Mound City Co. v. Castleman
Concurring Opinion
I concur in the result. The opinion contains some broad statements of principles which I think are beyond the needs of the case. As to them J withhold my judgment.
Opinion of the Court
In view of these facts the court below dismissed the bill in this suit on February 10, 1910, and on the next day the corporation appealed to this court. On March 5, 19-10, Ben T. Castleman made a quitclaim deed of that specific tract of land adjudged to him by the decree of the state court to one Henry G. Fray, and on March 16, 1910, he made-a quitclaim deed of the tract set off to Ida May Castleman to the same grantee. On the same day the Mound City Company by a warranty-deed conveyed the land which was the subject of the suits to Henry G. Fray. A motion has been made founded upon these deeds to dismiss this appeal on the ground that the case has become a moot one, but that motion is passed without consideration because the decision of the merits of the case leads to the same result that the granting of the motion would bring about.
Counsel for the appellant argue that the state court had no jurisdiction to partition the 229 acres which was subject to the trust deed to Whitlow because the latter was not a party to the suit and the base fee to that part of the land was vested in him. But it had jurisdiction of all of Ben T. Castleman’s interest in the land, and hence of every right and interest therein that the appellant ever acquired, and also of all the rights and interests in the land of Ida May Castleman and Robert H: Castleman, the only parties who had undivided rights and interests with Ben T. Castleman and the onfy indispensable parties to the partition suit between them. Stevens v. Stevens, 172 Mo. 28, 37, 40, 72 S. W. 542.
Whitlow and his cestui que trust were subsequently, by amendment to the petition, lawfully made parties to the suit in the state court before the decree therein was rendered. The Mound City Company by its purchase of Ben T. Castleman pendente lite took its interest subject to wy such lawful subsequent amendment and the final decree rightly adjudicated the rights of all these parties in the 229 acres as well as in the balance of the land. There was no lack of any requisite jurisdiction in the state court either of the land or of the indispensable parties to the partition suit when the Mound City Company purchased the right and interest of Ben T. Castleman, and at any time after it obtained that deed it might have been made a party to the suit, . and have presented and secured an adjudication of every claim it had to the land and to the amount of its share therein. Revised Statutes Missouri 1899, § 4378.
This result is not founded on the conclusion that there was no error in any of the proceedings in the court below, but upon the ground that if the errors alleged had not been committed the result could not have been otherwise. For example: When the court below discovered that there was a prior suit pending in the state court between the same parties concerning the same specific property that court should not have stayed the prosecution of this suit, but should have proceeded with it as far as it could do so without creating a conflict regarding the possession or disposition of the property, and then, if there had been need to do so, it should have stayed its hand until the proceedings in the court of co-ordinate jurisdiction regarding the property were concluded or ample time for their termination had elapsed or that court had relinquished dominion. Boatmen’s Bank v. Fritzlen, 68 C. C. A. 288, 305, 135 Fed. 650, 667; Barber Asphalt Pav. Co. v. Morris, 66 C. C. A. 55, 132 Fed. 945, 949, 67 L. R. A. 761; Zimmerman v. So Relle, 25 C. C. A. 518, 521, 80 Fed. 417, 420; Williams v. Neely, 67 C. C. A. 171, 134 Fed. 1, 69 L. R. A. 232; Gates v. Bucki, 53 Fed. 961, 965, 4 C. C. A. 116, 120; McClellan v. Garland, 187 Fed. 915. But if the court below had done so the. decree in the state court would nevertheless have rendered all the issues in this suit res adjudicata and would have necessitated a dismissal of this bill. The decree which dismissed it is accordingly affirmed.
