Hargis v. Robinson
Hargis v. Robinson
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
This proceeding involves the question whether, after the supreme court has made an order directing the restoration or payment of a fund to one of two litigating parties, a third may intervene and show that the first has transferred his right to a part of the fund, and that the third party is entitled to such part. The question arises on the following facts, which are more fully set forth in Hargis v. Robinson, 63 Kan. 686, 66 Pac. 998 :
Meredith owned a tract of land, and in 1884 gave a mortgage thereon for $800. In 1886 a judgment for
Afterward, and on a motion for restitution, it was made to appear that the land which had been the subject of controversy had been sold to a stranger, and this court made an order that the executors of Robinson and Read pay to Hargis $1319.57, or restore the land in controversy. When the mandate of the court upon the order of restitution was sent down judgment was entered in favor of Hargis against the executors for the sum mentioned, but it appearing that it was done without notice to the opposing party it was set aside. Subsequently one-half the amount named in the order of restitution, to wit, $775.20, was paid to
This was an equitable proceeding, and the court rightly allowed intervention by W. 0. Robinson, who had not been connected with the litigation in his individual capacity. Ordinarily, a stranger to litigation
There was no attempt here to reopen the case or to retry any of the questions settled in that adjudication. It had been determined that the estates of Robinson and Read w'ere not entitled to subrogation ; that Mrs. Hargis, bjr reason of her purchase at the execution sale, and because the land had been sold under the erroneous decree of foreclosure, was entitled to the money derived from the sale. This was the decision as between the litigating parties, but there was no determination as to whether she had transferred or surrendered her right to the land or fund while the litigation was in progress. If she had already received payment of a part of the fund she could not insist upon an interpretation of the mandate of this court
Complaint is made of the ruling respecting the transfer of the land and because the plaintiffs in error were not permitted to show that the deed to Johnson was in fact a mortgage. Robinson contended, and the court held, that the Hargises were concluded by the litigation between them and Johnson on that issue. That action was brought in March, 1897, and concluded in December, 1899. After pending that length of time the plaintiffs by their attorneys, one of whom was Hargis himself, moved the court to dismiss the case “with prejudice” and at plaintiffs’ costs, and the court granted the motion and formally granted the dismissal “with prejudice.” No objection was made to the entry, nor'was its finality questioned by any
Under our code and practice two methods of dismissal are provided — one is a dismissal “without prejudice” to a future action, for various reasons, and the other a dismissal “with prejudice” to a future action. Where a party voluntarily dismisses a case and wishes to reserve to himself the privilege of enforcing his right in a subsequent proceeding he should procure, and have entered, an order of dismissal, stating in express terms that it is “without prejudice.” An order dismissing “with prejudice” is equivalent to an adjudication upon the merits, and it will operate as a bar to a future action. The terms “with prejudice” and “without prejudice” have been recognized by the legislature and by the decisions of this court as having reference to, and being determinative of, the right to the bringing of a future action. (Civil Code, §398, Gen. Stat. 1901, § 4846; St. Joe & D. C. Rld. Co. v. Dryden, 17 Kan. 278; Brown v. Kirkbride, 19 id. 588; Allen v. Dodson, Sheriff, 39 id. 220, 17 Pac. 667; Banking Co. v. Ball, 57 id. 812, 48 Pac. 137; Railway Co. v. McWherter, 59 id. 345, 53 Pac. 135.) A dismissal under our practice differs from some of those suggested by plaintiffs in error in this, that it is a judicial act rather than the act of the party. Whether “with prejudice” or “without prejudice” it is in the nature of a judgment; and a judgment “with prejudice,” not set aside or reversed, is
The relations between Robinson and the estates represented by him are not in controversy here, and if the purchase of the land, or of an interest in the fund, by Robinson was an abuse of his trust, as plaintiffs in error contend, it does not injuriously affect them, and is not a matter of which they may complain.
The judgment of the district court is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Gladys M. Hargis v. W. C. Robinson
- Cited By
- 19 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- SYLLABUS BY THE COURT. 1. Equity — Intervention after Reversal — Restitution and Distribution of Fund. After the reversal of a judgment in an equitable proceeding the supreme court ordered the fund which was the subject of the controversy to be returned to the prevailing party. ‘When the order of restitution was sent down the district court permitted a stranger to the suit to intervene and show that the prevailing party had transferred to him a portion of the fund during the progress of the litigation, and thereupon ordered the payment of the same to him. Held, not error. 2. Practice, District Court — Dismissal with Prejudice. An order of the court dismissing a case “with prejudice,” made on motion of plaintiff, is a final disposition of the controversy, and unless it be set aside or reversed it will be a bar to a future action.