Coleman v. Rathbun
Coleman v. Rathbun
Opinion of the Court
This case involves a question of whether or not plaintiffs’ complaint states a cause of action, a demurrer having been interposed to the complaint to the effect that it did not state a cause of action, which demurrer was overruled. Judgment was entered in favor of the plaintiffs, and the appeal is from said judgment.
The complaint alleges, in substance, that improvements were made in a certain district in the city of Seattle, and an assessment was made therefor; that the plaintiff J. M. Coleman is owner in fee of certain property included in the said assessment -district, 'and that it is assessed by the aforesaid assessment as follows (here follows the description of the lots and blocks and the assessment of each particular tract) ; that plaintiff Ella Strong is owner in fee of certain property included in said assessment district and assessed by the aforesaid assessment as follows (with the same specifications as to lots and values); that plaintiff James Ma&terson is owner in fee of certain property included and assessed in the aforesaid assessment district as follows, etc.; that plaintiff Lillie Ogden is owner in fee of certain property included and assessed in the aforesaid assessment district as follows (with the same statement as in the other counts) ; that plaintiffs filed objections to- the assess
It is contended by the appellant that the court erred in rendering an unconditional judgment, and in overruling defendant’s demurrer to the complaint because of the failure to show tender kept good by bringing money due into court, and by reason of the misjoinder of parties plaintiff. The record does not show any application on the part of the city for a conditional judgment, which would probably have been granted by the court, had its attention been called to the matter. Neither do we think that the complaint was faulty for the reason that the tender was not kept good, in the absence of a demand on the part of the appellant to make the tender good at the time the judgment was entered, or demand that the judgment he conditional, to the effect
The demurrer, however, raises one question which is important as a question of practice, viz., the misjoinder of parties plaintiff. It is true that almost universal authority, under statutes like ours, is to' the effect that, where two
Appellant cites an Oregon case, viz., Cohen v. Ottenheimer, 13 Ore. 220, 10 Pac. 20, with a statement that that case decides the exact question presented here, and that, inasmuch as the Oregon statute is the parent of our statute, they being identical in this respect, the case ought to have great weight with this court. But in that case the question at issue here was not involved. The question decided there was that, when it was shown upon the face of the corm plaint that the presence of other parties, not brought in, was necessary to a complete determination of the controversy, a demurrer would lie for a defect of parties plaintiff or defendant, but not where there were already too many
“The plaintiffs’ interests were, it is true, distinct and different in extent, and very likely were not similiarly affected; hut the cause was common to them all, and their respective remedies for redress or prevention were the same. The case would he analogous to that of a nuisance affecting several owners of real property, where it is a common injury to them all, and they each have the same character of remedy to abate it. I think that in all cases where parties are threatened with injury from one wrong, they have a sufficient community of interest to entitle them to unite as plaintiffs in a suit to prevent it, although their interests are distinct and affected to a different extent. Such a rule should he maintained in order to prevent a multiplicity of suits, and .is now, as shown by the authorities cited by the respondents’ counsel, well established.”
The judgment is affirmed.
Mount, C. J., Root, Haddby, Ceow, Pulleeton,0 and Rudkin, JJ., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- J. M. Coleman v. Samuel Rathbun, as City Treasurer of Seattle
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Municipal Corporations — Local Assessments ■ — ■ Foreclosure — Defenses — Tender of Amount Due. In an action to restrain the foreclosure of a special assessment lien, in which the complaint alleges a tender of the amount due, the complaint states a cause upon which an unconditional judgment may be rendered, although it is not shown that the tender was kept good by bringing the money due into court, in the absence of a demand therefor at the time of entry of judgment or any request for a conditional judgment. Same — Actions •— Parties Plaintiff — Joinder—Equity—Multiplicity of Suits. In order to avoid a multiplicity of suits, an action in equity against a municipality to restrain the enforcement of liens may be brought jointly by many plaintiffs owning separate parcels, but who are similarly affected by the threatened wrong.