Boles v. Linthicum
Boles v. Linthicum
Opinion of the Court
A final judgment by default against appellant was certainly improper and unwarranted, until the ease was also disposed of as to his co-defendant, S. M. Boles, who had answered the plaintiff’s petition. The forty-seventh section of the act of 1846, to regulate proceedings in the District Court, provides, that “ where there are several defendants in a suit, and some of them appear and answer, and others make default, an interlocutory judgment by default may be entered against those who do not answer, and the case may proceed against the others; but only one final judgment shall be given in the suit.” (Paschal’s Dig., art. 1450.)
An interlocutory judgment by default establishes, as against the party in default, the facts properly alleged by the plaintiff) and, when the case is ready for final disposition, authorizes the entry against him of such judgment as the facts alleged warrant. But until this stage of the case is reached, the only effect of the interlocutory judgment is to deprive the party in default of the privilege of filing an answer, which otherwise he might do at any time prior to the call- of the case for trial or final disposition. If the suit had been legally discontinued as to his co-defendant, and continued still pending against him, a final judgment by default could no doubt have been taken against appellant. But such is not the case presented by this record. The judgment against appellant was entered some days before the case was dismissed as to S. M. Boles. It is-therefore unnecessary, at this time, to consider the effect of such discontinuance. The statute exempts appellant from final judgment, by reason of his default, until the case is disposed of as to his co-defendant. The policy or importance of this privilege is not to be considered or weigh.
The judgment against appellant is also erroneous, because it does not conform to the pleading, and the nature of the case established by his default. Though appellant and his co-defendant are charged with a trespass, yet it is quite apparent that plaintiffs’ action, as presented by their supplemental petition, cannot be regarded as simply an action of trespass to try title. Certainly, in its leading and essential features, it is in the nature of a suit in equity to establish Mrs. Linthicum’s right to the land described in the petition, and to annul the title of the defendants; which, from the averments in the petition, we must infer was sufficient to vest the title in the defendant S. M. Boles, whether the legal title was in him or appellant, but for his knowledge, and that of those under whom he claims, of appellees’ rights, when the land was conveyed to them. Although appellees’ pleadings are quite loose and contradictory, the inference to be drawn . from them, taken as a whole, is, that whether appellant holds the legal title to the land or not, his father, S. M. Boles, is the real party in interest; and whatever title appellant has, is held by him in trust for his father. If this is so, certainly S. M. Boles is a proper party to a suit to divest appellant of this title; and a court of equity would not cancel and annul a title thus held, without the cestui que trust being a party to the suit.
hi or does the ordinary judgment in an action of trespass to try title, as rendered in this case, conform to the pleadings by which appellees invoked the equitable jurisdiction of the court to establish their right to the land, and to cancel and annul the apparently better title under which it was claimed by appellant and his co-defendant.
The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded.
Reversed and remanded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- W. C. Boles v. S. J. and R. C. Linthicum
- Cited By
- 25 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Judgment by default.—Judgment final by default against one of several defendants, cannot be entered until the disposition of the case as to the others. 2. Statute construed.—Paschal’s Digest, 1450, relating to judgments by default. 3. Same.—A judgment by default establishes, as against the party in default, the facts properly alleged by the plaintiff, and, when the case is ready for final disposition, authorizes the entry against him of such judgment as the facts alleged may warrant. 4. Same.—The interlocutory judgment by default only deprives the defendant of the privilege of filing an answer, which otherwise he might do at any time prior to the call of the case for trial or final disposition. 5. Practice.—The error in taking judgment final by default against a defendant, while the case is not disposed of as to other defendants who have answered, is not cured by the subsequent dismissal as to such other defendants. 6. Parties.—Where the pleadings of plaintiff show the legal title to the land sued for to be in one of several defendants, and that such title so held is for the benefit of one of the defendants, and the equitable powers of the court are invoked to cancel and annul such title, the beneficiary is a necessary party, and a decree will not be rendered without such party. 7. Form of judgment.—Where the pleadings seek to cancel title deeds under which defendant is alleged to hold, the final judgment should conform to such pleadings; and in such ease the ordinary judgment in trespass to try title would be error.