W. Dale Wright & Lillian M. Wright & Wright Supply Co. v. Shaw

188 A.2d 669, 55 Del. 535, 1963 Del. Super. LEXIS 124
CourtSuperior Court of Delaware
DecidedFebruary 20, 1963
DocketNo. 1112
StatusPublished

This text of 188 A.2d 669 (W. Dale Wright & Lillian M. Wright & Wright Supply Co. v. Shaw) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
W. Dale Wright & Lillian M. Wright & Wright Supply Co. v. Shaw, 188 A.2d 669, 55 Del. 535, 1963 Del. Super. LEXIS 124 (Del. Ct. App. 1963).

Opinion

Lynch, J.:

The parties will be referred to herein and hereafter as Appellants and Appellee.

Appellee allegedly did certain electrical work for Appellants, providing labor and material in a structure in which Appellants maintained a shop. Appellants allegedly failed to make payments in full for this work and suit was filed by the Appellee before a Justice of the Peace. A hearing was had and the Justice of the Peace rendered judgment in favor of [538]*538the Appellee and against the Appellants. The appeal to this Court followed.

The transcript of the proceedings below was filed by the Appellants in this Court. A summons on appeal was issued by the Prothonotary and appropriately served. A motion to dismiss the appeal was thereafter filed by Appellee. The grounds for the motion are as follows:

“1. The transcript of the proceedings below filed herein is incorrectly captioned, in that the names of the defendants below, appellants are incomplete. The correct caption of the case as filed before the Justice of the Peace is as follows:

“Edward A. Shaw, doing business under the name and style of Shaw Electric co.

v.

W. Dale Wright and Lillian M. Wright, his wife,

and

“W. Dale Wright and Lillian M. Wright, trading as Wright Supply Mfg. Co.

Wright Supply Co., Inc., a corporation of the State of Delaware.

“2. The transcript of the proceedings before the Justice of the Peace filed herein does not reveal the names of the defendants against whom judgment was entered.

“3. The transcript of the proceedings before the Justice of the Peace filed herein reveals that W. Dale Wright and Lillian M. Wright, trading as Wright Supply Mfg. Co. appealed whereas the judgment was entered against W. Dale Wright and Lillian M. Wright as individuals and Wright Supply Co., Inc. so that W. Dale Wright and Lillian M. Wright trading as Wright Mfg. Co. show no right in themselves to appeal in that case.

[539]*539“4. The transcript of the proceedings before the Justice of the Peace filed herein reveals that the signatures of the appellants and of the sureties were not under seal on the purported ‘bond’ which was filed herein.

“5. The transcript of the proceedings before the Justice of the Peace filed herein does not show that an appeal was prayed for before the Justice of the Peace by the appellants.

“6. The transcript of the proceedings before the Justice of the Peace filed herein does not show that an appeal was allowed by the Justice of the Peace if one was prayed for.

“7. The transcript of the proceedings before the Justice of the Peace filed herein reveals that there is no seal of the Justice of the Peace and the appeal should, therefore, be dismissed.”

The several grounds asserted why the appeal here should be dismissed have been considered and are disposed of as follows:

1. There is no merit in the first contention. The transcript as filed is captioned:

“From the Court of Joseph F. Dayton one of the Justices of the Peace in and for New Castle County and State of Delaware

“From Judgment Docket G

Page 166

“Transcript

“Edward A. Shaw, doing business under the name and style of Shaw Electric Company

vs.

“W. Dale Wright and Lillian M. Wright his wife, and W. Dale Wright and Lillian M. Wright, trading as Wright Supply Mfg. Company

[540]*540“Action of Assumpsit, Cause of Action, Breach of Contract for the Payment of Money, Demand Three Hundred Fifty Eight Dollars and Eighty Five Cents ($358.85) with interest.

“Summons issued to Special Deputy Sherif Thomas S. Connell on July 8, 1958 and made returnable Monday the 14th day of July, A.D. 1958 at four-fifteen o’clock in the afternoon.

“Special Deputy Sheriff Returns: Served summons by leaving a copy personally with W. Dale Wright and Lillian M. Wright at their place of business which service is verified by the oath of the Special Deputy Sheriff in writing.

“And now to wit this 14th day of July, A.D. 1958 a postponement was granted until Wednesday the 16th day of July, A.D. 1958 at three thirty o’clock in the afternoon. And now to wit the 16th day of July, A.D. 1958 both parties were present and ready for trial and the hearing was held and the proofs and allegations of both parties were heard and the decision was reserved. And now to wit this 12th day of September, A.D. 1958 I give judgment in favor of the Plaintiff, Edward A. Shaw and against the Defendants, W. Dale Wright and Lillian Wright for Three Hundred Fifty Eight Dollars and Eighty Five Cents ($358.85) Debt, besides interest with Four Dollars and Ninety Cents ($4.90) Costs of Suit, besides Twenty Cents ($.20) for Mileage.

“The parties were advised of their right to take an appeal and of the time and manner in which an appeal must be taken.”

It does not appear from Mr. Evans’ letter (Ex. A-l to his brief) that there was any joint liability on the part of the defendants his clients sued. The Justice of the Peace rendered judgment against W. Dale Wright and Lillian M. Wright only; he rendered no judgment as to the corporate defendant. [541]*541Some of the named defendants appealed, but the corporate defendant did not, and understandably so.

There is no rule of law requiring all persons named as defendants in an action to join in an appeal unless there may be joint liability, and hence there is no need to show in the transcript the name of the nonappealing defendants.

2. What I have said to the first contention applies exactly to the second and no more need be said about this second contention. As a matter of fact the transcript clearly shows the names of those against whom judgment was rendered.

3. Appelle’s third contention is not clear. The transcript shows entry of judgment on September 12, 1958 in plaintiff’s favor against W. Dale Wright and Lillian M. Wright; it further shows that on “* * * the 19th day of September A.D. 1958, the said W. Dale Wright and Lillian M. Wright [as husband and wife and] trading as Wright Supply Mfg. Co., appeal and * * * become surety * *

A judgment against a husband and wife will be a lien against property held by them jointly. There was no need for them to appeal in the name they conducted their business affairs as there was no separate entity. It was surplusage for them to appeal in both names. It can and should be stricken.

Their appeal is in conformity with the statute; consequently, I hold there is no merit in this third contention— particularly since the transcript has the “Notice of and Prayer for Allowance of an Appeal” as a part of the transcript.

Appellee’s contention about the other part of this third contention, i.e. that the record does not show the amount of the bond was approved by the Justice is equally not clear. I invite Mr. Evans, who appears for Appellee, to note the transcript. The amount of the bond is recited in the [542]*542transcript — indicating the Justice of the Peace must have approved the amount. The statute and citation, Townsend v. Steward, 4 Harr. 94, are not at all apposite. Nor is Wooley on Delaware Practice, § 1433(c).

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Bluebook (online)
188 A.2d 669, 55 Del. 535, 1963 Del. Super. LEXIS 124, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/w-dale-wright-lillian-m-wright-wright-supply-co-v-shaw-delsuperct-1963.