Randall v. Lyon County

Decision Date15 July 1887
Docket Number1,261.
PartiesRANDALL v. LYON CO.
CourtNevada Supreme Court

Appeal from district court, Lyon county.

W. E. F. Deal, for Randall, appellant.

Geo. W. Keith, Dist. Atty., and J. A. Stephens, for respondent.

HAWLEY, J.

1. This cause was tried and determined upon the theory that the county commissioners have the right to declare that the compensation of a jailer shall be fixed per diem and confined to the times when prisoners are confined in the county jail. The statute prescribes a different method of determining this question.

The sheriff of Lyon county was authorized by law to employ a jailer, for whose acts he is made responsible, (Gen. St. § 2139,) and it is "made the duty of the county commissioners to allow *** a fair and adequate monthly compensation for the services of all jailers by the sheriff employed or appointed." Gen. St. § 2140. The commissioners having rejected the claim presented for the services of the jailer, and refused to make any allowance thereon, it was the duty of the district court to determine, from the evidence introduced by the respective parties, what was "a fair and adequate monthly compensation" for the services performed by the jailer employed by the sheriff.

2. Respondent is not entitled to the offset allowed by the court. With a full knowledge of all the facts, and without any fraud or mistake, the commissioners, prior to the presentation of the claim for the services of a jailer, allowed a claim of $120.40 for services rendered by the plaintiff in arresting a prisoner that had escaped from the Lyon county jail and fled to California. This was a voluntary payment of money for services actually performed. The rule is well settled that money voluntarily paid, with full knowledge of all the facts, although no obligation to make such payment existed, cannot be recovered back.

3. We are of opinion that in actions of this character the plaintiff is entitled to costs, notwithstanding the fact that the amount recovered is less than $300, provided the amount recovered is more than the commissioners allowed. Gen. St. § 1964.

The judgment of the district court is reversed, and cause remanded for a new trial.

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5 cases
  • Sobel v. The Hertz Corp., 03:06-cv-00545-LRH-RAM.
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — District of Nevada
    • March 17, 2010
    ...paid, with full knowledge of all the facts, although no obligation to make such payment existed, cannot be recovered back.” 20 Nev. 35, 14 P. 583, 584 (1887). Since that decision, however, the Nevada Supreme Court has not addressed the application of the doctrine. Accordingly, the court mus......
  • Nev. Ass'n Servs., Inc. v. Eighth Judicial Dist. Court of State
    • United States
    • Nevada Supreme Court
    • December 4, 2014
    ...full knowledge of all the facts, although no obligation to make such payment existed, cannot be recovered back.” Randall v. Cnty. of Lyon, 20 Nev. 35, 38, 14 P. 583, 584 (1887).Recently, we discussed the voluntary payment doctrine without applying it. In Berrum, we discussed that while the ......
  • Ada County v. Gess
    • United States
    • Idaho Supreme Court
    • December 31, 1895
    ... ... (Painter ... v. Polk County, 81 Iowa 242, 25 Am. St. Rep. 489, 47 ... N.W. 65; Badeau v. United States, 130 U.S. 439, 9 ... S.Ct. 579; Randall v. Lyon County, 20 Nev. 35, 14 P ... 583; Eley v. Miller, 7 Ind.App. 529, 34 N.E. 836; ... La Salle Co. v. Milligan, 143 Ill. 321, 32 N.E. 196; ... ...
  • City of Okolona v. Chickasaw County
    • United States
    • Mississippi Supreme Court
    • November 19, 1934
    ... ... fees for services of officers or jailers or official ... printers. Three of them, Randall v. Lyon County, 20 ... Nev. 35, 14 P. 583, Board of Com'rs of Macon County ... v. Board of [171 Miss. 431] Com'rs of Jackson ... County, 75 N.C ... ...
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