State v. District Court of Second Judicial Dist. in and for Silver Bow County

• Decision Date: 15 November 1919
• Docket Number: 4499.
• Citation: 185 P. 458,56 Mont. 478
• Parties: STATE ex rel. WILLIAMS v. DISTRICT COURT OF SECOND JUDICIAL DIST. IN AND FOR SILVER BOW COUNTY et al.
• Court: Montana Supreme Court

185 P. 458

56 Mont. 478

STATE ex rel. WILLIAMS v. DISTRICT COURT OF SECOND JUDICIAL DIST. IN AND FOR SILVER BOW COUNTY et al.

No. 4499.

Supreme Court of Montana

November 15, 1919

Original proceedings by the State, on the relation of Liza Williams against the District Court of the Second Judicial District in and for Silver Bow County, and E. M. Lamb, Judge thereof praying for an annulment of an order granting motion for change of place of trial, in an action wherein relatrix was plaintiff and her husband defendant. Order annulled.

Pease & Stephenson, of Dillon, for respondent.

HURLY J.

The relator herein commenced an action for divorce against her husband, in Silver Bow county. On July 19th the defendant served and filed a general demurrer, and on the 21st day of the month filed notice of motion, demand, and affidavits in support of an application to change the place of trial of said cause to the district court of Beaverhead county alleged to be the county of defendant's residence.

It appears from the record before us that the defendant's attorney mailed the papers with relation to the change of place of trial from Dillon on the 17th day of July, and the demurrer on the following day. For some reason which is not apparent from the record, but presumptively because of delay in the handling of the mail, the motion papers were not received by the clerk until the morning of the 21st, when they were filed in his office. The motion for change of place of trial was heard, and an order made granting the same. The relator has made application to this court, praying for the annulment and setting aside of said order.

The application for a change of place of trial is based upon section 6505 of our Code, as follows:

"If the county in which the action is commenced is not the proper county for the trial thereof, the action may, notwithstanding, be tried therein, unless the defendant, at the time he appears and answers or demurs, files an affidavit of merits, and demands, in writing, that the trial be had in the proper county."

The right to have a cause tried in a particular county is a personal privilege, which one may waive either expressly or by implication, and, in the absence of a timely application the plaintiff is entitled to have the cause tried in the county of her residence. The statute requiring the motion to be made at the time of appearance and answer or demurrer is analogous to a statute of...