Zientz v. Derereux

6 Pa. D. & C.2d 321, 1955 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 460
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Somerset County
DecidedJune 30, 1955
DocketNo. 824 of 1953
StatusPublished

This text of 6 Pa. D. & C.2d 321 (Zientz v. Derereux) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Somerset County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Zientz v. Derereux, 6 Pa. D. & C.2d 321, 1955 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 460 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1955).

Opinion

Lansberry, P. J.,

In this action of trespass, arising out of an automobile collision, defendant’s preliminary objections present the question of this court’s jurisdiction of defendant. The history of this litigation is a necessary factual background for an understanding of the issue for determination.

On January 4, 1953, an automobile collision occurred on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset County between the automobiles driven by Meyer Zientz, of New York, who was driving west, and John Drury Derereux, of Ohio, who was driving east, as. a result of which collision both operators were killed. Mildred T. Zientz, of New York, was duly appointed administrator of the estate of Meyer Zientz by the Bronx County, New York, Surrogate’s Court on February 10, 1953, and in that capacity instituted this action in trespass. On March 3, 1953, the Probate Court of Summit County, Ohio, granted letters of administration to John A. Derereux, of Ohio, defendant in this action.

Complaint in trespass under the Wrongful Death Act and the Survival of Actions Act was filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Somerset County, on January 29, 1953. Upon receipt of the complaint, the High Sheriff of Somerset County mailed a certified copy thereof to John A. Derereux, administrator, by registered mail, return receipt requested, on June 30, 1953, and similarly, on the same day mailed a copy of the complaint to the Secretary of the Commonwealth as provided by the Act of May 14, 1929, P. L. 1721, [323]*323sec. 1, 75 PS §1201, familiarly known as the Nonresident Motorist Act, and the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure. Delivery of the registered mail was made to both addresses July 2, 1953, and so returned along with the return of service by the high sheriff on July 14, 1953.

An appearance was entered by James 0. Courtney, Esq., of the firm of Kooser, Courtney and Ogle, Esquires, on July 14,1953, as follows: “To D. Guy Floto, Prothonotary: Enter appearance of Kooser, Courtney & Ogle, as attorneys for John A. Derereux, Administrator of the Estate of John Drury Derereux, deceased, defendant in the above captioned matter.”

Three days later at the request and upon formal motion of counsel for defendant, 20 additional days “to file pleadings” were allowed by the court, there being no objection to this request by counsel for plaintiff.

In regular order the cause was listed on the trial list and for good and sufficient reason, upon motion of counsel for defendant, the trial of the cause was continued to the succeeding term.

On August 2, 1954, more than a year after the extension of the time for filing pleadings, defendant filed preliminary objections and at counsel’s request a rule was awarded to show cause why the action should not be dismissed. The objections were in effect that plaintiff had not filed in the Orphans’ Court of Somerset County an exemplification of the record of her appointment as administrator, nor an affidavit as to any indebtedness or want of indebtedness to any creditor in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as required by the Fiduciaries Act of April 18, 1949, P. L. 512, sec. 1101, 20 PS §320.1101, as amended. To these preliminary objections, counsel for plaintiff filed an answer admitting the technical regularity of the objections [324]*324and answering further that the same may be filed at any time before trial of the cause. On the same day, August 17, 1954, the certification of plaintiff fiduciary’s appointment and the affidavit as to nonindebtedness was filed in the court of common pleas to the action in trespass.

On October 6, 1954, defendant filed preliminary objections raising the question of invalidity of service in that plaintiff fiduciary had not complied with that provision of the Ohio law requiring presentation of claims within four months after appointment of the fiduciary, contending this provision of the Ohio law was a condition precedent to the commencement of the action in Pennsylvania. Defendant in that preliminary objection and for the first time raised the preliminary objection now before us for determination, namely that the purported service upon the foreign fiduciary defendant by the Nonresident Motorist Act was a nullity. To these preliminary objections an answer was filed and, following a hearing of the matter at which time the contentions of the parties were heard at length, the court overruled the preliminary objections, not for the identical reasons set forth in the answer, however, as will become apparent herein. Following this order overruling the preliminary objections, counsel for defendant urged the court to reconsider its order and presented a formal motion to that effect on December 21, 1954, which motion we granted by our order of December 28, 1954, so that no error as to jurisdiction might be committed.

The matter came on for full consideration in the argument court at which time counsel for the parties were heard at length and written briefs submitted. While not abandoning the preliminary objections as. to properly filing the exemplification of the record of appointment and the affidavit as to nonindebtedness, which objections were formally ruled adversely as to [325]*325defendant and which ruling we shall not disturb, the objection pressed at the argument court and in the brief submitted for defendant is the one with reference to the effectiveness of.the service upon nonresidnt fiduciary defendant.

Upon an examination of the authorities we are satisfied that the procedures supplied by the Nonresident Motorist Act, 75 PS §1201 and Rules of Civil Procedure 2077(a) and 2079(a) are ineffectual as to service of process upon a nonresident fiduciary. Judge McCreary of Beaver County in the case of McElroy v. George et al. so decided and in that opinion, reported in 76 D. & C. 231, the authorities and text writer’s views are so fully set forth we need not pursue that question further.

The precise question here presented is not identical with the issue in the McElroy case because of the factual situation before us. The issue here is: Where service of process of a complaint in trespass is made by following the procedures specified by the Nonresident Motorist Act as amended, 75 PS §1201, and Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure 2077(a) and 2079(a) upon a nonresident fiduciary, and that fiduciary causes a general appearance by counsel to be entered for him, is the service of process validated resulting in jurisdiction of the common pleas court of defendant fiduciary. Our answer is that the service of process is validated resulting in jurisdiction of the common pleas court of defendant fiduciary.

A foreign fiduciary may enter the Commonwealth and be served here: Laughlin & McManus v. Solomon, 180 Pa. 177; or he may voluntarily appear in the action, Evans v. Tatem, 9 S. & R. 252; Giampalo et al. v. Taylor et al., 335 Pa. 121, 126; see also Lowry v. Commonwealth, 365 Pa. 474, 477; Miller v. Warden, Frew & Co., 111 Pa. 300. In both of these situations [326]*326the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania common pleas court is undoubted: Goodrich-Amram Civil Practice, sec. 2353-5.

Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 1045 provides for appearance and answer in actions of trespass and is as follows:

“Rule 1045. Appearance. Answer.
“(a) Within the time for filing an answer, a defendant in lieu thereof may enter a general appearance.

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Related

Lowry v. Commonwealth
76 A.2d 363 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1950)
Giampalo v. Taylor
6 A.2d 499 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1938)
Riker v. Kilinski
163 A. 526 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1932)
Miller v. Warden, Frew & Co.
2 A. 90 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1886)
Laughlin v. Solomon
36 A. 704 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1897)
Rarick v. McManomon
17 Pa. Super. 154 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1901)

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Bluebook (online)
6 Pa. D. & C.2d 321, 1955 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 460, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/zientz-v-derereux-pactcomplsomers-1955.