Rakowski v. Rosenthal
Rakowski v. Rosenthal
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiffs in this ejectment, who are husband and wife, showed a good title by entireties to the land in dispute, acquired by a deed to them dated April 27, 1911. The defendant’s predecessor in title was the vendee at a sheriff’s sale of the plaintiffs’ interest in the land. The sheriff’s deed, dated April 17,1915, and the judgment in the court of common pleas upon which the execution had
The Act of March 20, 1810, P. L. 208, provides: “If the parties appear before the justice, either in person or by agents, the justice shall proceed to hear their proofs and allegations,” and “give judgment publicly, as to him of right may appear to belong.” If a defendant sued before a justice of the peace is not served with the summons and does not appear at the time fixed for the hearing, the justice is of course wholly without jurisdiction, but if he does appear, whether served with the summons or not, the justice does have jurisdiction. The appearance may, by the express words of the statute, be in person or by agents, and it is a waiver not only of the service of the summons and of defect in the service, but even of the issuance of the writ itself: Zion Church v. St. Peter’s Church, 5 W. & S. 215; Lupton & Company v. Moore et al., 101 Pa. 318; Miller v. Warden Frew & Company, 111 Pa. 300.
In the present case it appears from the evidence submitted by the plaintiffs themselves that both had appeared before the justice of the peace — the wife in person and the husband through her as his agent. On the trial below he did not offer himself as a witness to dispute her authority to appear for him, though he could not very well have done so after offering in evidence the entries of the justice, showing that she had so appeared. Those entries were presumptive evidence of her authority to appear for him. “A party before a justice is allowed to appear by an agent. There is no form of law constituting such agency. The justice is the judge of the authority; and, after the judgment of the justice, it is to be taken prima facie that the agent had authority to represent the principal”: Barber v. Chandler, 17 Pa. 48. Clearly the judgment entered by the justice of the peace against the husband was not void, and, even if voidable, is not open to attack in this proceeding against the defendant, the evidence of whose title is a sheriff’s
The husband admittedly had notice, more than six months before this action was instituted, of the judgment entered against him by the justice of the peace, and it was his duty to sue out a writ of certiorari within a reasonable time after he had knowledge of it, if he wished to have it set aside; otherwise he would be bound by it: Harper v. Biles, 115 Pa. 594. But even if on a writ of certiorari issued after the sheriff’s sale, the judgment had been set aside, the title of his vendee would, under section 9 of the Act of January 12,1705,1 Smith’s Laws 61, be unaffected: Shannon v. Newton, 132 Pa. 375.
For the reasons stated, the judgment is reversed, and is here entered for the defendant non obstante veredicto.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Rakowski et ux. v. Rosenthal
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- Syllabus
- Justice of the peace — Judgment—Voidable judgment — Knowledge — Certiorari—Husband and wife — Appearance by wife for husband — Principal and agent — Acts of January 12, 1705, 1 Sm. L. 61, and March 20, 1810, P. L. 208 — Sheriff’s sale — Title. 1. Where a husband and- wife are sued before a justice of the peace, and the wife who is alone served, appears and confesses judgment for herself and her husband, the judgment against the husband is voidable, and if he does not sue out á writ of certiorari within a reasonable time after he has knowledge of it, it becomes binding upon him. Under the Act of March 20, 1810, P. L. 208, a party before a justice of the peace may appear by an agent. 2. In such a case where the transcript of the judgment is filed in the common pleas and execution is issued thereon, and real estate owned by the husband and wife by entireties is sold by the sheriff, the vendee at the sheriff’s sale takes a good title therein. 3. It seems that, even if, on a certiorari issued after the sheriff’s sale, the judgment had been set aside, the title of the sheriff’s vendee would, under section 3 of the Act of January 12, 1705, 1 Sm. taws 59, have been unaffected.