Valencia v. Couch

32 Cal. 339
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 1, 1867
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 32 Cal. 339 (Valencia v. Couch) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Valencia v. Couch, 32 Cal. 339 (Cal. 1867).

Opinion

By the Court, Sanderson, J.:

This action was brought to recover possession of a lot, thirty-eight by one hundred and thirty-two feet, in the City of San Francisco, under the provisions of the Act of the 2d of April, 1866, in relation to forcible entries and unlawful detainers. (Statutes 1865-6, p. 768.) The case was tried by the Court without a j ury. At the close of the testimony on the part of the plaintiffs, the defendant moved for judgment of nonsuit. Thereupon the plaintiffs moved for leave to amend their complaint by adding thereto a further or distinct cause of action for a detainer’. The latter motion was denied and the former granted. The plaintiffs then moved for a new trial upon a statement first prepared and settled for that purpose. This motion was denied, and plaintiffs have brought the case here by an appeal taken from the order denying a new trial.

On the part of the appellants, it is claimed—first, that the Court erred in denying their motion for leave to amend; and second, in granting a nonsuit.

The original complaint contains but one count in which the possession of the plaintiffs is alleged—a forcible entry by the defendant, a forcible detainer, and a demand by the plaintiffs for the possession, made on the 28th of August, 1866. So far as we have been able to discover, there is no material difference between the averments of the original complaint and those contained in the proposed amendment, except as to the date of the demand, which is stated in the proposed amendment as the 28th of June, 1866; but this must be a mistake, for the entry is alleged to have taken place on the 9th of July, subsequent to the alleged demand, and the notice or demand, which was in writing and is in the record which has been brought up, bears date on the 25th of August, 1866; besides, Cardinell, who served the notice on the defendant, testified that he served it on the 28th of August, 1866. The only object therefore which counsel seems to have had in asking for leave to amend was to state the entry and the detainer in separate counts, as distinct and separate causes of [342]*342action, and also to make the complaint conform to every possible aspect of the testimony. We are asked whether, if, in an action of this'character, the plaintiff relies upon a forcible entry and also upon a forcible detainer, it is necessary for him to allege them in separate counts, or whether it would be sufficient to allege both in one count in the manner in which they are alleged in the original complaint in this case; and, if it is necessary to state them in separate counts, we are further asked if the plaintiff is not entitled to amend, as a matter of absolute right, under the tenth section of the Act in question, where he has not stated them separately, or where he has failed to state them both, and the testimony shows a right to recover upon the one not stated.

The Act in question expressly provides, that all proceedings for the trial and determination of causes of action, arising under its provisions, not therein provided for, shall be regulated by the provisions of the Civil Practice Act, so far as the same may be applicable, (Sec. 7.) Upon the question in hand the Act is silent, and the Civil Practice Act must therefore supply the rule. Forcible entry and forcible detainer are distinct offenses, or separate causes of action (Secs. 1, 2, 3,) and ought, therefore, according to the provisions of the Civil Practice Act, to be separately stated (Sec. 64.) If not so stated the complaint would be bad on demurrer (Sec. 40,) but if not demurred to the objection would be waived (Sec. 45.) In this case the defendant did not demur. The objection was therefore waived by him, and there was no reason why the plaintiffs should amend for the purpose of stating the entry and detainer in separate counts.

The Act in relation to forcible entries and detainers-defines two offenses: First—Forcible entry; Second—Forcible detainer. Of the latter, however, two distinct definitions are given (Secs. 1, 2,) so it may perhaps be more correct to say that the Act defines three offenses, two of which bear the same name. The Act also provides that fraud on the part of the defendant, if it exists, may constitute a special feature of each offense, and that the plaintiff may recover special dam[343]*343ages therefor. (Sec. 5.) We have, therefore, as causes of action, or grounds of relief: First—Forcible entry; Second— Forcible detainer, as defined in the second section; Third— Forcible detainer as defined in the third section; and Fourth— Fraud as an adjunct of each of the former. (Sec. 5.) All may be united in the same complaint, but should be separately stated. If fraud is relied on, the facts constituting it should also be separately stated, for it is a ground for distinct relief. If the plaintiff, however, sues upon one only, and the testimony makes another, or iff he sues upon two, and the testimony makes the third, it is the duty of the Court, of its own motion, to order the complaint to be amended to suit the testimony. (Sec. 10.) But if in the opinion of the Judge the testimony makes no case under either, which seems to have been the case here, there is no reason why he should order an amendment, or allow one if asked for. He has the same power over the question which he has over all other questions with which he deals, and is only bound to decide according to his judgment. Undoubtedly the statute is most liberal on the question of amendment, and the Court should not be less, and doubtless if there is any reasonable controversy about what the testimony establishes, the better and safer practice would be to allow counsel to amend so as to be able to present his case in accordance with his own judgment or theory. By such a course no error will intervene and the manifest spirit of the statute will be fully subserved. Moreover, in case of further proceedings on appeal, the case would then come up entire, and on the other hand the amendment, if not demanded by the exigencies of the case, would certainly do no harm. But, as already intimated, we are unable to perceive any necessity for an amendment in this case, arising out of the omission to state the causes of action separately, or out of any supposed variance between the complaint and the testimony, and for that reason we are of the opinion that the Court did not err in denying the motion. The motion to amend, however, did not come too late, as suggested by counsel for defendant, because it was not made until after the [344]*344defendant’s motion for a nonsuit. A party cannot be deprived of his right to amend because his adversary chooses to take advantage of any defect in his complaint on motion for a non-suit instead of by a demurrer. A proposition to amend is always in time when it immediately follows the objection to the sufficiency of the complaint or answer.

We are of the opinion, however, that the plaintiffs’ testimony made a prima facie case of forcible entry and that the Court erred in granting a nonsuit.

The actual possession was shown to be in the plaintiffs. They had a stable upon the lot, which was adjoining the lot upon which they were living. The lot was being cultivated by them at the time—in part as a vegetable garden, and its exterior lines were fenced, though not, perhaps, in a very substantial manner. The lot was small, being only thirty-eight by one hundred and thirty-two feet, and if not a part of the plaintiffs’ house lot was immediately adjoining it, without any fence between the two.

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

Related

Nishkian v. Chisholm
84 P. 312 (California Court of Appeal, 1905)
Eisele v. Oddie
128 F. 941 (U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Nevada, 1904)
Huerstal v. Muir
2 P. 33 (California Supreme Court, 1884)
Shelby v. Houston
38 Cal. 410 (California Supreme Court, 1869)
Page v. O'Brien
36 Cal. 559 (California Supreme Court, 1869)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
32 Cal. 339, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/valencia-v-couch-cal-1867.