Jefferson v. Gaines
Jefferson v. Gaines
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The only question presented in this case is the correctness of the decree below dismissing the bill as to N. S. Bruce, on demurrer filed by him alone.
The facts necessary to be stated on this question, taking the allegations of the bill to be true, as we. must, on demurrer, are — that one Boyd died in 1862, leaving a will, by which he gave his estate to his
The cause of demurrer, which we deem special, under the case of Kirkman & Ellis v. Snodgrass, 3 Head., 372, “ is want of jurisdiction in the Chancery
The Chancellor sustained the demurrer and dismissed the bill.
There is, however, another specific cause of demurrer assigned, to-wit: misjoinder with complainant of parties with whom he has no common interest. If either ground is sufficient cause to dismiss the bill, then the Chancellor’s decree must be sustained.
On the first branch of the case it is proper to add, as facts charged, that the tenants having rented from Bruce, refused to pay rent to complainant, and that complainant has made the other heirs or devisees of Boyd parties.
The case then is, that complainant, as owner of one sixth of the property, is entitled jointly with the other Boyd, devisees, to the rents arising from said property. This is so on the assumption of the bill. Could he then sue Bruce at law alone for his share on this state of facts?
In the case of Parker v. Elder, 11 Hum., 547, the rule was thus laid down: That when a contract is made with several persons, whether it be under seal or by parol, if their legal interest be joint, or if several persons have a joint legal interest in a fund, they must all, if living, join in the action in form ■ex contractu for the breach of such contract, or the recovery of the fund. This being so, and their being no such severance, as is required in that case, which would ° give the right to one party to sue alone, it
We see no objection to this. The fact is, that in all ordinary cases the remedy in a Court of Chancery is as cheap and speedy under our practice as in a court of law, and, we might add, generally much more accurate and certain in reaching the justice of the case, so° that the objection taken, in a case like the present, is one not calling for any extension of the rules of law in order that it may be sustained, and savors somewhat of the idea of seeking a technical avoidence of the investigation of an assumed liability.
We think the bill was not properly open to this objection.
As to the other objection, of misjoinder of parties, it is well taken in one aspect of it. It is charged that in 1868 Bruce resigned his executorship, and W. N. Wilkinson has been appointed in his place, since which time he has collected about $7,000 of the rents of the real estate, and Wilkinson denies complainants rights in the premises.
It is obvious that this case has no possible con
The Chancellor was correct in sustaining the demurrer on ground of misjoinder, but we do not think the bill should have been dismissed, but the demurrer should have been sustained-, and complainant directed or authorized to amend by filing separate bills, without new process as to the parties before the court, in pursuance of ,. sec. 4326 of the Code, or the case separated as might be necessary for the proper litigation and adjudication of the rights of the parties. A decree will be entered here to this effect, and the cause remanded for proper amendment, in accordance with this opinion, the complainant paying the costs of this court.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.