Mora v. Le Roy
Mora v. Le Roy
Opinion of the Court
This action was originally commenced by the plaintiff’s predecessor, Thaddeus Amat, “ Roman Catholic Bishop of Monterey,” whose death was suggested pending the action, and immediately thereafter the plaintiff filed an amended complaint, in the title of which he is styled plaintiff, and the defendants named in the original complaint and some others are styled defendants. The persons named as defendants in the amended complaint filed an answer thereto. Afterwards the plaintiff filed another and “last amended complaint,” as it is styled, to which the defendants demurred on two grounds: 1. That it does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action; 2. That it is ambiguous, unintelligible, and uncertain.
The record does not disclose how the plaintiff in the amended complaint was substituted for the one named in the original, or how the defendants other than those named in the original were made parties to the action, except that by answering the amended complaint they voluntarily made themselves parties to it, and can not now be heard to object that it does not appear that the present plaintiff was regularly substituted for the original, or that the additional defendants were regularly made parties to the action.
The demurrer was sustained without leave to amend the complaint, and a judgment ordered and entered, “that the complaint herein be dismissed for want of equity, and that the defendants go hereof without day, and that they recover from said plaintiff their costs of this suit taxed at $-
Whenever a demurrer is sustained to a complaint on the ground that it does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action, without leave to amend, the defendant is entitled to have a final judgment entered in his favor. As was said in Bauman v. The New York C. R. R. Co., 10 How. Pr. 218: “ The demurrer in this case is to the whole complaint, and the decision upon it is that the plaintiff has no right of action. Nothing remains to be done by the defendants after the decision but to have their costs adjusted, and to perfect judgment in their favor against the plaintiff.”
And this brings us to the question whether the demurrer
That there is much in the complaint that is superfluous, we are ready to admit. But that could have been remedied by a motion to strike out.
We think that the complaint shows that the plaintiff has a sufficient interest in the land to enable him to maintain this action. (Pierce v. Felter, 53 Cal. 18.)
The objection that it does not appear that the plaintiff-has legal capacity to sue can not be availed of upon either of the grounds of demurrer stated in this case. Whether the alie
It being admitted that a sole corporation, such as the plaintiff claims that he is, could hold real estate not exceeding four full lots in a town or city, or twenty acres in the country in trust for a church, the question whether the plaintiff could so hold the quantity which he claims in his complaint in this action need not now be determined. If the complaint shows that the plaintiff is entitled to any relief, the demurrer was improperly sustained. His right to have his title quieted to four lots or twenty acres is not affected by his claim to have it quieted to one thousand acres or more.
Judgment reversed and cause remanded, with directions to the Superior Court of Ventura County to overrule the demurrur to the complaint, with leave to the defendants to answer within ten days after being notified of the overruling of said demurrer.
Moebison, C. J., and Myrick, J., concurred.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- FRANCIS MORA v. THEODORE LE ROY
- Cited By
- 5 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Action to Quiet Title by Trustee—Parties—Demurrer—Corporation Sole.—In an action to quiet title the death of the original plaintiff was suggested pending the action, and immediately thereafter the present plaintiff (as his successor) filed an amended complaint, in the title of which he is styled plaintiff, and the original defendants and others, defendants, the complaint alleging, that the plaintiff is a sole corporation duly created and acting by and under authority of law under the name and style if the Roman Catholic Bishop of Monterey, and that as such Bishop or sole corporation, he is the owner seized in fee of the land in controversy in trust for the use and benefit of the Roman Catholic Church of San Buena Ventura, and that the defendants claim an estate or interest in said land adverse to him. The defendants demurred, on the grounds that the complaint did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action, and that it was ambiguous, unintelligible, and uncertain, and the demurrer having been sustained without leave to amend, judgment was entered in their favor. Held, First—That the defendants having voluntarily demurred to the amended complaint could not now be heard to object that the present plaintiff was not regularly substituted for the original, or that the additional defendants were not regularly made parties to the action. Second—That the complaint showed that the plaintiff had a sufficient interest in the land to enable him to maintain the action. Third—That the objection that it did not appear that the plaintiff had legal capacity to sue could not be availed of upon either of the grounds of demurrer stated in this case. Fourth—That the objection that the land in controversy was greater in quantity than could, under the law, be held by a sole corporation, could not be sustained, as he would at all events have a right to have his title quieted to the amount which the law allowed him to hold; and that it was, therefore, unnecessary to determine whether he could hold the quantity claimed in his complaint. Demurrer—Amendment of Complaint.—Whenever a demurrer to a complaint is sustained on the ground that it does not state a cause of action, without leave to amend, the defendant is entitled to have a final judgment entered in his favor. Surplusage—Motion to Strike out—Practice.—The existence of superfluous matter in a complaint may be remedied by a motion to strike out.