Post v. Torres y Pacheco
Post v. Torres y Pacheco
Opinion of the Court
delivered tbe following opinion:
Tbe discussion has taken a very wide range. It bas practically been a discussion of tbe merits of tbe case. There are one or two things that ought to be adjusted now.
1. Tbe first matter to be considered is tbe motion of tbe defendants that tbe complainants, being nonresidents of tbe Island, be compelled to give security for costs. It is not clear that a local regulation of this kind is binding upon the Federal court. There are many cases in which a court of chancery is not bound by matters of practice which are binding upon other branches of tbe judiciary department under tbe same Sovereign. Much more so is this tbe case where tbe courts are entirely distinct, as in this instance. However this may be, tbe section, of tbe Porto Rican Code of Civil Procedure referred to, § 342,, does not appear to be mandatory. It says that in tbe case-mentioned tbe plaintiff may be directed to give security for costs, and other parts of tbe section indicate that this is not one of tbe cases where “may” .is. to be interpreted as “must.”' It would seem that tbe complainants in this case have abundant
2. In the second place, as to the matter of practice in cases of this sort. Here is a bill filed seeking the rescission of a long lease upon at least two grounds, — one that all the land covered by the lease has not been turned over; that there is a discrepancy large enough to be taken into account in a court of equity in rescinding the lease. Another ground is that a part of the consideration of the whole transaction has failed, that is to say, that the parties contracted under a certain state of the public law, and that has been changed. The court does not pass on either of these at this time, but if proved the bill has equity.
' 3. The' complainants thereupon obtain a rule on the defendants to' show cause why a temporary injunction should not issue restraining the defendants from collecting the rentals on this land while the equity suit is pending. The defendants come in and file, not an answer to the bill, but an answer to the rule to show cause. Ordinarily, it has been the practice to make a motion for an injunction, and, in a proper case, for that motion to be served upon the defendant, and then, of course, a hearing is held on the question of an injunction vel non. On that application the burden of opening and closing would be upon the plaintiff in the main case to show why there should be an injunction issued. Of course, the defendant would answer giving any reasons by affidavit or otherwise, and then the plaintiff would reply. The practice pursued in the present case, which is also á perfectly proper practice, is to have a rule to
4. Looking somewhat at the merits of this particular application, it would seem as if there should be some distinction between an application for an injunction and a trial on the merits of the case. The court cannot possibly try the merits of a case upon a preliminary motion like this, and it would seem as if the rule is as follows: Where the billj — and, of course, the motion for an injunction would include the bill and possibly some other evidence, — but where the bill, we will say, or the showing, is that there is a prima facie .cáse, where the bill seeks an equitable remedy to which an .injunction would be a proper accessory, in that case the injunction should be granted, a temporary injunction of course, but granted on such a bond as would protect the defendant.- It would seem as if every defense which would be amendable should be considered as amended, and every defense which is. a confession and avoidance should be disregarded upon a motion for an injunction. That is to say, — take this case, — it is' alleged that one of the defend
That being so, does this bill show prima facie an equitable’ ground? Here is an allegation that a long lease was obtained,, and that legal fraud, not necessarily a moral fraud, is involved, in the transaction, and that there have been other things which, malee the contract so inequitable that it should be rescinded.. Without passing upon whether that is true or not, it is sufficient that, if true, it would be a ground for granting the complainants relief. That is the bill.
5. It is urged by this rule to show cause that the complainants should not be put to the necessity of paying rent which on their bill they ought not to pay, and of their suing in another court to recover it' back after the determination of the suit, in this court; and it would appear as if that is true. That' the court, if it takes jurisdiction of the case for one purpose,, ought to see that that purpose is thoroughly carried out, not., remitting the complainants to some other court for half their-remedy. It is not necessary that the damages be irreparable..
6. As to the first ground mentioned, that the amount of acreage is a quarter less than set up in the lease, it would seem that the section of the Civil C.ode which has been cited, § 1372,, provides that there may be a discrepancy up to 10 per cent, in a sale. Here is a discrepancy of 25 per cent. The rule at. common law as to discrepancies is this, that a discrepancy of 1 or 2 or 3 per cent, or something like that, will not be regarded,, and there are some cases which hold that a discrepancy up to 8 per cent will not violate the contract. It may be a ground for damages, but it will not necessarily be ground for rescinding, the contract: Eight or 10 per cent is certainly as far as any cases hold, and this seems .to be a ease of 25 per cent, so, on the whole, it seems to the court, without regard to the second ground of the bill, that this is pifima-facie a good bill in equity.. That being so, the incidental relief of an injunction pendente-lite ought to be granted, and it will be so ordered on the complainants’ making an adequate bond. The bond will be fixed at. $2,000.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- JAMES H. POST v. JOSÉ RAMON TORRES Y PACHECO
- Status
- Published