Senter v. De Bernal
Senter v. De Bernal
Opinion of the Court
This is an action for the partition of the Bancho Santa Teresa, situated in the County of Santa Clara. Sixty-eight persons, according to the complaint and final judgment, were interested in the rancho, and were made parties to the action—eleven of whom appear on the record as nominal plaintiffs, and the remainder as defendants. So far as the transcript shows, however, only five of the defendants formally contested the action. These five took separate exceptions to the report of the referees who made the partition in the field. Them exceptions were overruled and the report finally confirmed. They then united in a motion for a new trial of their exceptions, which motion was denied. They then united in an appeal to this Court from the whole of the final judgment and the order denying them a new trial of their exceptions. The notice of motion for new trial was addressed to the nominal plaintiffs, but not to the nominal co-defendants of the appellants or any of them, and was served on the nominal plaintiffs only. The notice of appeal was addressed to the plaintiffs and the co-defendants of the appellants, but was served only upon the plaintiffs.
Such being the condition of the appeal, as shown by the
In support of the motion, it is argued that the appeal involves either a reversal or modification of the final judgment, neither of which. can be granted, from the nature of the case, without affecting or disturbing the rights of those defendants who have not been made parties to the appeal, and over whom, therefore, this Court has no jurisdiction; that in actions of this character all persons who are interested in the estate to be divided are actors as against each and every other, whether they appear upon the face of the record as plaintiffs or defendants, and each, therefore, as to every other, is an 11 adverse party” within the meaning of the law in relation to appeals, and, therefore, entitled to be made a party to-' and notified of all proceedings taken by any one of them for the purpose of changing or in any respect affecting the final judgment of the lower Court.
The code, provides that any party aggrieved by the judgment of the District Court may appeal, and the party appealing shall be known as the appellant, and the adverse party as the respondent. (Sec. 335.) By “ anyparty” is to be understood, as we consider, any person who is a party-to the action. The appeal may be taken by filing a notice with the clerk, and serving a copy upon the adverse party or his attorney. (Sec. 337.)
The question is as to the meaning of the words “adverse party” as here used, and as to that we think there can be no rational doubt. Every party whose interest in the subject-matter of the appeal is adverse to or will be affected by the reversal or modification of the judgment or order from which the appeal has been taken, is, we think, an “adverse party”
As suggested by counsel for the plaintiffs, the several parties to an action of this character, so far as its ultimate purpose is concerned, to wit: a partition—are all actors, or plaintiffs, each against each and all others, and it is, in this respect, a matter of no consequence whether they appear upon the face of the record in the technical attitude of plaintiffs or defendants. As we said in Morenhoul v. Higuera (32 Cal. 295): “An action for partition, under our statue, is to some extent sui generis. The parties named in the complaint, whether as plaintiffs or defendants, are all actors, each representing his own interest. Whether plaintiffs or defendants, they are required to set forth fully and particularly the origin, nature and extent of their respective interests in the property, and the interests of each and all may be put in issue by the others and tried and determined.” If, as in this case, partition is to be made by a division of the land, it is obvious that this conflict of interest does not cease at the entry of the interlocutory judgment, by which the quantity of their respective interests is declared, but continues until the referees have reported and a final judgment has been entered. Prior to the interlocutory judgment there may be issues in which certain parties only are interested. From the interlocutory judgment upon such issues appeals may be taken by the party aggrieved without making any persons parties to the appeal, except such as were par
It follows that the motion to dismiss the appeal must be sustained, and it is so ordered.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- WILLIAM A. SENTER and TEN OTHER PERSONS v. BLANDA CASTRO DE BERNAL and FIFTY-SEVEN OTHER PERSONS
- Cited By
- 57 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Adveese Pajrtt.—By the words “adverse parly,” used in Sections 335 and 337 of the Code, in relation to appeals, is meant every party whose interest in the suhject-matter of the appeal is adverse to a reversal or modification of the judgment or order from which the appeal has been taken, irrespective of the question whether he appear upon the record in the attitude of plaintiff, or dedefendant, or intervenor. Who Mat Appeal and Who Must be Notified.—The code allows any party who feels aggrieved to appeal without joining any one else, whether the judgment against him he joint or several; hut he is required to notify all other parties who are interested in opposing the relief which he seeks hy his appeal, if they have formally appeared in the action, and if he does not he will he not only entitled to no relief against those not notified, hut also against those noti- • fled, if the relief he seeks is of such a character that it cannot be granted as to the latter without being granted as to. the former also. Pasties in Pabtition—Theeb Relation to Each Otheb.—The parties to a partition suit are all actors, or plaintiffs, each against each and all others. Appeals ebom the Inteblocutoby Judgment rsr Pabtition.—Appeals may bo taken from it by the parties aggrieved without notice to anybody except those who were parties to the particular issue which they seek to have reviewed. Idem—Ebom Final Judgment. —If tho object of the appeal be to reverse or modify the final judgment in partition, all tho parties to tho judgment must bo made parties to tho appeal, either as appellants or respondents, or the appeal will prove ineffectual. Idem. — In an action for partition, if there be eleven plaintiffs and fifty-seven defendants, and five of the defendants join in an appeal from the whole of the final judgment, and give the plaintiffs notice, but not their co-defendants, tho appeal will be dismissed.