Emry v. Parker
Emry v. Parker
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting: It is insisted that the appeal iii this case should be dismissed upon the ground that no order allowing or refusing a motion to make an additional party defendant effects a substantial right. In Merrill v. Merrill, 92 N. C., 660, MerrimoN, C. J., delivering the opinion of the Court, stated the principle applicable to this case very clearly and tersely when he said: “ Who shall and who shall not be made additional parties are questions, in many cases, of serious moment, and we can see no reason why the decision of a question of law, arising in the exercise of the power to make them, shall not be reviewed like the decision of any other question of law affecting the merits in the progress of the action. There is nothing in the statute nor in the nature of the power that forbids it, and justice may require it.” In Keathly v. Branch, 84 N. C, 204, Smith, C. J., after noting the fact that the cáse of Rollins v. Rollins, 76 N. C., 264, had been re-affirmed in Lytle v. Burgin, 82 N. C., 301, quotes with
The test is, first, wheiher Daniel is a neces-'ary parly to a complete determination of the questions whether the deed to Parker as trustee is fraudulent and, void, and whether the deed executed to himself is fraudulent (both questions being raised by the pleadings), and second, whether the order making him, or refusing to make him'a party, affects a substantial right of any party to the action. It is not material if the demand for the presence of Daniel as a party “involves a matter of law which affects a substantial right claimed ” by any party to the action, whether the Court grants the demand or refuses it. The Courts cannot ignore the fact that while an appf al lies from any order which in effect determines or discontinues an action, or grants or refuses a new trial, the statute in terms provides for the-immediate review of another class of “judicial orders and determinations.” If the question involved in this motion falls within that class, the Courts have no power to put a strained construction upon it in the vain effort to expedite the determination of the action. It is manifest that it is more expedient, indeed, to make haste slowly by bringing before the Court all parties who must be concluded, in order to have a complete and final determination of the controversy, than to plod through all of the weary
The argumenium ah inconvenienti urged against the view ■we have presented is, that if the right of appeal from an order granting or refusing a motion to make additional parties is conceded, parties to actions will resort to such motions for the purpose of delay, and will prolong litigation so greatly as often to amount to a denial of justice. To this it would be sufficient to reply, ita lex scripta. The Legislature alone has power to provide a remedy for inconveniences growing out of the interpretation of statutes according to their obvious meaning. But it must be remembered that the Court below was not required to enter a record of an appeal, nor can this Court entertain the appeal unless the motion to make new parties was supported in the lower Court by an affidavit manifesting, so as to place beyond dispute, if true, the fact that the presence of the proposed new party is necessary to a complete determination of the action.
The prophecy of evil and inconvenience resulting from giving the natural meaning to the terms of the statute, and following former adjudications, is necessarily, therefore, founded upon the idea that parties, for the mere purpose of delay, will iucur the danger of prosecution for perjury, to which they would subject themselves by misrepresentations that are wilful, or not founded- on probable cause', of the relation to the action sustained by the proposed new party. State v. Knox, Phil., 312. If the argumentum ab inconvenienti has
Where all of the necessary parties are before the Court, and one Judge tries some of the issues and continues as to other material issues, which are subsequently tried by another Judge, it is not conceivable how it can affect a substantial right to postpone the review of rulings in this Court till two nisi prius Judges have accomplished what is usually done by one, preliminary to an appeal. Hilliard v. Oram, 106 N. C., 467; Hicks v. Gooch, 93 N. C., 112. No substantial right can be affected by .postponing a review of the rulings of the trial Judge, on the admission of evidence or instruction to a jury, until an account, which it is necessary to take before the rendition of judgment, shall have been passed upon by another Judge. Every right of the parties in all such cases can be fully protected by entering the-proper exceptions as the ground for assignment of error on the final hearing. Blackwell v. McCaine, 105 N. C., 460.
The case of Lane v. Richardson, 101 N. C., 182, is relied upon as supporting the contention that the appeal should be dismissed, and the question whether Daniel should be made a party reserved on exception until there is a trial and judgment upon the issues. It will appear from a critical examination of that case, that it was not the purpose of the Court to overrule Merrill v. Merrill, supra, Lytle v. Burgin,
While it may not be essential to the proper determination of the cross allegations of fraud in the execution of the two deeds under whjch the contestants respectively claim the right to sell the property, and appropriate to their own debts the proceeds of the sale, and of the issue as to the time of registration, to have all of the cestuis que trust before the ■Court, it is necessary that those whose interests are to be guarded by Daniel as trustee should be represented by him when the validity of the deed under which they claim is •drawn in question. Hancock v. Wooten, supra.
Opinion of the Court
At the instance of the plaintiffs, apotice was issued to J. J. Daniel to show cause why he should not be made a party defendant, and said Daniel making no resistance, an order to that effect was made by his Honor. From this order the original defendants appealed, and the only question to be considered is whether the appeal can be entertained at this stage of the action.
An appeal cannot be taken from an order of the Superior Court which does not determine the action, and which does not deprive the appellant of any substantial right which he might lose if the order is not reviewed before final judgment. Under such circumstances, the party may have his exception entered of record, and, if necessary, may have it considered by the Supreme Court on appeal after the final judgment. Clement v. Foster, 99 N. C., 255; Welch v. Kinsland, 93 N. C., 281; Hailey v. Gray, Ibid, 195. Tested by the foregoing rule, it is entirely clear that the appeal was prematurely taken, as it is well settled by this Court, in the language of Pearson,
Dismissed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- T. L. EMRY v. J. H. PARKER
- Cited By
- 15 cases
- Status
- Published