Urbano v. Ouimet Stay & Leather Co.

242 N.E.2d 878, 355 Mass. 32, 1968 Mass. LEXIS 736
CourtMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
DecidedDecember 9, 1968
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 242 N.E.2d 878 (Urbano v. Ouimet Stay & Leather Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Urbano v. Ouimet Stay & Leather Co., 242 N.E.2d 878, 355 Mass. 32, 1968 Mass. LEXIS 736 (Mass. 1968).

Opinion

Whittemore, J.

These causes concern (a) three leases made early in 1961 under which Frank and Josephine Urbano (lessors) leased to Ouimet Stay & Leather Co. (lessee) for five year terms premises at 157 Center Street, Brockton, and (b) judgments for unpaid rent obtained by the lessors in the District Court of Brockton. The lessee in several causes subsequent to the entry of the District Court judgments attempted both defensively and offensively to set up equitable rights allegedly arising under or in connection with the leases. A basic question is whether the issues involved were res judicata because of the District Court judgments and underlying findings.

The lessee set out its equitable rights, with some variations between the cases, in substantially the following terms: In 1961 it leased premises from the lessors; in the negotiation for the three leases, the lessors knew that the lessee had to have an elevator for continuous use and reasonable heat during cold weather; the lessors represented that there was an elevator on the premises in excellent condition and that there was an adequate heating system sufficient to supply adequate heat and they would guarantee to supply necessary heat and elevator service; the representations were false; adequate heat was not supplied in cold weather and the elevator was regularly out of order; in the winter of 1962 the lessors, after the lessee’s protests and in consideration of its agreement not to move, agreed to make necessary changes in the heating system and to renovate the elevator and if necessary install a new one; also, if the lessee was not satisfied it could move and the lessors would pay all its expenses; the lessors did not carry out their agreement and in the winter of 1962-1963 the premises were so cold and the elevator so frequently out of order that in January, 1963, after notice to the lessors that it would have [35]*35to do so, the lessee moved to other premises and was damaged and has not been paid its expenses.

1. We notice first the bill in equity brought by the lessee, December 6, 1965, alleging, inter aha, its equitable rights and praying that the leases be declared void. The bill also alleged that in three actions at law in the District Court of Brockton for rent and damages in which the lessors had judgments, special precepts of attachment by trustee process had been unlawfully issued so that that court had been deprived of jurisdiction. It prayed that the judgments be adjudged void.

A demurrer alleged that the bill was multifarious and that the allegations in respect of the District Court proceedings were vague and indefinite. This was rightly sustained. The bill was plainly multifarious. Defiance Printed Circuit Corp. v. Goodwin, 337 Mass. 473.

There was no error in denying a motion to amend by striking from the bill the prayers in respect of the leases and the plaintiff’s damages. This amendment would have left a bill still multifarious and confusing in its allegations. But, further, disregarding the allegations as to the leases, the bill would have been demurrable. The bill alleges that while there were pending petitions to establish reports the lessors filed motions to record judgments and for the issuance of executions; that the motions were allowed on December 4, 1964, and that thereafter the lessee filed a draft report in respect of rulings in connection with the motions for judgment and that this was disallowed and later the lessee filed a petition to establish the draft report; also that on December 7, 1964, the clerk unlawfully issued executions and the lessors had collected a sum of money from the trustee.

Assuming, without deciding, that the court record was such that valid judgments could not enter and that the lessee had acted seasonably within the rules to obtain review of the allowance of the motions for judgment, the issuance of the executions did not foreclose challenge to the validity of the judgments. The lessee, however, shows no basis for doing this in a bill in equity in the Superior [36]*36Court. We need not decide as to the proper proceedings. See Patrick v. Dunbar, 297 Mass. 40, 41 (motion in the same proceedings); Burnham v. Clerk of the First Dist. Court of Essex, 352 Mass. 466 (mandamus); G. L. c. 250, § 22, Reubens v. Boston Fed. Sav. & Loan Assn. 342 Mass. 483, 485-487, Quincy v. Brooks-Skinner, Inc. 325 Mass. 406, 411-412, 416 (writ of review); Bennett v. Powell, 284 Mass. 246, 249, Mahoney v. Bernstein, 353 Mass. 649, 652-653 (writ of error).

2. The lessors on April 4, 1966, filed a bill in equity setting out twelve judgments in the District Court of Brockton alleging that executions thereunder had been returned unsatisfied, and praying that a receiver be appointed.

The answer included a counterclaim setting up the equitable defences. The lessors’ motion to strike was allowed in part, so as to leave in the counterclaim the allegations that there was an agreement in 1962 to make good the heat and the elevator service, that it had not been performed, and that the lessee had been obliged to leave the premises. The lessee appealed from this partial allowance of the motion.

To the counterclaim the lessors filed a plea in bar setting up the three judgments and the underlying findings shown by an attached certified copy. The plea was allowed on October 3, 1966. The lessee appealed. The judge declined a report of material facts as “no evidence [was] presented and I found no facts.”

The lessee on October 13, 1966, filed a motion to vacate the interlocutory decree sustaining the plea in bar on the ground that, as asserted in the affidavit of counsel attached, the equitable claims set out in the counterclaim had not been set forth in any answer or pleadings in defence in the three District Court of Brockton actions and no evidence had been offered on the issues. This motion was denied on October 17 and the lessee appealed.

The court allowed the lessors’ motion to amend the bill by adding a prayer for an order that $20,000 that had been deposited by the lessee with the clerk of court be applied in satisfaction of the executions. Appropriate allegations, also [37]*37added, by amendment, recited that, after hearing on the prayers for a temporary injunction and temporary receiver, the court had ordered that the lessee deposit $20,000 with the clerk, that upon such payment a temporary restraining order that had been issued would be dissolved and the prayers for injunction and a receiver would be denied, otherwise the injunction would be issued and the receiver appointed; and that the lessee had deposited the $20,000 as ordered.

The final decree, from which the lessee appealed, ordered that the clerk apply the money held by him in satisfaction of the judgments and return the balance to the lessee.

The motion to strike was rightly allowed and the plea in bar was rightly sustained. The District Court findings recite that the lessee had contended that the lessors had failed to comply with their covenants in the lease and that by acts of the lessors there was constructive eviction. The judge found that there was no credible evidence to sustain the contention and that the lessors had fully complied with the terms and provisions of the lease.

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Related

Community National Bank v. Dawes
340 N.E.2d 877 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1976)
Loew v. Minasian
280 N.E.2d 688 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1972)
Urbano v. Ouimet Stay & Leather Co.
261 N.E.2d 66 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1970)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
242 N.E.2d 878, 355 Mass. 32, 1968 Mass. LEXIS 736, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/urbano-v-ouimet-stay-leather-co-mass-1968.