American Soda Fountain Company, a Corp. v. Hogue
| Decision Date | 22 April 1908 |
| Citation | 116 N.W. 339,17 N.D. 375 |
| Court | North Dakota Supreme Court |
Appeal from District Court, Kidder County; Winchester, J.
Action by the American Soda Fountain Company against George M Hogue. Judgment for defendant and plaintiff appeals.
Reversed and remanded.
Order reversed, a new trial granted, and cause remanded.
Newton & Dullam, for appellant.
One entitled to the avails of a suit is the real party in interest. Cassidy v. First National Bank, 14 N.W 363; Pease v. Rush, 2 Minn. 107; Foster v Berky, 8 Minn. 351; White v. Phelps, 14 Minn 27; Hoagland v. Van Etten, 35 N.W. 869; Kinsella v. Sharp, 66 N.W. 634; Hogan v. Klabo, 13 N.D. 319, 100 N.W. 847.
That plaintiff is not party in interest must be taken by answer. Spooner v. Delaware, 21 N.E. 696; Smith v. Hall, 67 N.Y. 48.
It must also show a good defense against the real party. Price v. Dunlap, 5 Cal. 483; Gushee v. Leavitt, 5 Cal. 160; Hutchinson v. Crane, 100 Ill. 269; Farewell v. Tyler, 5 Iowa 535; Burnett v. Costello, 87 N.W. 575.
Such defense only calls for real party to be brought in. McCane v. William, 37 Ill.App. 591; Van Buskirk v. Levy, 3 Metc. 133.
Possession of notes is prima facie evidence of ownership. Brynjolfson v. Osthus, 12 N.W. 42, 96 N.W. 261; 3 Elliott on Evidence, section 1824; Pomeroy Code Remedies, page 154, section 128.
Conclusions of witnesses are excluded as evidence. Bradner on Evidence, page 359; 1 Elliott on Evidence, section 672; Smith v. N. P. Ry. Co., 3 N.D. 555, 58 N.W. 345; Davis v. Hamilton, 92 N.W. 512.
Mockler & Johnson, for respondent.
Complaint must state ownership of note and how, when and where acquired. Topping v. Clay, 63 N.W. 1038; Mechanics' Bank v. Donnell, 35 Mo. 373; Montague v. Reineger, 11 Iowa 503; Eikenbary v. Clifford, 52 N.W. 377; Parke v. Kleeber, 37 Pa. 257; Andrew v. Bond, 16 Barb. 633; Gallup v. Lichter, 35 P. 985; Altman v. Fowler, 37 N.W. 708; 4 Cyc. 104.
Assignment of contract must be alleged and proven. Cilley v. Patten, 25 N.W. 326; Haveron v. Anderson, 58 N.W. 340.
This is an action in claim and delivery under which the possession of a soda fountain and attachments is claimed. The plaintiff claims in its complaint to be the owner thereof. The fountain and fixtures were sold to the defendant by one Putnam, who was the agent of the plaintiff. The written contract or order for the property was in the name of one Tufts, and each of the 33 notes was given to said Tufts as payee, and the name of the plaintiff is not given or mentioned in any of the papers as originally executed. The defendant gave said Tufts 33 promissory notes on the sale, and they and the contract provided that the title to all the property should remain in Tufts until full payment of the purchase price, and these notes and the contract gave him the right to take possession of the property on default in the payment of any of the notes. The answer was a general denial. A jury was impaneled, and at the close of plaintiff's testimony the court directed a verdict for the defendant. A motion for a new trial was made, based on a notice of intention to move for a new trial and a settled statement of the case, and denied. From the order denying a new trial, the plaintiff has appealed.
The error principally relied on for a reversal of the order is the direction of a verdict for the defendant. The ground urged before the trial court on the motion for a directed verdict was that the action was not prosecuted in the name of the real party in interest. It was, and now is the contention of the defendant that Tufts, to whom the order and notes are given according to their terms, is the real party in interest, and the only party entitled to bring the action until properly assigned or the contract reformed. The complaint alleges unqualifiedly that the plaintiff is the owner of the property. The evidence shows that the contract with the defendant was entered into by one Putnam as agent for the plaintiff; that the plaintiff is now the owner of the notes, and entitled to the possession of the soda fountain and fixtures; that the contract and notes were made with the name of said Tufts as payee with the consent of Tufts, and for plaintiff's benefit and use; that the plaintiff was authorized by Tufts to do business in his name, and that the property involved in this suit was sold as plaintiff's property, but in Tuft's name, as plaintiff was authorized to do; that the original order was taken for the plaintiff, and mailed to it at its principal office, and there accepted by it; that said Tufts formerly was in business in his own name, and became one of the incorporators of the plaintiff company when it was organized; and that the plaintiff succeeded to his business when it was incorporated. This evidence clearly shows that the plaintiff was the owner of the notes, and had been such owner ever since their execution and delivery. It also shows that the contract was made exclusively for its benefit, and that it is entitled to the property under the conditions expressed in the same. The statute provides that all actions shall be brought in the name of the real parties in interest, except as therein provided. Section 6807, Revised Codes 1905. The plaintiff was clearly entitled to bring this action under said section. It was the owner of the notes and contract which are the basis of defendant's forfeiture of the right to the possession of the property if payment is not made when due. Under this evidence, the plaintiff was unqualifiedly the real and only party in interest. The mere fact that the notes were made to Tufts imports nothing under this evidence, as the actual owner may bring an action thereon. They were brought into court by the plaintiff, and have always been rightfully in its possession. The contract was made for the plaintiff's sole benefit, and it was the owner of the notes, and was as much entitled to the benefit of the contract as though expressly drawn and written in its name. The object of the statute is to give the beneficial owners the right to sue in their own right without regard to the technical title as shown by the contract. The case relied upon by respondent--Montague v. Reineger, 11 Iowa 503--is not in point, as the complaint in that case did not show ownership or title in the plaintiff; the question having been raised on demurrer. In this case the evidence fully explains why notes were drawn to another, and, if this evidence had been objected to, it would have been admissible as showing plaintiff's right to sue thereon. We have examined the other cases cited by the respondent, but they do not controvert the principle that a person may maintain an action for possession of personal property owned by him, although the notes on which the recovery is based show the legal title...
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