Merwin v. Ideal Cement Co.
Merwin v. Ideal Cement Co.
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
This writ of error involves a question of the voluntary and involuntary dismissal of an action, and involves rules 41 (a) and 41 (b), R.C.P. Colo. Rule 41 (a) concerns voluntary dismissal by plaintiff or by stipulation; Rule 41 (b) has to do with involuntary dismissal at the instance of the court or defendant.
No further action was taken by either of the parties in this particular case until March 2, the opening day of the March term of court, and this case being on the
The writ of error herein followed in due course and plaintiff, for reversal of the above judgment and order, specifies and relies upon the contention that the dismissal was not a voluntary dismissal, and, if so, it would be without prejudice; that plaintiff has been misled and prejudiced by the court’s order setting the case for trial long after the conclusion of the hearing in the county court; and therefore in these particulars, error was committed by the trial court.
Counsel for defendant in error now contends that the dismissal of the case on defendant’s motion was not a voluntary dismissal under rule 41 (a) (1) of our rules of civil procedure, but was an involuntary dismissal under rule 41 (b) (1), and that an order of dismissal for failure to prosecute is discretionary and will not be disturbed on review without a clear showing of abuse of discretion.
The position of defendant’s counsel in the county court and position here are incompatible. In his motion to va
To obtain the order vacating the setting of a trial date counsel for garnishee based his contention on the premise of a voluntary dismissal on account of what plaintiff said at the close of the trial in the other case as hereinabove set out. If it properly can be said that it was a dismissal, it surely was a dismissal based on the voluntary statement of plaintiff; however, there was no dismissal order entered and the trial court must have been confused in his statement and order herein set out when he said that the order of dismissal was deferred until motion for a new trial was disposed of in the former case; and that it was entered on March 2, because the record shows that the motion for new. trial was overruled on January 30, 1953, and the trial court thereafter, with this case remaining on its docket, on March 2, called the case and set a definite date for trial. Had a dismissal order been entered on the above quoted statement of counsel at the time it was made, or as of the time it was made, it necessarily would have been an order of dismissal without prejudice.
The position now taken by counsel for defendant in error, the garnishee, that the dismissal was an order for failure to prosecute, and therefore a dismissal with prejudice, is one with which we cannot agree. The statement of plaintiff that, “Well, I guess I will have to dismiss it,” is not a statement that he was dismissing the case or requesting the court for an order of dismissal, and is not' the equivalent of what is described in Moore’s
So far as the record before us was made, it apparently was upon the ground of voluntary dismissal due to plaintiff’s statement. That situation cannot be charged to plaintiff’s prejudice by a different condition or a different basis for dismissal as made in this court. If plaintiff talked himself out of anything, it was his action and not his cause of action; however, since no presumption can here be indulged that plaintiff had no further or different evidence than that which he had presented in the companion case, even though he was silent when for better practice and on safer grounds, he should have spoken.
The judgment. is reversed and the cause remanded with directions to reinstate the action for such-further proceedings by plaintiff as he may be advised.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Merwin v. Ideal Cement Company
- Status
- Published