Wiswell v. First Congregational Church

14 Ohio St. (N.S.) 31
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 15, 1862
StatusPublished

This text of 14 Ohio St. (N.S.) 31 (Wiswell v. First Congregational Church) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wiswell v. First Congregational Church, 14 Ohio St. (N.S.) 31 (Ohio 1862).

Opinion

Ranney J.

Two questions, arising upon papers filed since this case was reserved, must be disposed of, before the merits of the case, as it then stood, can be considered. These questions are both addressed to the sound discretion of the court, and in the exercise of such discretion, we have arrived at a conclusion upon them.

■ 1. The plaintiff now moves the court for leave to dismiss the action. This motion is resisted by the defendants, upon the ground, that the answers in the case, are, in substance and legal effect, cross-petitions, calling for affirmative action in their behalf. We think this position well taken. In Hill v. Butler, 6 Ohio St. Rep. 216, it was held, that however unskillfully or inartifieially an answer may be drawn, yet if it contain facts, which in substance amount to a counterclaim,, the court will not permit the defendant to be prejudiced, and will give such affirmative relief as the facts will warrant.

The answer of the trustees of the Congregational Church is made up mostly of a recital of the proceedings of the member» of that church, at meetings convened for the purpose of considering the matters involved in this action ; and gives a copy of a resolution adopted on the 23rd of May, 1859, in these words: — “ Besolved, That the trustees be instructed to enter their appearance in the court of common pleas, in the suit brought by Wm. Wiswell, Jr., against them and others, and ask that court to give judicial sanction to, and to direct the-trusts of the charter to le carried out ly, such sale and division.”

The answer of Robert Hosea, who was admitted to defend for himself and others, described as being about one half the-members of the .church, and one half of the pew owners, is [34]*34equally explicit, and prays, “ that the sale take place, and the proceeds be distributed in manner stated in the answer and cross-petition of the trustees.”

For reasons hereafter stated, the court is of the opinion, that the answer of the trustees contains matter proper for a ■cross-petition, and we can not understand 'them as asking for less than they were expressly instructed to ask, by those they represented.

As we -do not understand the plaintiff to desire to dismiss his petition unless the whole case is* thereby disposed of, we ■overrule this motion.

2. In the event which has happened, that the motion to dismiss does not prevail, counsel for the plaintiff, who for this purpose represents the present trustees of the church, ask leave to file a supplemental answer, stating in substance, that on the 26th day of May, 1862, at an extra meeting of the church, all previous resolutions for a sale and division of the ■church property, were repealed, and the trustees were instructed to take such measures in relation to the proceedings in court as in their opinion the circumstances might require, in view of this fact. And that the trustees, on the 16th day of February, 1863, adopted a resolution directing them attorney to withdraw their answer, and to disclaim for them any wish to have the property sold.

In answer to this application, sundry affidavits are filed on behalf of those members of the church represented by the answer of‘Robert Hosea, by which it is made very apparent that ■these resolutions were adopted only by one of the parties into ■ which the membership of the church is unfortunately divided, ■to whom the organization had been yielded in the faith of previous arrangements, and who were then in the possession and ■use of the entire church property. The notice only stated that the meeting was convened “for the transaction of business,” and there was nothing to indicate that these extraordinary proceedings were to be had. Indeed, the unfairness of the proceedings, is made still more manifest by the affidavit •of Mr. Kebler. He states that he and another member, belonging to the other division of the church, which had then [35]*35taken the name of the Church of the Redeemer, saw the notice and attended the meeting, and on making inquiry of the plaintiff whether the business to be transacted concerned only that division of the church which afterward adopted these resolutions, and which had then taken the name of the Eree Church, they were informed by him, that the sole object was to transact business of interest to their section of the old church, and to raise funds for Mr. Conway’s support and none other ; that we need not remain and would find nothing to interest and concern us, unless we wanted to help along the subscription; ” and that they thereupon left the meeting. No other member of the Church of the Redeemer was present at the meeting, and but a part only of the members of the Eree Church.

These affidavits also show a state of facts, of which we make no account either in this or any other part of this opinion, viz: that the members composing the Church of the Redeemer, relying upon the previous resolutions of the corporation, and before any attempt was made to rescind them, had incurred heavy responsibilities in providing another house of worship. Whether they had thereby acquired such vested rights to a portion of the property of the old church as may be enforced, we neither intend to deny nor affirm; there being nothing in thd case reserved to this court t© require an opinion upon that subject.

Noav, it will be readily conceded, that before a party can be permitted to change the pleadings made up in the court below, after a case comes into this court by reservation, he must make it very apparent that his rights will be sacrificed without it, or that plain injustice will be done him.

This case was reserved at the October term, 1860, of the district court, and at that time an agreed statement of facts was filed, which it was stipulated should thereafter be conceded as the fqcts of the case, and upon which it should be decided. To allow a change of the pleadings now, is to permit this agreement to be violated, new issues to be formed, and other evidence made necessary.' And to what end? Simply that a majority of one party to a church controversy, after removing ■opposition by concessions, may be able to defeat all the ex[36]*36pectations and calculations which its own previous conduct had inspired. If we were obliged to yield to such an application, as we might be, if we had undoubted evidence that such was the wish of a majority of the members of this corporation, we should do so with reluctance. But we have no such evidence ; on the contrary, we are clearly convinced that no fair or legal opportunity has been afforded them for that purpose. The corporation is the party to this action; and by the express terms of its charter, it holds the property in question in trust for the church, and subject to sale only upon the consent of a majority of the members “legally assembled.” The answer filed in the court below, is the answer of the corporation as well as its trustees, and in it the corporation rightfully calls upon the court to define its powers in respect to the property held by it in trust, and to approve, if we legally may, its -proposed disposition of it. This call has been legally made, and before we can consider it withdrawn, it must at least appear that those who made it, have receded from their position.

3. A brief statement of the facts is necessary to a clear understanding of the questions arising upon the merits of the controversy. ■ The church was incorporated by an act of the ■ general assembly, passed January 21, 1830. In all its features, as its name imports, it was made a Congregational

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Bluebook (online)
14 Ohio St. (N.S.) 31, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wiswell-v-first-congregational-church-ohio-1862.