Columbian Reinforced Concrete Co. v. Rose
Columbian Reinforced Concrete Co. v. Rose
Opinion of the Court
In the court below the Columbian Reinforced Concrete Company, a corporation of the state of New Jersey, brought suit, for the use of the Monongahela National Bank of Pittsburgh, against Rose & Fisher, citizens of Pennsylvania, to recover $2,553.67, with interest from June 1, 1908. This sum was a balance alleged to be due on a written contract between the plaintiff company and Rose & Fisher, whereby the latter, who were contractors for the erection of a certain building, sublet the concrete reinforcing thereof to the Concrete Company. This balance, the statement alleged, had been assigned by the plaintiff to the use party, the Monongahela National Bank. To this statement Rose & Fisher filed an affidavit of defense, wherein they denied there was $2,553.67 due under the contract, but admitted there was due $733.58. Thereupon the plaintiff, in accordance with the Pennsylvania procedure act of April 26, 1893 (P. L. 26), had judgment entered for said admitted sum of $733.58, which sum was paid by defendants, and the cause proceeded to issue and trial for the balance. On the trial the jury rendered a verdict for $1,916.16, being the foregoing balance, with interest. Thereafter the defendant moved the court for, and was allowed, judgment in its favor non obstante veredicto. On entry thereof the plaintiff sued out this writ.
“Tlie statement of the use party to a bond is not part of the pleading and is often disregarded as mere surplusage. Thus in Boston, etc., Co. v. Grace, 112 Fed. 279 [50 C. C. A. 239] and to this we may add U. S. v. Abeel, 174 Fed. 18 [98 C. C. A. 50] and American Bonding Company v. Allison, 182 Fed. 810 [105 C. C. A. 242] it is said: ‘According to- respectable authority, the expression, of a use party may be disregarded as surplusage. Its purpose is to guard tlie interest of the usee against the adverse action of a nominal plaintiff. It is held that such a phrase has no force to make an issue different from what it would have been if the phrase had been left out. It is held, also, that the declaration of use is not part of the pleading.’ ”
Indeed, the position taken by the defendants at the trial was that the Concrete Company was the plaintiff. To that end they offered to prove one Marshall—
“was appointed receiver for the Columbian Concrete Company, the legal plaintiff in this case;- this for the purpose of showing that there can be no recovery in this case, for the reason that the receiver is not made a party.”
We are therefore of opinion that the legal plaintiff established a right to recover for the entire balance of the contract, and as between it and' Rose & Fisher the entire balance due on this contract is res adjudicata by the verdict and a judgment thereon. Neither of said parties in any collateral proceeding can ever litigate that question again. Although the defendants had raised no question, or sought to abate the writ by reason of the fact that a receiver for the plaintiff had not brought the suit, and the court ruled out his offer to so' prove, they may be properly safeguarded from any apprehended danger in that respect. This verdict fixes the amount the defendants shall pay,
We accordingly reverse the judgment non obstante veredicto for defendants, and remand the case, with directions to enter judgment on the verdict in favor of the Columbian Reinforced Concrete. Company and against the defendants, and for further action in accordance with this opinion.
FANNING, Circuit Judge, dissents.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- COLUMBIAN REINFORCED CONCRETE CO. v. ROSE
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Assignments (§ 120*) — Action to Use of Assignee of Part of Claim. The fact that a plaintiff, who sues to the use of an assignee, assigned less than the full amount of the claim, as proved, to the use plaintiff, does not necessarily defeat the right to recover, not only part, hut the full amount, of the claim, where the use plaintiff consents to such disposition of.the recovery as will protect the right of the defendant to be exempt from a second suit; the plaintiff being the legal owner of the right of action on both the assigned and unassigned parts of the claim, so that the right and amount of recovery may be conclusively determined between the parties to such suit. I Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Assignments, Cent. Dig. §§ 206-209; Dec. Dig. § 120.*] Lanning, Circuit Judge, dissenting.