Lash v. Perry
Lash v. Perry
Opinion of the Court
Lash, the appellee, sued Richard Berry, Garland Perry and Nathan Perry, to recover the possession of eighty acres of land. The record shows a default against Garland Perry. The other defendants answered by the general denial. A jury being waived by the agreement of the parties, the issue was submitted to the court. The trial resulted in a finding for the defendants. The plaintiff moved the court for a new trial, which was overruled, and judgment given for the defendants. The plaintiff appeals.
Another question urged is, that the court erred in rendering a judgment against the appellant, in favor of all the defendants, for costs; for the reason that, as Garland Perry suffered a default, the cause of action as to him was taken as confessed, and that the plaintiff was, therefore, entitled to a judgment against him, though he failed to recover against the other defendants. The position assumed is not a necessary result in all cases of a default against one of several defendants ; and, in our opinion, is not correct as applied to the case at bar. As has been already shown, the title to the premises in controversy was in Nathan Perry, and not in either of the defendants in the execution, at any time after the cause of action arose upon which the judgment was rendered. But, as to. Garland Perry, the evidence further shows, affirmatively, that he never had any title or
It may also be observed, that as Garland Perry did not appear, and consequently made no costs, the judgment in his favor, if, indeed, the judgment rendered by the court is to be so considered, amounts to nothing.
The trial and finding of the court had relation only to the defendants who appeared and answered, and the judgment of the court in favor of the “defendants,” for costs, is, perhaps, only a judgment in their favor. The plaintiff' did not ask the court below for a judgment in his favor, against Garland Perry alone, and if he desired to raise any question as to that matter, he should have brought it to the attention of the circuit court, and having failed to do so, it is too late to urge it here.
The judgment is affirmed, with costs.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.