Rowland v. McLaughlin Bros.
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Rowland v. McLaughlin Bros.
Opinion of the Court
Respondents, in connection with five other residents of Manitoba, executed and delivered to appellants four certain promissory notes-aggregating $3,500, drawing interest at six per cent., due in one, two, three, and four years. Immediately upon receiving the notes, appellants sold and delivered them to an innocent purchaser, and
The complaint was demurred to upon the ground of defect of parties plaintiff for failure to join the other five signers of the notes.
The case is controlled by Peck v. McLean, 36 Minn. 228, 30 N. W. 759, 1 Am. St. 665. In that case the plaintiff owned a seven-eighths interest in one steamboat, a three-fourths interest in another, a three-fifths interest in another, and brought an action in her own name to recover damages for the seizure and sale of the boats under execution. The court held that there was no defect of parties plaintiff for the reason that the other owners had refused to join in the action and
Appellants attempt to distinguish that case upon the ground that the plaintiff was the owner of a definite and divisible share of the steamboats, and would have been limited in her recovery to an amount proportionate to her share of the value of the property, and that such judgment would not have been a bar to actions subsequently brought by her co-owners; whereas, in this action, appellants occupy an entirely different position, for the reason that the interest of the signers of the notes is a joint interest and not capable of severance or division, and any one of them may be compelled to pay the notes in full, and could then maintain an action against these appellants for the full amount. Appellants have overlooked the real principle upon which that case was decided. The plaintiff was permitted to recover, not because she owned a particular, or divisible, interest in the several boats, but for the reason that the other owners were beyond the jurisdiction of the court and had refused to join in the action as parties plaintiff. If the plaintiff had not been permitted to recover without joining the other owners, she would have been without a remedy. The court said that it'was better that the defendants should be put to the danger and inconvenience of several suits than that the plaintiff should be deprived of a remedy.
The same principle applies to this case. The fact that any one or all of the signers of the notes who have not joined in this action could maintain subsequent actions for the full amount of the notes, in case they should be called upon to pay them, does not distinguish the case in principle. Of course, appellants should not be required to pay any more than the total amount of the notes, with interest and damages. It is not necessary to consider at this time what remedy may be open to appellants in case they are sued by those signers who refused to join in this action.
Affirmed.
Dissenting Opinion
I dissent.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- ISAAC ROWLAND and Others v. McLAUGHLIN BROTHERS
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published