Corona Coal & Iron Co. v. Lucas E. Moore Stave Co.
Corona Coal & Iron Co. v. Lucas E. Moore Stave Co.
Opinion of the Court
The appellant instituted this action against the appellee. The complaint was filed June 15, 1912. It contained two counts, viz.: The first for damages for trespass upon land and cutting timber therefrom; the second, for recovery of the statutory penalty (Code, § 6035) for cutting, etc., trees, etc., of a certain kind on the lands of the plaintiff. The defendant is a nonresident corporation. On June 15, 1912, the same date upon which the complaint was filed, affidavit for writ of attachment was filed by J. R. Pill, . who affirmed that he was agent for the plaintiff corporation and had authority to make the affidavit. It was set forth in this affidavit that the defendant was justly due plaintiff $585, and that the defendant was a nonresident. Thereupon the clerk of the circuit court issued the writ desired, and on June 18, 1912, it was ex-
In Bozeman v. Rose, 40 Ala. 212, 218, interpreting the parent, statute (section 2508 of the Code of 1852) it was said: “In cases requiring it, the special affidavit is made for the single purpose of enabling the judge or chancellor, issuing the • attachment, £to determine the amount for which a levy must be made.’ ” The statute (section 2508) has been several times readopted with this judicial construction impressed upon it.—Wood Supply Co. v. Cocciola, 153 Ala. 555, 45 South. 192; Bruce v. Sierra, 175 Ala. 517, 57 South. 709. We must now take the statute as interpreted in Bozeman v. Rose. The restriction made by the statute has reference only to the “amount for which the levy must be made.” And, as said in Bozeman v. Rose, “none of the * * * safeguards provided by the law against injury and op
The necessary consequences is that the failure to make the additional affidavit affects the levy, and not the issuance, of the writ of attachment. Unless waived the absence of the additional affidavit would afford the basis for seasonable motion to reduce or to discharge the levy. Certainly, a proper complaint, or a count thereof, should not be stricken because of the omission to make the additional affidavit, since to do so would result in giving the nonobservanee of a requirement with respect to the levy, only, the effect to abate the action — a penalty that would not at all consist with the omission thus made. But, if this omission should be taken as affecting the issue of the writ by the clerk, it was an irregularity only.
The general appearance, made subsequent to the levy by the nonresident defendant, effected a waiver of this irregularity.—Goldsmith v. Stetson, 39 Ala. 189.
The causes of action stated in the first and second counts were not the same; and the error resulting from striking the first count, in response to the motion, was not cured by the retention of the distinct cause of action set forth in the second count.
The judgment is reversed, and the cause is remanded.
Reversed and remanded.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.