Wright v. Frank
Wright v. Frank
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The amended bill introduced a new and different case from that made by the original bill, and sought relief based on a transaction occurring after the original bill was filed. It was therefore not maintainable, and the demurrers of Allen and Wright severally should have been sustained. It is not true that the parties affected by leave to amend were precluded from objecting to the amended bill because they did not except to the order granting leave to amend, or that they could not question the propriety of the amended bill by demurrer. After leave to amend, it was allowable to the defendants to the amended bill to demur to it.
The demurrer of Wright to the cross-bill of Mrs. Brander should have been sustained, because said bill shows that the land on which it seeks to fasten a charge has been conveyed by Wright to Allen, who cannot be impleaded in this suit, and, except as a suit to charge the land, there is no matter of equity cognizance shown by said cross-bill, which is in the nature of an original bill as against Wright, and must to be maintainable, contain some matter of equity cognizance as to which she might bring and maintain an original bill. Gilmer v. Felhour, 45 Miss. 627. Stripped of the trust sought to be fastened on the Goff place, and which cannot be litigated in this case, because Allen is a necessary party to such litigation, and cannot be such in this case, the cross-bill presents nothing but a demand that Wright shall make good his promise to pay the debt to Frank, so as to free the land sold by him from his claim, and this is a purely legal demand not enforceable in a court of chancery.
The decrees overruling the four demurrers mentioned are reversed, the demurrers sustained, and both the amended and cross-bill are dismissed, and the cause remanded.
Decree accordingly.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- J. H. Wright v. Godfrey Frank and Thomas H. Allen v. Jennie E. Brander
- Cited By
- 7 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Chancery Pleading. Amended bill. An amended bill is demurrable if it introduces a new case different from that stated in the original bill, and seeks relief based on a transaction which occurs after the original bill is filed. 2. Chancery Practice. Amendment. Failure to except to an order granting leave to amend the bill does not preclude the defendant from questioning the propriety of the amended bill by demurrer. 3. Cross-bill. Effect of dismissing bill. If a cross-bill is filed against a person who was made a party to the litigation by an amended bill, dismissing the amended bill on demurrer disposes of the cross-bill as to him. 4. Same. New party. A person who is not a party to the suit cannot be brought into the litigation by means of a cross-bill. 5. Same. New ease. A cross-bill is not maintainable if its effect is to introduce a subject of litigation involving a party not in the original suit. 6. Same. Legal demands. Purely legal demands not enforceable in a court of equity cannot be made the subject of a cross-bill. Gilmer y. Felhour, 45 Miss. 627, cited.