Equitable Surety Co. v. Illinois Surety Co.
Equitable Surety Co. v. Illinois Surety Co.
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
This is an appeal from an order of Judge Shipp, overruling a demurrer interposed by the appellant to the complaint of the respondent.
“All and every such foreign corporation carrying on business or owning property in this' State shall be subject to the laws of the same in like manner as corporations chartered under the laws of the State.”
*370 Section 2674 provides for the administration of assets of foreign corporations. Section 2814 of the Code provides how the affairs of a corporation in reference to the prosecution or defending suits for the purpose of settlement of their affairs when they cease to do business in the State for the reasons therein specified. (The Reporter will report in full these sections. He will also report sections 2701 and 2705 of volume I of Code, which requires the deposit withthe insurance commissioner of a bond or approved security and the conditions of the bond and the appointment of the commissioner as its attorney to accept service, etc.)
Under the statutory law of this State the Illinois Surety Company in filing its bond with the Insurance Commissioner with'the appellant as surety complied with the law as authorized the Illinois Surety Company to do business in this State, and that business continued as long as it had outstanding policies in this State, and until all claims against the company had been settled, and that the service of the process in this case was service on the Illinois Surety Company, even though it was insolvent, and even though it had a receiver in another State. Pollock v. Association, 48 S. C. 74, 25 S. E. 977, 59 Am. St. Rep. 695. This exception is overruled.
Exception 2 is overruled.
Exceptions 3 and 4 are overruled.
Exception 5 is overruled.
The construction asked for that the plaintiffs in the original actions were nonresidents of this State, and plaintiff could not obtain the benefit of the statutory provisions, and that the judgments were obtained in a foreign Court, to wit, the United States District Court, is untenable and narrow, and not worthy of serious consideration. One of the creditors was at the time of the contract and is now a resident of Aiken, S. C.; the judgment was obtained in the District Court of the United States sitting in Columbia. The contract of suretyship upon which the original judgment was obtained* was given to the United States government for the performance of a contract within this State, to wit, the-building of a postoffice at Aiken, S. C. It was given under the provisions of act Cong. August 13, 1894c, 280, 28 Stat. 278, as amended by act Cong. February 24, 1905c, 778, 33 Stat. 811 (U. S. Comp. St. 1916, sec. 6923), which gave to subcontractors and materialmen a right to bring suit in the *372 name of the United States against contractors on such bonds. The same statute expressly limited the jurisdiction of such suits to the United States Court for the district and State where the contract was to be performed.
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Equitable Surety Co. v. Illinois Surety Co. Et Al.
- Cited By
- 5 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Principal and Surety — Doing Business in the State — Foreign Surety Companies. — Under Civ. Code 1912, sec. 2724, a foreign surety company could do business in the State only by consent and approval of the Governor, insurance commissioner, and secretary of state, provided it complied with the laws in force regulating foreign insurance companies. 2. Principal and Surety — Surety Company — Insolvency and Receivership in Other States — Service oe Process. — An Illinois surety company, in filing its bond with the insurance commissioner, with another foreign guaranty company as surety, complied with the law authorizing it to do business in the State, and such business continued as long as it had outstanding policies in the State, and until all claims against it had been settled, and service of process on the company was sufficient, though it was insolvent and had a receiver in another State. 3. Principal and Surety — Action Against Foreign Corporation-Parties. — In suit in South Carolina against a foreign surety company authorized to do business in the State, the receiver appointed for it in another State is not a necessary party. 4. Pleading — Demurrer — Admission.— Demurrer to the complaint admits the truth of its allegations. 5. Subrogation — Payment by Surety — Statute.—Under Civ. Code 1912, sec. 3942, providing that payment by a surety of debt secured by judgment or decree, shall not operate as a satisfaction, but the surety shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges of plaintiff in the judgment, payment by a surety subrogated it to all the rights and privileges of-the creditor in a judgment or decree against the principal debtor, and to all the securities, equities, rights, remedies, and priorities held by such creditor. 6. Courts — Jurisdiction oe United States Court — Surety Bond oe Government Contractor. — The United States Court for the district and State where the contract was to be performed has jurisdiction to dispose of suit on a surety bond given the United States Government for the performance of a contract to build a post-office within the State under act Cong. Aug. 13, 1894, c. 280, 28 Stat. 278, as amended by act Cong. Feb. 24, 1905, c. 778, 33 Stat. 811 (U. S. Comp. St. 1916, sec. 6923), giving subcontractors and materialmen a right to bring suit in the name of the United States against contractors on such bond, and limiting jurisdiction of such suits to the United States Court for the district where the contract is to be performed.