Wistrom v. Forsling

14 N.W.2d 217, 144 Neb. 638, 1944 Neb. LEXIS 70
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedApril 28, 1944
DocketNo. 31524
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 14 N.W.2d 217 (Wistrom v. Forsling) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wistrom v. Forsling, 14 N.W.2d 217, 144 Neb. 638, 1944 Neb. LEXIS 70 (Neb. 1944).

Opinion

Carter, J.

Our first opinion in this- case will be found in 143 Neb. 294, 9 N. W. 2d 294. In that opinion we determined that the petition filed in the municipal court in Lincoln was sufficient to. confer jurisdiction over the plaintiff who was served with process in Kimball county. In determining that question we said that the petition in the municipal court “did state a joint cause of action against Carr and the plaintiff here and that on the basis of the petition summons was properly issued for service in Kimball county, Nebraska.” On motion for a rehearing it is pointed out that an endorser of a negotiable instrument must be given notice of dishonor by nonpayment, otherwise such endorser is discharged. Comp. St. 1929, sec. 62-701. The petition filed in the municipal court failed to allege any notice of dishonor to the endorser. It is then urged that as plaintiff failed to state a cause of action against the endorser the municipal court judgment is wholly void. For the purposes, of this opinion we concur in the view that -the petition filed in the municipal court did not state a cause of action against the endorser and that a demurrer thereto,' if timely made, should have been sustained. 10 C. J. S. 1231, sec. 616. The sole question is whether this makes the judgment void so that it may be successfully attacked collaterally.

[640]*640It seems, to be the rule that allegations immaterial and wholly insufficient in law may be sufficient to “set the judicial mind in motion,” or to “challenge the attention of the court,” and to give actual jurisdiction, though a wrongful one, which will shield the proceedings, from collateral attack. “The complaint may seek a specific enforcement of some contract or trust concerning real estate. It may show on its face that the contract was made or trust arose by parol and is barred by the Statute of Frauds; that it is barred by the Statute of Limitations; that the plaintiff is an administrator while the cause of action belongs to the heirs; that the defendant was disabled by law from making such a contract or becoming such a trustee; that no cause of action has yet arisen for want of a demand and refusal, and yet a decree specifically enforcing the same is not void, although no approach towards stating a cause of action is made. * * * A large number of cases are cited * * * where the judgment is not void although the affidavit, complaint or petition showed affirmatively that the plaintiff had no cause of action whatever. These illustrations show that there is no connection between jurisdiction and sufficient allegations. In other words, in order to ‘set the judicial mind in motion,’ or to ‘challenge the attention of the court,’ it is not necessary that any material allegation should be sufficient in law, or that it should even tend to show facts that are sufficient. If that were the rule, the absence of any material allegation would always make the judgment void, because it cannot be said that such a complaint has any tendency to show a cause of action. It will be seen from the cases about to. be cited, that, when the allegations are sufficient to inform the defendant what relief the plaintiff demands — the court having power to grant it in a proper case —jurisdiction exists, and the defendant must defend himself.” Vanfleet, Collateral Attack, p. 80. See, also, Freeman, Judgments (5th ed.) 2692.

Our decisions appear to. adhere to the foregoing rule. In Dryden v. Parrotte, 61 Neb. 339, 85 N. W. 287, we said: “Whether the facts stated in the petition constituted a [641]*641cause of action and entitled the plaintiffs to relief, was a judicial question which the trial court had authority to consider and decide; and it is a universal principle — an axiom of the law — that where a court has jurisdiction of both the subject-matter and the parties, power to. decide implies authority to decide either way — to reach either a right or a wrong conclusion — and, in conformity therewith, to pronounce a judgment that will be conclusive upon the litigants and those in privity with them, unless reversed, vacated or modified in an appellate or other direct proceeding instituted for that purpose. The sufficiency of the petition is not a test of jurisdiction; although it may be defective in substance it will support a judgment if the court has authority to grant the relief demanded and the facts upon which the demand is based are intelligibly set forth.”

In Logan County v. Carnahan, 66 Neb. 693, 95 N. W. 812, we said: “The court having jurisdiction to hear and determine the right of a county to enforce a tax lien and to decree foreclosure and sale of real estate in satisfaction thereof, and the county having authority under the statute to institute proceedings and maintain an action in its own behalf and as. trustee for those other bodies, for whom the taxes are levied, a decree rendered which determines the right of a county to maintain such an action, and directs a sale of the property, would not be subject to collateral attack, even though the court committed an error in holding the petition stated a cause of action. If, in such action brought by a county to- foreclose a lien for taxes assessed on real estate, the petition is materially defective because of a failure to properly allege facts disclosing that prior to the institution of the suit to foreclose, the land upon which the tax was a lien had been sold by the county treasurer and tax-sale certificate issued therefor, this fact would not render a decree therein absolutely void for lack of jurisdiction and subject to collateral attack. The sufficiency of a petition is not the test of jurisdiction. Even though the court commits error in holding it sufficient if it had jurisdiction, such holding will not subject the judgment ren[642]*642dered to collateral attack.” See, also, Howell v. Ross, 69 Neb. 1, 94 N. W. 955; Brandeen v. Lau, 113 Neb. 34, 201 N. W. 665; In re Guardianship of Warner, 137 Neb. 25, 288 N. W. 39. We conclude, therefore, that the petition filed in the municipal court stated facts bringing- the case within the jurisdiction of that court; and the judgment entered, even though based on a petition vulnerable to direct attack, is valid and not subject to collateral attack. Under the circumstances shown, the action was rightly brought in the municipal court of Lancaster county, and the summons properly issued for service on plaintiff in Kimball county, as provided by section 20-504, Comp. St. 1929. See Hobson v. Cummins, 57 Neb. 611, 78 N. W. 295; Hess v. Lett, 4 Neb. (Unof.) 476, 94 N. W. 975; Barry v. Wachosky, 57 Neb. 534, 77 N. W. 1080.

The objection to the sufficiency of the petition filed in the municipal court in failing to state a cause of action against the endorser is here raised by the maker of the note. This is not a matter available to- the maker in a collateral attack upon the judgment. Belcher v. Palmer, 35 Neb. 449, 53 N. W. 380. See, also, 10 C. J. S. 1232.

Plaintiff relies upon Burwell v. Gaylord,, 119 Minn. 426, 138 N. W. 685; Witte v. Broz, 111 Neb. 76, 197 N. W. 121; and Adams v. Guthrie & Co., 113 Neb. 192, 202 N. W. 867. An examination of these cases reveals that the objections to the sufficiency of the petitions were raised in the original actions and not by collateral attack as in the case at bar. We agree , with the rules of law announced in these cases, but they have no application here. It is urged, however, that the following language from the Adams

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Bluebook (online)
14 N.W.2d 217, 144 Neb. 638, 1944 Neb. LEXIS 70, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wistrom-v-forsling-neb-1944.