Archibald McCallum & Son v. Culpepper & Dupont
Archibald McCallum & Son v. Culpepper & Dupont
Opinion of the Court
Action in assumpsit by Archibald McCallum and Kingsley McCallum, styling themselves, partners as Archibald McCallum & Son, against Andrew F. Culpepper and John E. Dupont, partners as Culpepper & Dupont. The declaration contained a special count on a note and also common counts. In connection with the suit a writ of attachment was issued and levied on certain goods, but this writ was dissolved by order of the court on motion made for that purpose. Dupont filed a plea, reciting therein that he was sued in assumpsit by summons ad respondendum issued on a given date, and alleging that he was not at the time of filing the plea, nor on the date of the issuance of the summons, nor had he been at any intermediate time, a member of a partnership composed'of Andrew F. Culpepper and himself, doing business as Culpepper & Dupont, or otherwise. Plaintiffs replied that said Andrew F. Culpepper and John E. Dupont were partners, on the day alleged in said plea, as Culpepper & Dupont, and upon this issue a trial was had resulting in a verdict for defendants. .
The writ of error sued out recites the rendition of a judgment between Archibald McCallum and Kingsley McCallum, partners as A. McCallum & Son, plaintiffs, and Andrew F. Culpepper and John E. Dupont, partners as Culpepper & Dupont, to the alleged damage of the former. The same recitals as to the respective parties plaintiffs and defendants and as to the judgment rendered are contained in the scire facias, but the command to the sheriff in this writ is to summon Andrew F. Culpepper and John E. Dupont to appear before the Supreme Court at a term stated to hear errors. Service of this writ was by leaving a copy at the usual place of abode of John E. Dupont with a member of his family above the age of fifteen years. Dupont has appeared in this court, but Culpepper has not. It is suggested in brief by counsel for Dupont that nothing can be determined here in disparagement of the judgment rendered in the absence of Culpepper. On the record before us it must be assumed that both defendants were before the court when the judgment was rendered, and which is joint in interest as to both parties, disposing of the entire case in their favor.
The writ of error must be dismissed, and it is so ordered.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Archibald McCallum & Son, in Error v. Culpepper & Dupont, in Error
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Prior to the act of 1897, Chapter 4529, writs of scvre facias on writs of error were served on defendants in error resident in this State as other writs. By section 1017.- Rev. Stats., original process sued out against several persons composing, a mercantile or other firm, and served on any one member of said firm is made as valid as if served on each individual member thereof; but in order to have this effect on members of the firm not served, the service must be personally made on some other member. This statute should be strictly construed, and should not be expanded beyond its provisions. 2. Service of scire facias on one .member of a mercantile firm in whose favor a joint judgment in interest has been rendered, by leaving a copy at his usual place of abode with a member of his family above the age of fifteen years, will not amount to service of the process on another member of the firm. 3. A joint judgment in interest against two or more persons cannot be reviewed by the appellate court unless all the persons against whom the judgment is rendered are properly brought before the court.