Custer County v. Albien
Custer County v. Albien
Opinion of the Court
This was an action upon the official bond of Edwin H. Flynn, as treasurer of the respondent county. The bond ran to “J. F. Street, F. A. Towner, and Joseph Humphrieus, as commissioners, and their successors in office,” and was in the penal sum of $10,000, “for which payment, well and truly to be made, we jointly and severally bind ourselves in the amount set opposite our respective names,” etc. The condition was: “That whereas, the abpyg-named Edwin H. Flynn was on the 6th day of
It is first objected that the complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. The objection that the bond is not actionable by the county because the county commissioners and their successors in office are named as obligees, instead of the county, as provided in section 1373, Comp. Laws, is not good. It is very plain, from the recitals of the bond) that it was given and received as the security the statute called for from the treasurer. The commissioners, as the proper agents of the county, in taking it, took it in their names, as such official agents, instead of in the name of their principal, the county. The complaint sets out the facts showing that the county was the real benficiary, and that the bond was given for its protection. This action upon it is brought in the name of the real party in interest.
Appellants further insist that the complaint was defective in not specifically alleging- that Flynn was elected to the office of county treasurer. The bond, which the appellants admit they gave, recited and admitted the fact that he had been elected, and was about to enter upon the discharge of his official duties, and that was the reason why they gave the bond. It was not necessary to allege or prove the fact which they had themselves asserted in the very contract sued upon. Defendants wei’e estopped from disputing- it. Mechem, Pub. Off. § 296; Brandt, Sur. § 29; Herm. Estop. § 631, and cases cited; People v. Huson (Cal.) 20 Pac. 369.
It is further objected that the verdict is fatally defective because — First, it is not responsive to the issue; second, it does not find the entire issue; third, it varies from the issue; and, fourth, it does not conform to the complaint. We cannot understand how, in a law action, for the recovery of a sum of money, against one or several defendants, a general verdict for the plaintiff, assessing his damages at a certain amount, can be obnoxious to either of the above objections. The issues were the matters in controversy, and a verdict which finds that plaintiff was right as to all of them would seem to be “responsive to the issue.” A verdict which finds all the issues in favor of the plaintiff would seem to “find the entire issue”; where the issue is whether the plaintiff shows itself entitled to recover, as against a defense set up and attempted to be proved, and, if so, how much, and the verdict finds for the
These defendants answered together, setting up the same facts as the defense of all, against the plaintiff’s claim. The jury found against all these defendants upon all the issues which they tendered. The verdict settled all the facts in controversy in favor of the plaintiff, and there was nothing left but a question of law, towit, what judgment should be entered upon the facts thus settled. The complaint and the answer agreed as to the terms of the bond, and the measure of the liability of each defendant, if the bond should be found good, and no defense proved, and this was precisely the condition in which the verdict left the case. Under these conditions, we think the trial court committed no error of which these appellants can complain, in rendering the judgment which it did, under subdivision 8, § 4901, Comp. Laws. It rendered judgment against each defendant for the amount for which he was liable, the same as though the action had been against him separately. . Under a similar statute it was held in People v. Love, 25 Cal. 520, that “a judgment rendered in an action against the sureties on an official bond, who sign for different amounts, respectively, may be entered up against each surety for the amount for which he is liable on the bond.” The effect of this statutory provision is fully discussed in Pom. Bern. & Bern. Bights, § 406, and the learned author there says: “If a contract shbuld be made by a number of promisors, by which each bound himself in an amount different from that of all the others, the liability would plainly be several and the agreement itself would be embraced within the terms of the section.” Possibly the statute contemplated that a separate and independent judgment should be entered against each defendant, but this is matter of form, more than of substance, and could not prejudice any substantial right of the defendants, and would therefore, even if irregular, be no ground for reversal. It will be understood, of
Reference
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. The official bond of a county treasurer, complying in all respects with the statute, except that it runs to the county commissioners and their successors in office, instead of to the county, is a valid official bond, upon which, in case of default, the county may maintain an action in its own name. 2. In such action the sureties on the bond are estopped from disputing its recitals as to the due election of the principal as treasurer, and that he entered, or was about' to enter, upon the discharge of his official duties thereunder. 3. In such bond the penal sum was $10,000. The sureties severally bound themselves “in the amounts set opposite our [their] respectivenam.es,” each signing for a less amount than the penal sum. The principal made no answer. The sureties answered, setting up a common defense. The verdict was for the plaintiff; on all the issues, and assess plaintiff’s damages at ten thousand dollars.” Upon this verdict the court entered judgment against the principal for $10,000, and against each of the sureties for the amount set opposite his name. Held, under section 4901, Comp. Laws, no error of which the sureties could complain. (Syllabus by the Court.