Irion v. Cole

Mississippi Supreme Court
Irion v. Cole, 78 Miss. 132 (Miss. 1900)
Calhoon

Irion v. Cole

Opinion of the Court

Calhoon, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

Irion filed his bill in chancery to enforce his vendor’s lien for payment of money due on Cole’s promissory note for the purchase money for land. Cole, in defense, set up payment, and, also, by way of cross bill, as set-off, that Irion owed her more than the sum unpaid on other transactions, specifying them, and prayed for an accounting and decree for the balance. Irion demurred to this cross bill, because it introduced new and distinct matter not germane to the complaint in the bill, and *134matters of purely legal demand, for which the cross complainant had full, adequate and complete remedy at law. This demurrer was overruled', and Irion appeals to settle the principles of the case.

While we should' sustain the action of the court below on general principles, we must sustain it on the construction of section 147 of our constitution, announced in the case of Cazeneuve v. Curell, 70 Miss., 521.

Affirmed, allowing sixty days to complainant to answer the cross hill.

Reference

Full Case Name
Smith M. Irion v. Delia A. Cole
Cited By
3 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
1. Chancery Jurisdiction. Cross bill. Independent legal demand. In an equity suit to enforce a lien for the security of a debt, the defendant may, by cross bill, propound an independent leg'al demand as a set-off against the complainant’s debt. 2. Same. Constitution 1890, sec. 147. If the chancery court overrule a demurrer to a cross bill, the supreme court cannot reverse the decree because of any error or mistake as to whether the matters therein propounded be of equity or common law jurisdiction. Sec. 147, const. 1890, prohibits reversals for such error.