Houghton v. Potter
Houghton v. Potter
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff in this certiorari seeks to reverse the judgment of the justice, on the ground that the summons was not lawfully served, and that the sheriff made no legal return to it. This seems to he true in point of fact. But it appears, by the justice’s docket, that the defendant appeared and filed a plea, without in any way questioning the service and return of the summons, and then moved to postpone the trial to a future day, which motion the justice overruled. After several of the jurors had been sworn, the defendant for the first time objected to the service and return of the process. Under these circumstances, I think the defendant must be held to have waived all objections to the process. It is admitted by his counsel that this would bo so in an ordinary action ; hut it is insisted that the ninth section of the statute lien. Slat. 79, which declares that no jury shall be sworn unless the legal notice has been given, prescribes a different rule, and makes a service of the summons six entire days before the day of appearance essential to the jurisdiction of the justice. I think this section means only that the jury shall not he sworn against the party’s consent, unless he has been duly notified. Had he
Another reason assigned for the reversal of this judgment is, that the justice did not enter in his docket that the defendant, Houghton, objected to the admission in evidence of certain notices. The docket states that these notices were offered in evidence, but does not state that any objection was made to them.: By an amended return, the justice certified that they were objected to on the part of the defendant, and by him received. No complaint is made that they were incompetent evidence, but simply that an unfounded objection to them was not recorded. I do not think the omission to record this objection is such an error as requires us to reverse the judgment. This court held, in the ease of Snediker v. Quick, 1 Green 306, .that the omission to record the reasons for rejecting certain evidence which was overruled was a fatal error, and reversed the judgment; but the legislature soon revised the act, and omitted the clause requiring so great particularity. Ill that case the docket itself showed the error, but in the case now before us the docket itself shows no error. It is only by the amended return that the alleged defect appears, and this amended return itself contains all that it is insisted ought to have been originally stated, so that the same return which discloses the defect supplies it, and for all the purposes of justice cures it. The fifty-sixth section of the act constituting courts for the trial of small causes, Rev. Slat. 245, requires the justice to record in his docket “ the admission of evidence objected to, and the rejection of evidence offered,” in the same
The only' other reason insisted on is, that the complaint is not sufficient. It is urged that it does not explicitly appear thereby that the defendant, Charles P. Houghton, went into possession by collusion with the tenant. This, I think, is substantially stated. In the case of Townly v. Rutan, it was held by' the Court of Errors that a complaint in this kind of croeeeding should not be treated as a technical pleading, but as a part of a summary proceeding, which will be held sufficient if the requirements cl the statute are substantially complied with. The object of the statute was to give a summary and easy remedy lo a landlord whose possession was unlawfully detained from him ; and to require of him the utmost nicety of proceeding, would be to defeat, instead of furthering the intention of the legislature. In my opinion, the judgment ought to be affirmed.
Randolph, J., concurred.
Let the judgment be affirmed.
Affirmed, 4 Zab. 735.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- CHARLES P. HOUGHTON v. FRANCIS N. POTTER AND OTHERS
- Status
- Published