United States v. Dickson

188 P.2d 677, 29 Wash. 2d 678, 1948 Wash. LEXIS 447
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 15, 1948
DocketNo. 30409
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 188 P.2d 677 (United States v. Dickson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Dickson, 188 P.2d 677, 29 Wash. 2d 678, 1948 Wash. LEXIS 447 (Wash. 1948).

Opinion

Jeffers, J.

J. G. Dickson was, by an order of the superior court for Pierce county, entered November 9, 1944, appointed receiver of the Henry Mill & Timber Company, a corporation, in a voluntary dissolution proceeding. The United States of America voluntarily became a party to the action by filing therein a claim for damages arising from the alleged breach by the mill company of a construction contract entered into between the United States and the mill company.

The claim was contested by the receiver, and, after a hearing, the trial court, on June 30, 1947, entered an order [679]*679rejecting and disallowing the claim and every part thereof. The United States filed a notice of appeal from the above order on July 29, 1947, and on the same day counsel for the receiver acknowledged receipt of a copy of such notice. Appellant did not file an appeal bond, or make a deposit of money in lieu thereof, within the time required by Rem. Rev. Stat., § 1721 [P.P.C. § 5-15], or at all.

Respondent, receiver, has moved in this court to dismiss the attempted appeal, because of the failure of appellant to comply, with § 1721, supra, and Rule of Supreme Court 6 (1), 18 Wn. (2d) 6-a.

This appeal raises but one question, which may be stated as follows: When the United States voluntarily submits itself to the jurisdiction of a superior court of the state of Washington in a civil proceeding, and thereafter and after a hearing such court enters a judgment or appealable order contrary to the contentions made by the United States, and the United States seeks to appeal to this court from such judgment or order, must the United States, in order to perfect such appeal and give this court jurisdiction to hear and determine the appeal, comply with the section and rule hereinbefore referred to, the same as any other litigant?

Rem. Rev. Stat., § 1721, provides:

“An appeal in a civil action or proceeding shall become ineffectual for any purpose unless at or before the time when the notice of appeal is given or served, or within five days thereafter, an appeal bond to the adverse party conditioned for the payment of costs and damages as prescribed in section 1722, be filed with the clerk of the superior court, or money in the sum of two hundred dollars be deposited with the clerk in lieu thereof. But no bond or deposit shall be required when the appeal is taken by the state, or by a county, city, town or school district thereof, or by a defendant in a criminal action.” (Italics ours.)

Rule of Supreme Court 6 provides:

“(1) Bond on appeal or a supersedeas bond must be given when required by Rem. Rev. Stat., §§ 1721, 1722 [P.C. §§ 7295, 7296].”

[680]*680It will be noticed that the United States is not named among those excepted from the operation of § 1721, supra.

We have repeatedly held that the giving of an appeal bond as required by the statute is a jurisdictional step in the perfecting of an appeal, and that the failure to give such a bond compels a dismissal of the appeal. We stated in Public Utility Dist. No. 1 v. Girard, 198 Wash. 149, 87 P. (2d) 287:

“The record discloses that no appeal bond was given as provided by Rem. Rev. Stat., §§ 1721, 1722 [P.C. §§ 7295, 7296], and Rule VI (1), Rules of the Supreme Court, 193 Wash. 6-a.
“The giving of bond on appeal is jurisdictional [citing cases], and the failure of appellants to give one compels dismissal of the appeal.”

In Evans v. Swisher, 12 Wn. (2d) 535, 122 P. (2d) 503, after quoting § 1721, supra, we stated:

“This statutory requirement is, by reference, reiterated by Rule VI (1), Rules of the Supreme Court, 193 Wash. 6-a.
“In this instance, no bond was filed, nor was any deposit. of cash made, by either of the appellants [drainage district and county treasurer]. The requirements of the statute and of the rule are jurisdictional, and a failure to comply with them renders an appeal ineffectual for any purpose and therefore subject to dismissal. Peddicord v. Lieser, 5 Wn. (2d) 190, 105 P. (2d) 5.
“The drainage district does not come within any of the exempted classes named in the statute, although there might seem as much reason for excepting such districts from the operation of the statute as for favoring school districts in that way. But that is a matter for the legislature to determine, and under the statute as it presently exists the appeal of the drainage district must be dismissed.” (Italics ours.)

It may be stated that, while we also dismissed the appeal of the county treasurer, it was not dismissed for the reason that the treasurer had failed to file an appeal bond.

Appellant states in its brief:

“It is the contention of the United States that being a part of the state government it should not be treated as ‘any other litigant’ when it appears in the maintenance of its [681]*681rights in the courts of the land. It does not divest itself of its sovereignty, except in so far as to authorize the state tribunal to pass on its claim. United States v. Barber, supra [17 Sergeant & Rawle (Pa.) 348]
“Because there is no statute which by provision or implication supports the proposition that an appeal bond is required in such case of the United States it must be the government’s contention that the respondent’s motion should be denied.”

We find the following statement in 4 C. J. S. 979, § 517:

“Federal statutes, under which the United States, or officers representing the United States, are exempt from the necessity of filing an appeal bond or security for costs ■in an appeal in a federal court or in the court of appeals in the District of Columbia, do not apply to proceedings in territorial (72) or state (73) courts. Hence the United States, when prosecuting an appeal in a state court, is generally required to file an appeal bond, (74) notwithstanding comity between the state and the United States; (75) but in some states this has been held to be unnecessary. (76)”

Under note No. 72, the case of U. S. v. Choctaw O. & G. R. Co., 3 Okla. 404, 41 Pac. 729, is cited; under note No. 73, the case of Bryson v. Payne, 232 S. W. (Tex. Civ. App.) 362, is cited; and under note No. 74 are cited In re Elkin's Estate, 36 Ariz. 334, 285 Pac. 281, State v. United States, 8 Black-ford’s (Ind.) 252, and Bryson v. Payne, supra. The case of In re Elkin's Estate, supra, is also cited under note No. 75.

The only case cited under note No. 76 is the case of United States v. Barber, 17 Sergeant & Rawle (Pa.) 348, and this is the case relied upon by appellant to sustain its contention that; as a sovereign power, it should not be classed as “any other litigant,” when it appears in the maintenance of its rights in the courts of the land, because there is no statute in this state which, by provision or implication, supports the proposition that an appeal bond is required of the United States in such case. ■

Before discussing some of the cited cases, we desire to quote the following statement found in 54 Am. Jur. 627, § 116:

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Related

In Re Henry Mill Timber Co.
188 P.2d 677 (Washington Supreme Court, 1948)

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Bluebook (online)
188 P.2d 677, 29 Wash. 2d 678, 1948 Wash. LEXIS 447, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-dickson-wash-1948.