Graham Refining Co. v. Graham Oil Syndicate
Graham Refining Co. v. Graham Oil Syndicate
Opinion of the Court
Suit was instituted by the Graham Oil Syndicate, alleged to be a common-law trust or association, acting through its named trustees, against the Graham Refining Company, a corporation, for $14,830.85, for oil which the latter company had run through its pipe lines for the plaintiff and sold, but which sum the defendant had declined to pay to the plaintiff by reason of an adverse claim thereto by the Seaboard Oil & Gas Company, a foreign corporation. The last-named company was made defendant, and judgment was rendered for plaintiff against the defendant Graham Refining Company for $14,830.85, which sum was ordered paid into the registry of the court to await the result of litigation then pending between the Graham Oil Syndicate and the Seaboard Oil & Gas Company in the federal District Court at Wichita Falls. It was further adjudged that plaintiff take nothing as against the defendant Seaboard Oil & Gas Company. Defendant Graham Refining Company has appealed. •
By further pleading, appellant claimed that under the facts alleged it could not safe *143 ly pay said amount to either party, and further prayed for attorney’s fees of 10 per cent, of the amount sued for. The Seaboard Oil & Gas Company was in court by its answer filed when the plea was overruled, and asked for no affirmative relief against plaintiff. We see no valid reason for abating the action. All parties interested in the subject-matter involved were in court, and a valid judgment binding all parties could haVe been rendered.
“The order and judgment of the court is void for the reason that no hearing was had upon the merits of the above-entitled and numbered cause, and the defendant was given no opportunity to present its defense, although present in 'court by its duly authorized officer, J. G. Kilgore, and its counsel of record.”
The appellant asked for no affirmative relief, except as to attorney’s fees. In the answer it claimed to be a mere stakeholder, and willing and ready to pay the amount claimed to either the plaintiff or the Seaboard Oil & Gas Company, as might be determined by the court. The appellant states in its third bill of exception that its counsel announced to the court that if the case was tried on its merits he wanted to introduce evidence that the appellant was a mere stakeholder. While the appellant, according to its pleadings, was not in law a stakeholder (see 3 Bouvier’s Law Dictionary, p. 3116), yet, if it sought to avail itself of the privilege of a stakeholder in equity, and to place itself in a position to be awarded its costs, including attorney’s fees, it should have tendered into court the amount it was owing to one or the other of the claimants. Appellant did not do this. In its answer it had a general demurrer and a general denial, and specifically declined to waive these defenses before pleading the facts under which it was claimed that the appellant was a stakeholder. No tender was made in court of the amount in controversy, and which appellant said it was holding to be paid to the party determined by the court as the rightful owner thereof. See Wabash Ry. Co. v. Flannigan, 95 Mo. App. 477, 75 S. W. 691. In the case of Zachary v. Gregory, 32 Tex. 452, it is said, quoting from the headnote:
“If the defendants had cause to distrust the authority of the plaintiff to collect the money due on the note, their proper course was to bring the money into court and require the plaintiff and his former wards to interplead.”
See, also, McAllen v. Brownsville Masonic Ass’n (Tex. Civ. App.) 201 S. W. 660, 662; Pomeroy, Eq. Jur. § 1328; I. & G. N. Ry. v. Barton, 24 Tex. Civ. App. 122, 57 S. W. 292, writ refused.
It will be remembered that the Seaboard Oil & Gas Company, which was brought into the suit evidently at the instance of the appellant, as before stated, failed to set up any affirmative claim or right of recovery against the plaintiff, and failed- to ask for any affirmative relief with reference to the money owing by the appellant. We think under these facts that the court properly held that the appellant was not a mere stakeholder, either in law or in equity, and entitled to recover its costs and attorney’s fees.
“The court, after hearing the evidence in the cause and considering the pleadings filed by the parties hereto, sustains the exceptions filed by the plaintiff against the answer of the Seaboard Oil & Gas Company and overrules the plea in abatement filed by the defendant, the Graham Befining Company. And the court, being well and sufficiently advised, doth find the issues for the plaintiff as against the defendant, the Graham Befining Company, and assesses the damage of the plaintiff in the sum of $14,830.85 principal, which sum the defendant Graham Befining Company is ordered and directed to pay to the registrar of this court, Willie Biggs, within 20 days from this date, and if said sum is not paid within said time together with the costs of this suit let execution issue for same amount.”
At least so far as the issues between the appellant and the appellee are concerned, the judgment is final. The fact that the trial court, out of extra precaution, required the money to be paid into court rather than to the plaintiff, does not cause the judgment to be any the less final as an adjudication be-’ tween the plaintiff and defendant below. Peterson v. Clay (Tex. Civ. App.) 225 S. W. 1112. With any issues not settled appellant has no concern. Hamilton v. Prescott, 73 Tex. 565, 11 S. W. 548.
*144
All assignments are 'overruled, and the judgment is affirmed.
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