Case Name: W. W. MEECE v. COMMERCIAL CREDIT COMPANY
Court: Supreme Court of North Carolina
Jurisdiction: North Carolina
Decision Date: 1931-06-15
Citations: 201 N.C. 139
Docket Number: 
Parties: W. W. MEECE v. COMMERCIAL CREDIT COMPANY.
Judges: Adams, J., concurs in dissenting opinion.
Reporter: North Carolina Reports
Volume: 201
Pages: 139–143

Head Matter:
W. W. MEECE v. COMMERCIAL CREDIT COMPANY.
(Filed 15 June, 1931.)
Judgments K d — Judgment by default may be set aside by defendant without fault who has employed counsel of another county to appear therein.
Where a defendant has employed a licensed, reputable attorney of good standing, residing in one county of the State, to defend an action brought in another county, and has put him in possession of the facts constituting his defense, and the attorney has prepared and duly filed an answer, and the case has been calendared and called for trial without notice to the defendant or his attorney: Held,, upon a judgment being obtained by default against the defendant, the defendant may, upon his motion aptly made, have the judgment set aside for surprise, excusable neglect, etc., upon a showing of a meritorious defense, the negligence of the attorney, if any, not being imputed to the client, and the latter being without fault. C. S., 600.
Staoy, C. J., dissenting; Adams, J., concurs in dissent.
Civil actiom, before Harwood, Special Judge, at January Term, 1931, of Oheeokee.
Tbe necessary facts appear in tbe judgment and findings of fact upon wbicb it is based. Said judgment is as follows:
“Tbe motion of tbe defendant in tbe above-entitled cause to bave set aside tbe judgment obtained through mistake, surprise, inadvertence and excusable neglect, coming on to be beard before Hon. J. H. Harwood, judge bolding tbe January Term, 1931, of said Superior Court, and being beard upon tbe petition of defendant, with exhibits thereto1, tbe affidavit of Henry E. Fisher, and tbe answer of plaintiff to said petition, tbe Court finds tbe following facts, and enters tbe following judgment, to wit:
(1) That tbe plaintiff instituted tbe above cause on 19 September, 1930, and filed bis complaint therein; and summons in said action was served on defendant at its office in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, by tbe sheriff of Mecklenburg County on 19 September, 1930.
(2) That said defendant promptly employed Henry E. Fisher, a duly licensed, reputable attorney of Charlotte, N. C., to draft and file answer in said cause, and to go to Cherokee County, where said action was pending, and represent tbe defendant therein; that said defendant gave to said attorney tbe facts necessary for drafting answer; that said attorney, in apt time, filed said answer, mailing same to tbe clerk of said court, and at tbe same time wrote plaintiff's counsel of tbe filing of tbe said answer, as set out in said Fisher’s affidavit in this cause; that tbe defendant inquired of its said attorney if there was anything else it could do in said case, after having given said attorney tbe names and addresses of its witnesses and said attorney stated that there was nothing else to be done, and that be would notify tbe defendant when said case should be reached for trial so it could bave its witnesses present and make defense to said action; that tbe defendant relied upon said attorney’s advice and did nothing else, as it knew of nothing else it could do.
(3) That said Henry E. Fisher, at said time was, and now is, duly licensed to practice bis profession, by authority of tbe Supreme Court, in tbe courts of all counties in this State, and after having filed said answer on wbicb bis name appeared alone as counsel, be expected or anticipated tbe clerk would mail him a copy of tbe court calendar when said cause was placed thereon, as such was tbe practice, in regard to nonresident lawyers, in Mecklenburg and other counties in wbicb said attorney appeared.
That said case was calendared for trial at tbe November Term, 1930, of said Superior Court, but was continued, of wbicb defendant and its counsel bad no notice; that same was again calendared at tbe January Term, 1931, without notice whatever to defendant or its counsel, and was tried in bis absence as well as that of tbe defendant and its witnesses, on tbe pleadings and evidence offered by plaintiff; tbat said pleadings, tbe issues and judgment, set forth as exhibits in defendant’s petition, are here referred to and made a part of this judgment.
(4) Tbat neither tbe defendant nor tbe defendant’s counsel requested of plaintiff, bis counsel or of tbe clerk of said court, copy of calendars which might show said cause for trial, and no inquiry was made by tbe defendant or its attorney after tbe filing of tbe answer.
(5) Tbat within a few days after said action was tried, and upon notice thereof, and of tbe plaintiff obtaining said judgment, defendant promptly filed its motion to have said judgment vacated and set aside under C. S., 600; tbat bad said defendant, or its counsel, received notice of tbe calendaring of said action for trial they would have attended and defended said action; defendant’s counsel could have been reached by telegraph or telephone and would have attended within a few hours after notice and presented defense to said action.
(6) Tbe court further finds as a fact tbat tbe defendant’s answer sets out a good and meritorious defense to said action.
Tbe defendant, having employed reputable counsel, duly licensed by tbe Supreme Court to practice law in all tbe courts of this State, and having disclosed all tbe facts necessary to its defense, and said attorney having accepted employment by making an appearance in said cause, and by agreeing with tbe defendant to go to Cherokee County and represent defendant therein, and no negligence being disclosed on tbe part of tbe defendant, but it appearing that defendant bad done all tbat a reasonably prudent-minded person should have done.
Therefore, it is ordered and directed by tbe court tbat tbe judgment entered at tbe January Term, 1931, in said cause be, and tbe same is hereby vacated, annulled, and set aside, and a new trial of said action is ordered.
Witness Honorable J. H. Harwood, judge presiding, March-April Term, 1931, of said Superior Court. J. H. Harwood, Judge Presiding.”
J. D. Mallonee and Moody & Moody for plaintiff.
Hill & G-ray for defendant.

Opinion:
BeogkeN, J.
Tbe facts set out in tbe judgment bring tbe case squarely within tbe principles of law announced in Sutherland v. McLean, 199 N. C., 345. Tbe divergent views of tbe law upon tbe subject were fully set forth therein, and it is not deemed necessary to beat tbe same old brush with tbe same old stick to run out the same old rabbit for another chase.
Affirmed.