Case ID: ind_10/html/0348-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "Hanna, J.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

Ragan v. Haynes.
    The Circuit Court having general jurisdiction, an objection to its jurisdiction must be raised by answer.
    Where the Court below has taken jurisdiction and rendered judgment, the presumption, on appeal to the Supreme Court, is in favor of the jurisdiction.
    Section 613 of the civil procedure act, 2 E. S. p. 168, has reference only to actions brought against a defendant not in possession, to quiet title, and not to cases where the defendant is alleged to be in possession and withholding the same, yet suffers judgment to be taken against him without answer.
    APPEAL from the Hendricks Circriit Court.
    
      Wednesday, June 2.
    
      
       Counsel for the appellant made the following points:
      1. The complaint must show in what county the land sued for lies. 2 B. S. p. 33, § 28.
      2. It must state that the plaintiff is entitled to the possession; and the premises must he properly described. 2 B. S. p. 166, § 595.
      3. In all actions in which the subject or thing to be recovered is in its nature local, (and actions of ejectment, or, under our code, for the recovery of possession of real estate are of that class,) the place, as the parish, county, &c., where the subject of the action is situate, must be stated in the complaint. Gould’s PL § 106.
      4. Coru'ts of limited jusisdiction are those which are circumscribed in the exercise of their powers within certain local bounds, as a town, city or county. Van Santv. Pl. p.376.— Brown v. Keene, 11 Curtis (U. S. S. C.) 41, 8 Pet. 112.—The Chemung Canal Bank, v. Judson, 4 Seld. 254. And the jurisdiction of such Courts must be affirmatively shown.
    
    
      
       Counsel for the appellee cited 1 B. S. p. 178, § 32, defining the boundaries of Hendricks county, to show that the complaint, (which contained a description of the premises, giving the section, township and range,) sufficiently showed the jurisdiction.
    
   Hanna, J.

This was an action by Haynes, to recover of Ragan ten acres of land.

Ragan suffered judgment to go by default. He now appeals, and assigns two errors:

1. That the complaint is not sufficient.

2. That the judgment is erroneous for two reasons; first, because it does not show that the Court had jurisdiction of the subject-matter, and second, Ragan should have recovered costs.

It is urged upon the part of the appellant, that neither the complaint nor the judgment shows that the land sought to be recovered is situated in the county of Hendricks, and that such fact should be shown affirmatively.

There is no direct allegation that the land is situated in Hendricks county. The section, township and range in which the land is situated, are given both in the complaint and judgment, and it is insisted upon the part of the appellee, that the Court is bound to take notice that the congressional subdivisions named are within the boundaries of that county; and that to plead facts sufficient to show that the land is within the county, is equivalent to a direct allegation that it is therein situated.

C. C. Nave and J. Witherow, for the appellant .

H. C. Newcomb, J. S. Harvey and J. S. Miller, for the appellee .

In Brownfield et al. v. Weicht, 9 Ind. R. 394, it is held that a similar complaint is unobjectionable, because the Circuit Court had general jurisdiction, and the want of jurisdiction must be raised by answer, &c. The Court having, in the case at bar, taken jurisdiction and rendered judgment, we are bound to presume in favor of that jurisdiction, without stopping to determine whether we would, if the proceeding had been in a Court of limited jurisdiction, take notice of the congressional subdivisions of land included within the county of Hendricks, or not.

As to the question of costs, we think the statute referred to, (§ 613, 2 B,. S. p. 168,) has reference only to actions brought against a defendant not in possession, to quiet title, and not to cases where, as in the one at bar, the defendant is alleged to be in possession and withholding the same, and yet suffers judgment to be taken against him without answer.

Per Curiam. — The judgment is affirmed, with 1 per cent, damages and costs.