Moulton v. McDermott
Moulton v. McDermott
Opinion of the Court
Ejectment. The answer, among other things, pleaded a non-joinder of parties plaintiff, as follows: “That there is a defect of parties plaintiff, which defect does not appear on the face of the complaint, for the non-joinder of Calvin R. Moulton, Ellen N. Verrinder, née Moulton, and Frank E. Moulton, in this, viz., that plaintiff claims, as the devisee of one E. S. Moulton, deceased, who in his lifetime pretended that he had a right of property in the parcel of land described in the complaint, and made plaintiff and other said parties codevisees thereof.”
We think that the order was erroneous. So far as is shown by the record, the co-distributees were tenants in common. And it is expressly provided by statute that “ all persons holding as tenants in common, joint tenants, or coparceners, or any number less than all, may jointly or severally commence or defend any civil action or proceeding for the enforcement or protection of the rights of such party.” (Code Civ. Proc., sec. 384; Morenhaut v. Wilson, 52 Cal. 268, 269; Himes v. Johnson, 61 Cal. 259.)
No brief has been filed for the respondent, and we do not see that there was any error at law occurring at the trial.
Foote, 0., and Belcher, 0. 0., concurred;,
For the reasons given in the, foregoing opinion, the order granting a new trial is reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- MARY S. MOULTON v. MARY ANN McDermott
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Tenant in Common—Ejectment — Non-joinder oe Co-tenants. — One tenant in common may recover the possession of the entire tract from an intruder. The other co-tenants need not be joined as parties plaintiff.