Standard Accident Insurance v. Lloyd
Standard Accident Insurance v. Lloyd
Opinion of the Court
On August 28th, 1929, Hedley da Costa filed a lien claim against property in the township of Teaneck in the office of’ the clerk of Bergen county. Summons was issued out of the Fifth Judicial District Court of Bergen county on the-
On May 11th, 1930, the rule for judgment as entered was amended to include Standard Accident Insurance Company as a judgment defendant by reason of the bond filed by it as surety. This rule for judgment failed to state that the lands would be specially liable had the bond not been filed. On September 29th, 1930, an amended rule for judgment correcting the omission, which was contained in the original rule, was entered.
The power of the District Court to enter this judgment and make these amendments is the only point in controversy on this certiorari, as far as the prosecutor of this writ is concerned.
We think, as argued by the defendant in certiorari, that the District Court had jurisdiction of the subject-matter, and of the parties, therefore any alleged error by the District Court can be reviewed only by appeal.
The amount in controversy was $350. The land and building against which the lien claim was filed were located in Bergen county. Jurisdiction under a mechanics’ lien suit, where the amount in controversy does not exceed $500 is vested in any District Court of the county in which the land
The prosecutor contends that the court did not have jurisdiction over it personally because no summons was served upon it, and because it was not made a party- to the original summons and complaint. This contention cannot prevail. Jurisdiction over the prosecutor as a defendant in the cause, was acquired by force of the Mechanics’ Lien act as amended. Pamph. L. 1917, ch. 68, p. 121; 1 Cum. Supp. Comp. Stat., p. 1853. This act provides that upon the filing of a bond for the purpose of releasing the land from the operation of the lien, the principal and surety thereon shall, upon such filing become parties in any action commenced, or to be-commenced, upon the lien claim. The bond in the present, case was filed in the Bergen county clerk’s office December 20th, 1929, and by reason thereof the prosecutor became a party defendant to the cause. The District Court, therefore, had jurisdiction both of the subject-matter and of the parties, and any alleged error committed by it could be reviewed only by appeal and not by certiorari.
The question of the right to a writ of certiorari directed, to the District Court, is covered by section 89 of the District Court act, which provides that “where the court has jurisdiction, no judgment in any District Court from which [as here] an appeal is given by this act, shall be removed by certiorari, for the correction of any supposed error thereon; * * * »
This provision of the act was considered in the case of Genuario v. Gaudenzio, 64 N. J. L. 157, wherein the court, said (at p. 158) : “The right of the prosecutors to review this judgment by certiorari depends upon whether the court below had jurisdiction of the subject-matter of the litigation and of the parties to it, for, if such jurisdiction existed, then the only method of review was by an appeal,” &c.
In this connection it is noted that the prosecutor contends that the District Court was deprived of the power to enter the final judgment as amended, by the Mechanics’ Lien act as amended by Pamph. L. 1910, p. 226, which provides that;
The writ of certiorari will be dismissed, with costs.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- STANDARD ACCIDENT INSURANCE COMPANY OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, PROSECUTOR v. FRANCIS V. D. LLOYD, JUDGE OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF BERGEN PETER A. GRANDE, CLERK OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT OF THE COUNTY OF BERGEN HEDLEY DA COSTA, CHARLES SCHMIDT, ATTORNEY FOR HEDLEY DA COSTA JAMES W. MERCER, COUNTY CLERK OF BERGEN COUNTY AND CLERK OF THE BERGEN COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT FRED MEITSEL, AS AN INDIVIDUAL THE EDGEMONT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, A NEW JERSEY CORPORATION, AND KNAPP DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, A NEW JERSEY CORPORATION, AND FRED L. BLOODGOOD, CLERK OF THE NEW JERSEY SUPREME COURT
- Status
- Published