to enforce it as a judgment for the costs. But what effect will be given to a decree dismissing a bill on plaintiff’s motion, when such decree is set up in bar of a subsequent suit for the same cause of action between the same parties, is not well settled. Babb v. Mackey, 10 Wis. 314, 371. It is because of this doubt, perhaps, that the plaintiffs here ask the extraordinary order that this voluntary dismissal shall be “without prejudice” to the bringing of another suit at law or equity concerning any of the matters involved herein. The only reason assigned for this form of decree is that, such being the effect of a voluntary dismissal, [99]*99it is therefore proper to allow a decree authorizing another suit to be brought.

The learned counsel for plaintiffs produces’much authority to establish his right to bring another^suit if this be voluntarily dismissed, and asks tho court now to determine that question by inserting a judgment on it in his favor in the decree of dismissal. The proper occasion to adjudicate that question will be when the second suit shall be brought, and the decree on the first shall be pleaded in bar to its further prosecution. It is manifestly improper to rule upon it now. If the plaintiffs’ assumption of the law be correct, they do not need to add to the decree that it shall be without prejudice to their right to bring another suit; and, unless there be some special circumstance requiring the court to depart from the usual form of decree in such cases, it would not he just to the defendants to prejudge their right to plead a voluntary dismissal in bar of another suit. In Vaneman v. Fairbrother, 1 Blackf. (Ind.) 541, the court refused the plaintiff’s motion to dismiss “without prejudice,” and inserted in tho decree that it was dismissed “with prejudice.” The plaintiff appealed because the order was not granted in the form he asked. The supreme court very sensibly said: “Had the order of dismission contained the words ‘without prejudice,’ as desired by complainant, it would have afforded no more security to Ms rights than it would without them; and the insertion of the words ‘with prejudice,’ as insisted on by tho court, does not render the order of dismission peremptory, like a decree of dismission on the merits. Either set of words is unmeaning in an order of dismissal, on the motion of complainant, without a final hearing, as it would have been had tho cause been dismissed, on motion of the defendants, for want of prosecution.”

After a hearing, either upon demurrer or final hearing, it may he and often is very important to determine whether a dismissal shall he without prejudice; and whore the plaintiff has made some slip and finds himself caught in the predicament of having his cause heard imperfectly by reason of some defect of pleading or parties, ox misconception of the [100]*100form of the proceeding or want of jurisdiction, be may be entitled to such a decree. Hughes v. U. S. 4 Wall. 232; Kendig v. Dean, 97 U. S. 423; Clay v. Rufford, 19 Eng. L. & Eq. 350. We need not go into an examination of this class of eases, and it is sufficient to state that generally, where the plaintiff is without fault and justice would require it, he will be allowed to amend or bring a new suit. It may be that in that class of cases where, if a hearing were had, the court would feel authorized to exercise its discretion and order a dismissal without prejudice, the plaintiff might, on discovering the defect, voluntarily dismiss; and, to save all possible question of his right to bring another suit, the court would possibly allow him to dismiss without prejudice. Lester v. Leather, 1 De G. & J. 360-361. In the case now under consideration no suggestion is made of any circumstance like those mentioned to invoke the discretion of the court in favor of such a decree. Motion denied.

September 20, 1880. The foregoing decision having been announced, the plaintiffs moved to dismiss, in the common form, upon the payment of costs. The defendants insist that this cannot now be done without prejudicing their rights in a way that will make it inequitable to grant this motion. These are bills filed by certain holders of bonds of the state of Tennessee to enforce against the railroads named as defendants a lien which the bills claim exists in their favor on the railroad property now in the hands of the present owners of the roads. Other defendants are persons called in the argument “substitution” bond holders, who own bonds of the railroad companies issued since the bonds of the state that the plaintiffs hold. It appears ,by the records, and by affidavits filed on the hearing of this motion, that these suits are three of some twenty suits in all filed in this district, and the other federal judicial districts of Tennessee, against all the railroads in the state affected by the alleged lien. The cases have all been prepared for trial in a very elaborate manner, and, being set for hearing, have been all tried, by agreement, except these [101]*101three before the court at Nashville, and are now awaiting judgment. Counsel disagreed as to these three, and they were called for trial regularly at the beginning of this term, and passed, for the mutual accommodation of counsel, to enable them to reach some basis of agreement for their trial.

The defendants continuing to urge a hearing, the cases were, by stipulation between the counsel in writing, set for trial on the sixth of September, unless the plaintiffs should show causo for continuance.

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Bluebook (online)
4 F. 97, 1880 U.S. App. LEXIS 2595, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stevens-v-the-railroads-uscirct-1880.