Edmondson v. Mason
Edmondson v. Mason
Opinion of the Court
Cope, J. and Baldwin, J. concurring.
This is an action for money alleged to have been received by the defendant for the use of the plaintiff, and arises upon the following facts. In May, 1860, one Castro instituted a suit in the District Court for the county of Alameda, against one Huce and seventy-nine others, and obtained from the Clerk, for service, certified copies of the summons, complaint and injunction in the case. These copies, with the certificates ready to be signed, were printed, and were handed by the attprney of Castro to the defendant, who is the Clerk of the Court, with a request to his deputy to see that they were properly prepared and certified. The fees charged by the Clerk in the case—and we infer that they were for the copies referred to, including the originals— amounted to $2,040, (less sixty dollars for the printing) and of this sum $1,700 were paid to him by Castro. Of the copies, certified as we have stated, service was made by the plaintiff, who is the Sheriff of the county, upon sixty-nine of the defendants; and the questions presented for consideration are, whether he is entitled to charge fees for the copies of the summons and injunctions served, as if they were made by himself; and if so, whether he is entitled to recover the amount of such fees out of the moneys received by the Clerk from Castro. It is admitted that these fees amounted to five hundred and fifty-two dollars.
The Act of April 28th, 1857, Regulating the Fees of Office in Certain Counties, originally applied to the offices in Alameda county. (Session Laws of 1857, Ch. 236.) The amendatory Act of March 5th, 1858, excepted them from its operation, and applied the Act of April 10tli, 1855, to the fees of office of that county, (Session Laws of 1855, Ch. 55.) The amendatory Act of April 18th, 1859, restored the operation of the original Act of 1857, so far as to embrace the offices in Alameda county. (Session Laws of 1859, Ch. 278.) The counsel for the respondent is, therefore, mistaken, in supposing the fees
It follows that the judgment must be reversed, and the cause remanded; and it is so ordered.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- EDMONDSON v. MASON
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Undue the Act of 1857, (Oh. 236) Regulating Fees of Office in Certain Counties, the Sheriff may charge fees for copies of the summons and injunction served by him in a suit, though the copies were prepared and printed by the plaintiff, and certified by the Clerk at the plaintiff’s request; but the Sheriff must look for his fees to plaintiff, at whose request the copies were served, and cannot sue the Clerk for money had and received—although plaintiff had paid the Clerk for such copies—unless the money was delivered to him to be paid the Sheriff. The Clerk is entitled to charge, under that act, fees for certified copies of summons and injunction, if the copies, though prepared by plaintiff, were certified by the Clerk at plaintiff’s request. There is no necessity for plaintiff to obtain copies of summons and injunction from the Clerk. Under the Practice Act, personal service of writs and process is made by delivering a copy to the party upon whom service is required. Independent of the statute, the mode would be by showing the original under seal of the Court, and delivering a copy. The statute points out no mode for service of an injunction; but in conformity with the provision relative to the summons, delivery of a copy is essential to personal service, where that is required; but whether it would by necessary to exhibit the original, unless specially requested by the party served, no opinion is here expressed.