Perrin v. Smith
Perrin v. Smith
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court:
In this matter judgment was rendered for the plaintiffs upon the pleadings, and the defendant Perrin appeals.
In such cases this court has announced the law to be as follows:
“Such a motion cannot be sustained, unless, under the admitted facts, the moving party is entitled to judgment, without regard to what the findings might be on the facts upon which issue is joined; so that, in determining the rights of the defendants to the judgment given them, the real question to determine is the sufficiency of the admitted facts to warrant the judgment rendered, and the materiality of*406 those upon which issue is joined.”—Mills v. Hart, 24 Colo. 507.
With this rule in mind, an examination of these pleadings show that the judgment of the trial court was wrong, for the reason that the material allegations of the complaint and of the answer are all denied.
The complaint alleges that The Denver Union Water Company is a corporation; that the suit was brought by plaintiffs on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated; that defendant and her predecessors for fifteen years maintained and operated the Perrin water plant from which defendant Mary F. Perrin and her predecessors furnished and supplied plaintiffs, for hire, with water for domestic and irrigation purposes; that plaintiffs at all times observed the rules established for the Perrin waterworks plant; that on the 15th of April, 1902, the defendant Mary F. Perrin entered into a contract with defendant, The Denver Union Water Company, wherein it was agreed that the water company was to make use of the pipes theretofore used by the proprietor of the Perrin water plant and furnish water to the plaintiffs upon payment being made by plaintiffs according to the schedule of charges fixed by the water company; that defendant Mary F. Perrin should have authority to make collection of the water rents to be paid by plaintiffs and to account to defendant company; that in pursuance of the terms of this contract, the water company caused water from its plant to be turned into the pipes formerly used by the proprietor of the Perrin water plant, and plaintiffs are now using water furnished and supplied by defendant water company through the pipes formerly used for the same purpose by defendant Mary F. Perrin; that these plaintiffs agreed to accept the water service of defendant water company
The defendants answered the complaint, and admitted that The Denver Union Water Company was a corporation, and that the owners of Block 4 of Perrin’s subdivision had maintained and operated an artesian well upon Block 4 and had furnished water to certain persons, among some of whom were the plaintiffs, through pipes laid in the streets of Perrin’s subdivision. Defendants denied each and every allegation in plaintiffs’ complaint contained, which were not expressly admitted in the answer.
So, it will be seen, that all the allegations of the complaint are denied except the fact that The Denver Union Water Company was a corporation' and that the owners of Block 4 in Perrin’s subdivision furnished water to the plaintiffs. That being true, judgment could not be rendered for the plaintiffs in • the absence of proof tending to support the allegations of their complaint, unless other allegations made in defendants ’ answer, standing by themselves, would be sufficient to warrant a judgment against defendants. This answer, in addition to the admissions and denials hereinbefore mentioned, states that said Block 4 now belongs to the estate of Wilson Perrin, deceased, and has so belonged since the summer of 1900, and that said estate is the owner of said pipes laid in said street as aforesaid; that said defendant Mary F. Perrin is the administratrix of the estate of Wilson Perrin, deceased; that after said Block 4 and pipes came into the possession of the
According to the statements contained in this answer; the water pipes belonged to- the estate of Wilson Perrin, deceased, and defendant Mary F. Perrin has acted only in a representative capacity.
In a case like this, judgment may not he rendered against the defendant personally where she acts only as the representative of the estate; neither could the estate he hound hy any judgment rendered against the administratrix personally.
The judgment of the district court will he reversed and the cause remanded.
Reversed and remanded.
Chiee Justice Steele and Mr. Justice Goddard concur.
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