Uihlein v. Gladieux

74 Ohio St. (N.S.) 232
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedMay 22, 1906
DocketNo. 9495
StatusPublished

This text of 74 Ohio St. (N.S.) 232 (Uihlein v. Gladieux) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Uihlein v. Gladieux, 74 Ohio St. (N.S.) 232 (Ohio 1906).

Opinion

Spear, J.

In its findings the circuit court found that the allegations of the petition respecting the suit and judgment before the justice and the filing of a transcript thereof with the clerk of the common pleas court, and the issue and levy of the execution on lot 577, were substantially true as stated. Also that the allegations of the answer respecting the origin, character and amount of the debt of Lucy Rogers to the Building Company, and the origin, character and amount of the debt of Lucy Rogers to the Brewing Company, and with respect to the notes and mortgages given the respective companies, and the filing and recording of said mortgages, and also with respect to the-proceedings in foreclosure brought by the Brewing Company, and the disposition of the money arising from the sale of lot 577, were also true. Also that Gladieux (defendant in error) was not a party to the above described foreclosure suit. It was further found, as shown by the transcript of the justice’s' docket, that the bill of particulars was filed June 15, 1896, summons returnable June 18, 9 a. m. ; that the parties defendant were described in the bill as “Wm. Rogers and Mrs. Win. Rogers, whose first name is unknown;” that the summons was returned June 16, showing service on the defendants by copy left at usual place of residence; they being absent, that June 18 at 9 a. m. the cause was continued to June 25, at 9 a. m. “by agreement;” that June 25, 9 a. m. the cause was continued to July 2d, 9 a. m. “by agreement;” that [247]*247July 2d, 9 a. m. the plaintiff and defendant, Wm. Rogers, appeared, and Wm. Rogers then confessed that he was .indebted to plaintiff in the sum claimed and asked that judgment be entered against him, but the defendant, Mrs. Wm. Rogers, whose first name is unknown, did not appear, nor for one hour thereafter; trial was then had. George Gladieux was sworn and examined on plaintiff’s behalf, .and upon consideration the justice found for the plaintiff, and rendered this judgment, viz.: “It is thereupon considered by me this second day of July, 1896, that the plaintiff have and recover of the defendant, Mrs. Wm. Rogers, whose first name is unknown, the sum of $150.25 and costs herein taxed at $5.60. ’ ’

It is apparent from these findings that the initial question to be determined is with respect to the legal validity of this judgment as a judgment against Lucy Rogers. Coming to the direct question, did the justice of the peace acquire jurisdiction over Lucy Rogers? She was sued as Mrs. Wm. Rogers whose first name is unknown, and the judgment was rendered with the same designation. Was it her name in law? The meaning of the word, name, is given as the distinctive appellation by which a person or thing is designated or known; or, as better given by another lexicographer, that by which an individual person or thing is designated and distinguished from others. The law recognizes one Christian name or given name and one family surname. Bouvier’s Law Diet., 467; 21 Am. & Eng. Ency. Law, 306. At marriage the wife takes the husband’s surname, and, to distinguish her from the husband, is called Mrs. or Mistress, not as a name but as a mere title; but otherwise her name is not changed. This person’s real and legal name, therefore, was Mrs. Lucy Rog[248]*248ers, and not Mrs. Wm. Rogers. True, the allegation is that she was then usually known in the community as Mrs. Wm. Rogers, hut the hill of particulars, the docket entries and the judgment itself all show that her real name was unknown to the plaintiff in the action before the justice and to the justice himself, for, since the first name was part of the actual name, and since they did not know that first name while stating that she had a first name, they did not know her name. She was, therefore, in the class of defendants whose real name is unknown, being sued by a name which was in effect fictitious. What, then, follows from this situation? Section 6475, Revised Statutes, provides that the summons “must contain the name or names of a defendant or defendants, if known; if unknown a description of him or them, and command the officer * * * to summon the defendant or defendants to appear before the justice,” etc. The summons does not appear in the record, but it could not have contained ' the name of the defendant, Lucy Rogers, for that was not known, and the attempted description (Mrs. Wm. Rogers), is at most exceedingly meagre. But passing that, what sort of service was necessary? Section 5118, Revised Statutes, (made applicable to this case by force of section 6705) provides that “when the plaintiff is ignorant of the name of a defendant, such defendant may be designated in any pleading or proceeding by any name and description, and when the true name is discovered the pleading or proceeding may be amended accordingly; and the plaintiff, in such case, must state, in the verification of his petition, that he could not discover the true name, and the summons must contain the words ‘real ■ name [249]*249unknown,’ and a copy thereof must be served personally upon the defendant.” The constable’s return shows service of the summons by leaving copy “at the defendants’ usual place of residence, they being absent.” There was, therefore, as it seems to us, no service such as is required by statute upon the defendant against whom judgment was rendered and unless this defect was cured it is. fatal to the validity of the judgment.

But it is claimed by defendant in error that this fault, if fault it was, was cured by the appearance of the defendant. Does the record show that there was such appearance? It shows by the transcript that there were two continuances “by agreement.” It is shown, also, that the defendant Wm. Rogers appeared in person; no such entry is made as to Mrs. Wm. Rogers. We are asked to draw the inference that, because the cause was continued “by agreement” Mrs. Rogers must have been present in court. Perhaps this might reasonably follow in support of a judgment of a court of general jurisdiction, but a justice’s court is not "such a court. The facts upon which its jurisdiction depends must be shown affirmatively. Robbins v. Clemmens, 41 Ohio St., 285. What is required with respect to entries, in a justice’s docket is prescribed by section 594, Revised Statutes. Among other things it must show which of the parties, if either, appears at the trial; also must show every adjournment, stating on whose application, whether on oath or consent, and to what day. The transcript fails to show affirmatively that Mrs. Wm. Rogers, first name unknown, appeared at any time, and is entirely consistent with the supposition that of the defendants Wm. Rogers only appeared, and that he only was a party to the [250]*250agreements to continue. She did not appear at the time of trial as the transcript affirmatively shows. We think the conclusion inevitable that the justice did not acquire jurisdiction of the person of Lucy Rogers, and if this be so the conclusion also follows that the judgment has no legal validity.

Attention is called to the finding of the circuit court to the effect that the Brewing Company learned of the claim of Grladieux, and of the filing of his transcript in the clerk’s office, at a time when only $115.00 of the $900.00 agreed to be loaned, had in fact been turned over to Lucy Rogers, and the claim is made that the Brewing Company should at most be protected to the extent only of said amount of $115.00.

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Bluebook (online)
74 Ohio St. (N.S.) 232, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/uihlein-v-gladieux-ohio-1906.