Stansbury, Inc. v. Superior Court
Stansbury, Inc. v. Superior Court
Opinion of the Court
The sole question raised in this proceeding is whether an appeal from a justice court to the superior court was subject to dismissal for failure to pay the required fees in the manner and within the time prescribed by law.
Petitioner was the defendant in a justice court action in which judgment was awarded in favor of the plaintiff, who is the real party in interest in this proceeding. No notice of rendition of judgment was served or filed, but on October 11, 1956, defendant filed a notice of appeal to the superior court. On November 5, defendant received a letter from the clerk of the justice court which, after reciting that the papers in the case were ready to be sent to the county clerk, stated, “I am waiting for the $9.00 filing fee that has to go with the papers, if you will send a cashiers cheek made out to the Clerk of the Superior Court, I will send it with the balance of the papers and not send it thru the trust fund.” Pursuant to this request, defendant sent a cashier’s cheek for $9.00 payable to the clerk of the superior court. This check was received by the justice court clerk on November 7 and thereafter forwarded to the superior court.
On November 16, defendant received a letter in which the clerk of the justice court stated that she had been informed by the county auditor that the superior court could not accept the filing fee direct from defendant’s attorney and that it would have to be sent through the justice court and deposited in a trust fund and then be transferred to the superior court. The letter further stated that the justice court clerk should
On motion of plaintiff the superior court dismissed the appeal, and defendant commenced this proceeding in mandamus to compel the superior court to entertain the appeal.
Section 981 of the Code of Civil Procedure provides that no such appeal shall be effectual for any purpose unless the appellant, at the time of filing the notice of appeal, pays the fee payable to the judge of the justice court and the fees provided to be paid to the county clerk, and that no notice of appeal shall be filed unless such fees are paid in accordance with the provisions of this section.
Under section 974 of the Code of Civil Procedure an appeal in a civil action in a justice court may be taken at any time within 30 days after notice of rendition of judgment.
Plaintiff also claims that payment of the fees was not timely because of defendant’s failure to pay the $1.00 transfer fee to the justice court within the 30-day period. As we have seen, the justice court clerk did not demand this $1.00 fee originally, and, as a consequence, the payment was not made until after the 30 days had passed. A civil appeal from a justice court is not subject to dismissal for failure of the judge to exact payment of the fee payable to the justice court. (Gunn v. Superior Court, 73 Cal.App.2d 564, 566-567 [166 P.2d 906] ; see Autrand v. Superior Court, 104 Cal.App.2d 480, 481 [231 P.2d 546].) In the Gunn ca,se it Avas held that a reasonable construction of section 981 is that a judge of the justice court is not compelled to transmit to
Let a peremptory writ of mandate issue directing the superior court to entertain the appeal.
Shenk, J., Carter, J., Traynor, J., Schauer, J., Spence, J., and McComb, J., concurred.
At the time the appeal was taken the superior court was entitled to $9.00, consisting of a filing fee of $8.00 (Gov. Code, § 26824) and a law library fee of $1.00 (Bus. & Prof. Code, § 6321), and the justice court was entitled to a transfer fee of $1.00 (Gov. Code, § 71667).
Section 981 of the Code of Civil Procedure provides: "No appeal taken from a judgment rendered in a justice court in civil matters shall be effectual for any purpose whatever unless the appellant shall, at the time of filing the notice of appeal, pay in addition to the fee payable to the judge of the justice court on appeal, the fees provided by law to be paid to the county clerk for filing the appeal and for placing the action on the calendar in the superior court. Upon transmitting the papers on appeal, the judge shall transmit to the county clerk the sum thus deposited for filing the appeal in the superior court and for placing the action on the calendar. No notice of appeal shall be filed unless the fees herein provided for are paid in accordance with the provisions of this section. ’ ’
Section 974 of the Code of Civil Procedure provides in part: "Any party dissatisfied with the judgment rendered in a civil action in a justice court, may appeal therefrom to the superior court of the county, at any time within 30 days after notice of the rendition of the judgment. The appeal is taken by filing a notice of appeal with the judge of the justice court, and serving a copy on the adverse party. ..."
Reference
- Full Case Name
- STANSBURY, INCORPORATED (a Corporation) v. SUPERIOR COURT OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Respondent JOHN W. GOLDEN, Real Party in Interest
- Status
- Published