Opinion ID: 2129662
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: temporary injunction void for want of any finding

Text: In compliance with § 20 of Article 7 of the Constitution, the Code abolishes the distinction in pleading and practice between actions at law and suits in equity.... Section 2-101, Burns' 1946 Replacement. Section 7 of Ch. 169 of the 1929 Acts (§ 54-435, Burns' 1951 Replacement), [8] provides that No injunction shall issue in any such action suspending or staying any order of the commission except after notice to the commission and hearing.  (Italics added.) `The word hearing has an established meaning, as applicable to equity cases. It means the same thing in those cases that the word trial does in cases at law.' Burson v. National Park Bank of New York (1872), 40 Ind. 173, 179. [9] Upon trials of questions of fact by the court, it shall not be necessary for the court to state its finding, except generally for the plaintiff or defendant, unless one of the parties requests special findings and conclusions of law. Section 2-2102, Burns' 1946 Replacement. The term `decision' in the statute necessarily embraces a general finding when the case is tried by the court. It has been held by this court that the term decision, as used in the statute, also includes a special finding, and that the words decision and finding are synonymous. Wolverton v. Wolverton (1904), 163 Ind. 26, 31, 71 N.E. 123. At common law, a judgment in a jury case without the verdict of the jury is void. 1 Freeman, Judgments (5th Ed.), § 360, p. 752. And where there are issues of fact in a case, neither party can have a judgment in his favor unless he has a finding or verdict to support it. Nicholson et al. v. Caress (1881), 76 Ind. 24, 26. [10] This state adheres to the common law rule that a judgment is not a finding. Haxton v. McClaren (1892), 132 Ind. 235, 248, 31 N.E. 48; 2 Elliott, General Practice, § 1021; Wall v. City of Muncie (1929), 201 Ind. 170, 166 N.E. 659. It should be self-evident the same words at the same time cannot constitute both a finding and a judgment. The fact that a temporary injunction for purposes of appeal is called an interlocutory order does not make it any less a judgment. It is not a final judgment, but it is still a judgment. 49 C.J.S. 35, § 11; 30 Am. Jur. 839, § 41. The temporary injunction did adjudicate rights for the time being pending the main action. If it did not affect rights, there would be no purpose in permitting an appeal therefrom. The common law referred to such adjudications as interlocutory judgments, [11] and when the Code refers to such a judgment as an interlocutory order, the result has been loose statements and confused thinking in our books. A temporary injunction is not issued on the pleadings, but on evidence. It is not an ex parte matter, but is the result of an adversary proceeding. How can the trial court decide which party should prevail without making a finding? It certainly has not been the practice in this state to enter a temporary injunction after hearing without a finding to support it. Wise v. Curdes (1942), 219 Ind. 606, 617, 40 N.E.2d 122; Indianapolis Dairymen's Co-Op. v. Bottema (1948), 226 Ind. 260, 79 N.E.2d 409; Pub. Ser. Com. v. Ind'p'ls. Railways (1947), 225 Ind. 30, 72 N.E.2d 434, supra. For a finding denying a temporary injunction see Koss v. Continental Oil Co. (1944), 222 Ind. 224, 52 N.E.2d 614. The opinion in the Indianapolis Railways case, supra, did not set out the finding on which the temporary injunction was based, since there was no issue on appeal involving it, but the finding does appear at page 53 of the original transcript on file with the clerk of this court. In this original action the attorney general did put in issue the lack of any finding to support the judgment. Nor did the circuit court in this matter enter an opinion in writing. It is quite apparent from an examination of § 54-203, Burns' 1951 Replacement, that the legislature did make specific provision for a review of a rate order by the Commission, considering that a temporary injunction should have something to support it. The statutory requirement that the circuit court or the general term shall in every case enter an opinion in writing was first enacted in Ch. 190, § 4 of the 1933 Acts, and since it was enacted subsequent to Ch. 169 of the 1929 Acts (§ 54-429, et seq., Burns' 1951 Replacement) which covers the general subject matter of review of orders of the Commission, the subsequent act controls where it is in conflict with the prior act. Without an opinion as required by the statute the Commission is without the benefit of the reasons why the trial court enters any judgment on review of the action of the Commission. Of course an opinion should set forth the facts as the court finds them, because the law does not operate in a vacuum but only operates on facts. Nor is this court in a proper position to review the action of any trial court without being advised by the opinion as to what the trial court really found. It is quite apparent from reading the decisions of the United States Supreme Court involving reviews of orders by utility commissions that the trial court's statements of facts are indispensable to a proper administration of justice, whereby the rights of the ratepaying public as well as the utilities may be protected. This court under its rule making power should adopt a rule similar to Fed. Rules Civ. Proc. rule 52(a), 28 U.S.C.A. [12] Courts take judicial notice of general economic conditions, whether it be a period of inflation, State ex rel. v. Lewis (1918), 187 Ind. 564, 574, 120 N.E. 129, or a period of depression, Ohio Bell Teleph. Co. v. Public Utilities Com. (1937), 301 U.S. 292, 301, 57 S.Ct. 724, 81 L.Ed. 1093, 1100. It would be strange if Bell's valuations had not increased as well as its cost of doing business during this period of inflation. However, that is no reason for this court to nullify our Constitution, and to make administrative boards out of courts. The temporary writ should have been made permanent. NOTE.  Reported in 103 N.E.2d 214.