Columbus Mutual Life Ins. v. National Life Ins.
Columbus Mutual Life Ins. v. National Life Ins.
Opinion of the Court
The parties stood in reverse order in the court below, and will be herein mentioned as they stood below.
On September 29, 1914, the plaintiff filed its petition in the common pleas court of Summit county, Ohio, praying for injunction and other relief. February 12, 1915, defendant tendered issue by the filing of an amended answer, in which it claimed two defenses to said action. July 7, 1915, the plaintiff filed a reply thereto. By these pleadings, the issues were made up and the case stood ready for trial.
April 19, 1916, defendant filed a supplemental answer claiming an alleged settlement of the lawsuit, to which a demurrer was' sustained. May 12, 1916, an amended supplemental answer was filed
The plaintiff filed a motion in this court to dismiss the error proceedings on the ground that the entry from which error is prosecuted is not a final order.
It was admitted at the hearing hereof — and necessarily so — that the filing of the supplemental answer and the amended supplemental answer did not amount to an abandonment of the defenses set forth in the amended answer; also that in event the court below was sustained in its ruling on the demurrer to the supplemental answer defendant might rely upon its amended answer and proceed to trial upon the original pleadings. Necessarily we must conclude that only in event defendant prevails in its claim of an alleged settlement or compromise could said entry be regarded as a final one and determinative of the litigation. In the event the defendant fails therein, we have the. original lawsuit with all its vitality.
It is urged, however, that we should hear this case for the reason that it tends to shorten. the litigation, avoids a lengthy and expensive trial of the case on the original pleadings, and is in harmony with a speedy disposition of the case; all of which we agree is desirable. However, if we entertain jurisdiction of the error'proceedings, and upon hearing thereof decide that the court below was
The motion to dismiss the petition in error is granted, at the costs of plaintiff in error.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.