Case Name: EX PARTE CHARLESTON REPUBLIC TRUCK CO. CHARLESTON REPUBLIC TRUCK CO v. KENDRICKS
Court: Supreme Court of South Carolina
Jurisdiction: South Carolina
Decision Date: 1923-02-08
Citations: 123 S.C. 13
Docket Number: 11137
Parties: EX PARTE CHARLESTON REPUBLIC TRUCK CO. CHARLESTON REPUBLIC TRUCK CO v. KENDRICKS
Judges: Mr. Chief Justice Gary and Mr. Justice Fraser concur.
Reporter: South Carolina Reports
Volume: 123
Pages: 13–20

Head Matter:
11137
EX PARTE CHARLESTON REPUBLIC TRUCK CO. CHARLESTON REPUBLIC TRUCK CO v. KENDRICKS
(115 S. E., 820)
Judgment—Judgment on Counterclaim Vacated Where Adverse Party Misled.—Where in an action, a counterclaim was pleaded, and plaintiff’s counsel were misled by a letter from defendant’s counsel, in which nothing was said about pressing the counterclaim, but from which it could reasonably be inferred that if certain costs were not paid under a former Court order the complaint would be dismissed and the whole proceeding ended, judgment on the counterclaim will be vacated.
Before Memminger, J., Colleton, April, 1922.
Reversed.
Action by the Charleston Republic Truck Company against N. H. Kendricks. Judgment for defendant on his counterclaim, and from an order refusing a motion to vacate and set aside the judgment, plaintiff appeals.
Messrs. Howell & Fishburne, for appellant,
cite: Right to reopen judgment: 64 S. C., 343; 105 S. C., 421. Test of a meritorious defense: 107 S. C., 484; 84 S. C., 145; 92 S. C., 95. Excusable negligence, 82 S. C., 505; 51 S. C., 406; 56 S. C., 16. Discretion: 47 S. C., 488. Agreement between parties binding: 23 Cyc., 920, 962; 50 S. C., 501; 54 A. R. R., 218; 15 R. C. R., 214, 216.
Messrs. Padgett & Moorer, for respondent,
cite: Reopening judgments: 93 S. C., 495; 105 S. C., 421; 1 Black Judgts., Sec. 346. Discretion of Judge: 56 S. C., 21: 108 S. C., 395. Neglect must be excusable: 73 S. C., 207; 32 S. C, 86.
February 8, 1923.

Opinion:
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
Mr. Justice Watts.
This is an appeal from an order of Judge Memminger, April 17, 1922, refusing a motion to vacate and set aside the judgment obtained in this cause on the ground of mistake, surprise, inadvertence, ¡and excusable neglect, and on the further ground that such judgment''was obtained in violation of an agreement made between plaintiff's and defendant's attorneys, to the effect that the cause would not be tried at the fall term, 1921, of the Court of Common Pleas for Colleton County, but would be dismissed.
The exceptions, nine in number, allege error on the part of Judge Memminger in refusing to vacate the judgment. We will not discuss them seriatim as we think that his order should be reversed so far as the judgment of defendant upon his counterclaim is concerned, on the ground that Mr. Moorer's letter of October 17, 1921, to Messrs. McMillan & Heyward, plaintiff's counsel, at that time, misled plaintiff's counsel. He said nothing about pressing counterclaim, and plaintiff's counsel reasonably inferred that if the costs were not paid under the terms of Judge DeVore's order, the complaint would be dismissed and the whole proceeding-ended. Mr. Moorer in that letter uses the following language :
"Of course if it is the intention of the Charleston Republic Truck Company to have the cause dismissed, without the payment of this back costs, that will be satisfactory to us."
The plaintiff made no attempt to comply with the order of Judge DeVore, and the complaint should be dismissed, under the terms of Judge DeVore's order; but the appeal from Judge Memminger's order is sustained, and judgment on defendant's counterclaim is vacated and set aside, and case remanded for trial of counterclaim on its merits and issues as made.
Order appealed from reversed.
Mr. Chief Justice Gary and Mr. Justice Fraser concur.