Moyers v. Council Bluffs Nursery Co.
Moyers v. Council Bluffs Nursery Co.
Opinion of the Court
— This action having been brought in the district court of Boone county, Iowa, the defendants appeared thereto and moved to transfer the cause to the district court of Pottawattamie county for trial, on the ground that they were residents of the latter county and the contract sued upon was not one giving jurisdiction in the former county. This motion was overruled, and the cause proceeded to trial on its merits, resulting in a judgment for the plaintiff. On appeal to this court the .judgment was reversed; it being held that the motion to transfer to Pottawattamie county should have been sustained. Moyers v.
The ruling was correct. The statute cannot be construed to mean that a person sued in a wrong county may recover, not only for his trouble and expense in moving for a change to the proper county, but in addition thereto recover compensation for all his time, trouble, and expense in defending the case upon its merits. In the absence of any showing to the contrary, these latter items cannot be presumed to be any greater in one county than another. Under ordinary circumstances the only penalty assessed for prosecuting an unsuccessful action in the courts is the payment of taxable costs. The statutory provision here in question is not intended to change this rule, except so far as to entitle the party sued in a wrong county to recover for the extraordinary expense and trouble in attending at such county, and securing or attempting to secure a change to the proper jurisdiction. To hold that in addition thereto he may recover for all personal expenses incurred, time occupied, and fees paid in defending the case in. the trial court and on appeal to this court, is entirely unwarranted by any fair interpretation of the statute and out of harmony with the general policy governing the practice in this state. Moreover the assessment of compensation in these cases is largely within the discretion of the trial court.
Without going into details we are satisfied that the allowance of $J5 made by the district court is sufficient to fairly compensate the defendants for all trouble and expense incurred in presenting their claim for change in the place of trial, and, as we hold that the other claims set up are not recoverable, it follows that the judgment appealed from must be, and it is, affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- John N. Moyers v. Council Bluffs Nursery Company and D. J. Fogarty
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published