For other cases see same topic & § number in Dec. & Am. Digs. 1907 to date, & Rep’r Indexes
For other cases see same topic & § number in Dec. & Am. Digs. 1907 to date, & Rep'r Indexes
Reference
- Full Case Name
- MOUND CITY CO. v. CASTLEMAN
- Cited By
- 25 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- (Syllabus by the Court.) 1. Appeal and Error (§ 893*) — Equity—Trial De Novo — Immaterial Errors. An appeal in a suit in equity invoices a trial de novo in the appellate court, and a just and final decision if that lie possible. Where, therefore, the decree below was clearly rigid:, and the result could not have been otherwise if alleged errors in the proceedings had not been committed, such errors must be disregarded, and the decree will be affirmed. [Ed. Note. — Eor other cases, see Appeal and Error, Cent. Dig. § 3048; I)oc. Dig. § 895.*J 2. Courts (§ 497*) — Conflict of Jurisdiction — Court Which First Acquires Custody Excludes Jurisdiction of Others. The lawful custody of specific property by a court of competent jurisdiction withdraws that property, so far as necessary to accomplish the purpose of the custody, and until that purpose is accomplished, from the jurisdiction of every other court. The court which first acquires the lawful jurisdiction of specific property by the seizure thereof, or by the due commencement of a suit from which it appears that it. is or will become necessary to a determination of the controversy involved, or to the enforcement of its judgment or decree therein for the .court to seize, to charge with a lieu, to sell or to exercise other like dominion over it, thereby withdraws that property from the jurisdiction of every otber 'Court so far as necessary to accomplish the purpose of the suit, and entitles that court to retain the control of it requisite to give effect to its final judgment or decree free from the interference of every other tribunal. [Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Courts, Cent. Dig. § 1386; Dec. Dig. S' 497.*] 3. Courts (§ 506*) — Conflicting Jurisdiction — Stay—Pendency of An- ' other Action in State Court. When a' state court has secured by proper process the custody or dominion of specific property which it is one of the objects of a subsequent suit in the federal court between the same parties concerning the same matter to subject to its judgment or decree, the latter suit should not be stayed or dismissed, hut should proceed as far as may bo without creating a conflict concerning the xiossession or disposition of the prpilerty, and then, if need be, be stayed until the proceedings in the state court have been completed, or time for their termination has elapsed. [Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Courts, Dee. Dig. § 506.* ■ Conflict of jurisdiction with state courts, see note to Louisville Trust Co. v. City of Cincinnati, 22 O. C. A. 356.] 4. Action (§ 64*)- — Suit Commenced by Filing Petition. A suit is commenced at the time of the filing of the complainant’s petition with the bona fide intention to lirosecute the suit with diligence, provided there is no detrimental or unreasonable delay in the issue or service of process. [Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Action, Cent. Dig. §§ 725-734; Dec. Dig. § 64.*] 5. Judgment (•§ 713*) — Res Adjudicata — Subject-Matter — All Matters Admissible. In an action between the same parties, or those in privity with them, upon the same claim or demand a decision upon the merits is conclusive, not only as to every matter offered, but as to every admissible matter which might have been offered, to sustain or defeat tbe claim or demand. [Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Judgment, Cent. Dig. § 1241; Dec. Dig. § 713.*] 6. Judgment (§ 713*) — Res Adjudicata — Former Judgment — Facts—Conclusion. One of two sons commenced a suit in the state court against the other son and the widow of the complainant’s deceased father to xrartition 616 acres of land of which he died seised, and issued a summons. Before the summons was served the defendant son conveyed his share of the property to a corporation of another state, which commenced a like suit against the complainant son and widow, and a trustee, to whom 229 acres of the land had been conveyed to secure the. payment to the lender of $2,600. This trustee and the lender were subsequently made parties to the suit in the state court, and a final decree in xmrtition was rendered therein. In the suit in the federal court the corporation averred that $23,000 had been advanced to flic complainant in the suit in the stafe court by the father before his decease, and asked an accounting and a proper allowance oil account of this advancement in the partition, but this claim was never presented in the suit in the state court. Held, the suit in the state court was first commenced, and the decree of that court conclusively estopped the corporation frorn maintaining any claim which might have been presented to and adjudicated by the stale court in the partition suit there, either on account of the alleged advancement or otherwise, to any of the land not adjudged to its grantor . by that decree. [Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Judgment, Cent. Dig. § 1241; Dec. Dig. § 713.*] 7. Equity (§ 340*) — Hearing on Bill and Answer — Allegations Admitted. When a suit is heard on bill and answer, the allegations of fact in the bill that are denied in the answer are to be taken as disproved and the avermeuts of fact in the answer whether responsive to the bill or not stand admitted. [Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Equity, Cent. Dig. §§ 697-710; Dec. Dig. § 340.*]