United States ex rel. Sayre & Fisher Co. v. Griefen
United States ex rel. Sayre & Fisher Co. v. Griefen
Opinion of the Court
This action is brought upon a bond made by the two defendants to the United States of America, by the terms of which they are jointly bound. Summons was issued against both of the defendants, and returned served as to the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, and not found as to the defendant Griefen.
The plea demurred to is filed by the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, and avers that the defendant Griefen was not, at the time of the commencement of the action, or at any time since, a citizen or resident of the State of New Jersey, or in anywise subject to its laws or jurisdiction; that the only service* of process in this action was by the sheriff of the county of Mercer, to whom the summons was directed, giving and delivering to one Johnston, deputy commissioner of banks and insurance, at the office of the commissioner of banks and insurance, at the state house, in Trenton, a true copy of said summons, personally, together with $2 for the service fee; that no writ or process to answer to the plaintiff has been at any time, or in any manner, served upon Griefen, or upon any person authorized to accept service for him; that he has not, either in person or by attorney, appeared in this case, and because the said Griefen is a nonresident of the .state, and has not been served with process or appeared in the case, or in any manner been brought into court to answer to the plaintiff, the defendant the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company prays judgment of the writ and declaration, and that the same be quashed.
The facts set out in this plea do not entitle the defendant to the judgment for which he prays. It has already been held by this court, on a motion to set aside the service of the summons upon the Fidelity and Guaranty Company,, that service upon the deputy commissioner was legal service upon that defendant. United States v. Griefen, 41 Vroom 123. Nor is the fact that the defendant Griefen is a non-resident of the state, and has not been served with process, any bar to the action, as was pointed out in another opinion in this case delivered by this court upon a demurrer filed by the Fidelity
The plaintiff is entitled to judgment on the" demurrer.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.