Title: Fireman's Fund Mortg. Corp. v. Smith

State: north-dakota

Issuer: North Dakota Supreme Court

Document:

436 N.W.2d 246 (1989) FIREMAN'S FUND MORTGAGE CORPORATION, f/k/a Manufacturers Hanover Mortgage Corporation, Plaintiff and Appellee, v. Curtis C. SMITH and Barbara A. Smith, Defendants and Appellants. Civ. No. 870081. Supreme Court of North Dakota. February 20, 1989. Kent A. Higgins, Bismarck, for defendants and appellants. Howe, Hardy, Galloway & Maus, PC, Dickinson, for plaintiff and appellee; argued by Gerald D. Galloway. GIERKE, Justice. The defendants, Curtis C. Smith and Barbara A. Smith (Smiths), appeal from a county court judgment entered in favor of the plaintiff, Fireman's Fund Mortgage Corporation (Fireman's Fund). We affirm. The facts involved in this appeal are not in dispute. This is an eviction action as provided for under Chapter 33-06 of the North Dakota Century Code. On January 29, 1987, the summons and complaint in this eviction action were served on the Smiths. A hearing was scheduled for February 17, 1987. At the hearing, the Smiths filed an answer to the complaint alleging that the eviction action was illegal and improper under Section 33-06-02 of the North Dakota Century Code because the time specified for their appearance was more than fifteen days from the date of the service of the summons and therefore the trial court lacked jurisdiction. On February 19, 1987, the trial court issued a memorandum opinion concluding that it had jurisdiction and finding that Fireman's Fund was entitled to possession of the real property at issue in the eviction action. A judgment was entered on February 26, 1987. Smiths filed a notice of appeal on March 17, 1987. The single issue raised by the Smiths on appeal is whether or not in an eviction action the trial court lacks jurisdiction when the defendant is given a greater length of time to respond and appear than is provided for in Section 33-06-02 of the North Dakota Century Code. *247 Initially, we note that an eviction action under Chapter 33-06 of the North Dakota Century Code is a summary statutory remedy for recovery of possession of real estate from a party wrongfully in possession. Section 33-06-02 of the North Dakota Century Code allows a person seeking possession of property to limit the defendant's time to respond and answer in order to expedite the eviction proceeding. Section 33-06-02 provides as follows: The Smiths argue that an eviction statute must be strictly construed. The Smiths argue that an expansion of time for the appearance of the defendant in the eviction action beyond the period specified in Section 33-06-02 of the North Dakota Century Code negates the trial court's jurisdiction of the matter. We do not agree. This Court recognized in Perry v. Erling, 132 N.W.2d 889, 896 (N.D.1965), quoting with approval from 82 C.J.S. Statutes § 325 (1953), that a statute must be construed logically and not to produce an absurd result: In Haggar Co. v. Helvering, 308 U.S. 389, 394, 60 S. Ct. 337, 339, 84 L. Ed. 340 (1940), the Supreme Court of the United States stated as follows: Section 1-02-01 of the North Dakota Century Code provides as follows: In applying the foregoing principles to the instant case, we believe that adherence to the strict letter of the statute would lead to injustice and absurdity. Accordingly, we conclude that under the facts of this case where an additional four days were allowed and no detriment was shown the granting of a greater length of time to respond or appear in an eviction action than that provided for in Section 33-06-02 of the *248 North Dakota Century Code does not deprive the court of jurisdiction to determine the matter and therefore the judgment of the trial court is affirmed. ERICKSTAD, C.J., and VANDE WALLE, MESCHKE, JJ. concur. LEVINE, J., concurs in the result.