Court Opinion

ID: 9808410
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 20:37:21.126962+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:12:07.837592
License: Public Domain

Beowh, J.,
dissenting: Tbe facts, as I understand tbem, are tbat Penny brought an action against Ludwick to recover possession of certain personal property, consisting of a soda fountain, cash register, cigar case, stove, electric meter, refrigerator, electric fan and a motor fan, used in a restaurant in High Point, and took out tbe ancillary remedy of claim and delivery. Ludwick failed to replevy and tbe property was delivered to Penny.
At tbe trial Penny failed to establish bis right to recover tbe property, and judgment was given for Ludwick. Tbe case is reported 152 N. C., 376. In tbat action, as appears in this record, Ludwick not only denied Penny’s title to tbe property and right to recover, but set up (something be was not compelled to do) a counterclaim, in which be averred tbat Penny bad unlawfully and wrongfully seized tbe property and converted it to bis own use, to bis great damage. Ludwick asked as relief tbat tbe property be restored and tbat he recover as damages $4,000. Ludwick recovered judgment for $700 on third issue and $1,800 on fourth issue. 152 N. C., 377.
Ludwick now brings this suit, alleging tbat Penny bad maliciously sued out tbe claim and delivery and bad destroyed bis business by tbe wrongful seizure of bis property. I am of opinion tbat tbe plaintiff Ludwick, having seen fit to plead a counterclaim in tbe other action and to claim damages for tbe wrong done him, should have set up all bis items and claims for damage in tbat counterclaim and have them all determined on one trial. He should not be permitted to divide up bis damages, as they all grew out of one and tbe same transaction and one and tbe same tort.
For a long time I thought such a counterclaim could not be pleaded in an action in nature of claim and delivery, and tbat tbe defendant must wait until tbat action was ended in bis favor and then sue for damages. But tbat question was settled by this Court in Smith v. French, 141 N. C., 1, wherein it is *115beld that the defendant may plead bis counterclaim for damages for the tort in the claim and delivery action. In that case Mr. Justice Hoke says: “Even if the present opinion should be found to conflict with some former decision, it is only a question of procedure, not involving a rule of property, and we think it better that our present construction of the statute should now be declared the true one as more in accord with the spirit and letter of our Code, which, as heretofore stated, designs and contemplates that all matters growing out of or connected with the same controversy should be adjusted in one and the same action.
“A counterclaim connected with plaintiff’s cause of action or with the subject of the same will nearly always take its rise before action brought, but we hold that neither the statute nor the reason of the thing require that such counterclaim should necessarily or entirely mature before action commenced nor. even before answer filed, if the provisions of The Code permit, and right and justice require that an amendment be allowed which will enable parties to end the same controversy in one and the same litigation.”
Thus we see that this plaintiff had the right to plead a counterclaim for damages for the wrongful seizure of his property in the other action, and also that he did plead it. Having chosen to plead it, he should have set up all his items of damage in that counterclaim and should not be heard again concerning same transaction.
It is immaterial that plaintiff now avers that the taking of his property by legal process was maliciously done. It was all connected with and grew out of the one act, and could and should have been embraced in his counterclaim in the former suit.
It is a well-settled principle that the commission of a single tortious act creates a single cause of action only, and all damages resulting therefrom must be recovered in one suit. 24 Am. and Eng. Ency., p. 7881
The counterclaim set up by plaintiff in the former action is to be treated as if he had chosen to commence an independent action for damages. He should have set up all his damages in the one action and have them determined on the one trial. This is the true spirit and value of Code pleading.
*116In tbe case of Porter v. Mack, 50 W. Va., 581, 592, it is said: “Tbe law seems to be well settled tbat when a person bas a cause of action wbicb be may assert by an action ex contractu for tbe direct damages, or ex delicto for botb tbe direct and indirect damages, if be selects tbe former be waives tbe latter, including all claim for indirect damages. Botb actions are regarded as for tbe same wrong, of wbicb be can bave but a single satisfaction, tbougb it in no wise, compensates bim for tbe damages sustained.”
In tbat case a recovery was sought to be bad for an alleged conspiracy to break up tbe business of tbe plaintiff, and tbis was a second action and tbe plaintiff was beld bound by tbe adjudication of tbe previous action.
In bis counterclaim tbis plaintiff averred tbat tbe taking of tbe property was wrongful. He could just as easily bave averred tbat it was malicious. He could bave claimed damages to bis business as tbe result of tbe taking as well as tbe injury and sacrifice of bis property.
In 21 Am. and Eng. Ency. (1 Ed.), p. 237, it is said:' “In all cases where tbe plaintiff bas bis option in tbe outset to bring tort or contract to recover damages for one and tbe same injury upon a state of facts wbicb will support either, an adjudication in one, whichever be may elect, is, upon principle, a bar to tbe other.” See, also, Norton v. Dougherty, 63 Am. Dec., 758 (Mass.); Ware v. Percival, 61 Me., 391; Newby v. Caldwell, 54 Ia., 102; Wagner v. Wagner, 36 Minn., 239.
In Norton v. Dougherty, supra, Chief Justice Shaw says: “On consideration, tbe Court are of tbe opinion that tbe former judgment was a good bar, because tbe first action was brought to recover damages for the same wrong or injury and because it could be supported by tbe same evidence.”
Mr. Sutherland says:
“Causes of Action Not Divisible. — A cause of action and tbe damages recoverable therefor are an entirety. Tbe party injured must be plaintiff, and must demand all tbe damages be bas suffered or wbicb be will suffer from tbe injury, grievance, or cause of action of wbicb be complains. He cannot split a cause of action and bring successive suits for parts; be may not *117be able at first to prove all the items of the demand, or because all the demands have not been' suffered. If he attempt to do so, a recovery in the first suit, though for less than his whole demand, will be a bar to a second action.” In support of this statement the author cites a large number of cases, amongst others, Porter v. Mack, supra.
These well-settled principles áre clearly stated in the well-considered opinion of Mr. Justice Clark in Wagon Co. v. Bird, 119 N. C., 460, in which it is held that, “The judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction is conclusive not only as to the subject-matter actually determined thereby, but also as to every other matter which properly belonged to the subject in litigation, and which the parties by the exercise of reasonable diligence might have brought forward at the time and had determined respecting it.”
The only evidence of damage which plaintiff offers on this trial is injury to his business by reason of the wrongful taking of his restaurant fixtures.
He could and should have alleged and proven the same item of damage on the trial of his counterclaim.
• This is not an action for malicious prosecution, which could not be commenced until after the termination of the former action. The complaint does not allege a want of probable cause, or any other of the usual and necessary allegations in a suit for malicious prosecution. On the contrary, in section 4 of the complaint this action is characterized as one for “abuse of process.”
Such an action need not await the termination of the former proceeding. “An action for damages for the abuse of legal process may be maintained before the action in which such process was issued is terminated.” 19 Cyc., 632.
■It seems to me plain that every element of damage set up in this action could and should have been set up in the counterclaim in the former under the principles laid down in Smith v. French, supra.
I am of opinion that the former judgment for damages rendered in plaintiff’s favor on his counterclaim is a bar to the recovery of further damages for the same wrong.