Court Opinion

ID: 9809760
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 21:25:09.753651+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:58:16.260997
License: Public Domain

Clark, J.
(concurring) : Concurring in the result, I cannot agree to the process by which the conclusion is reached, as it recognizes jurisdiction in a justice of the peace to adjudicate that the defendant was indebted to the plaintiff $325, and that the plaintiff was indebted to the defendant $525, exclusive of $114.25 remitted to give jurisdiction. I do not think that a justice of the peace has such jurisdiction. The plaintiff sued for $200. The defendant pleaded that this $200 had been paid, and pleaded a counter-claim of $200, remitting all his claim against the plaintiff in excess of $200, i. e. remitting $239.25. Of such proceeding the justice had jurisdiction, and .the justice’s judgment, holding as it did that the plaintiff’s claim had been paid and that the defendant should have judgment on his counter-claim for $200, was valid. But the plaintiff’s counter-claim of $125 to defendant’s counter-claim could not be considered by the justice, for two reasons: first, because to recognize it would be in *967effect to confer' on the justice jurisdiction to consider a demand of the plaintiff for $325, and, secondly, because a counter-claim cannot be pleaded in reply to a counterclaim, even in tbe superior court. Boyett v. Vaughan, 85 N. C., 363, which is exactly in point, and which overruled a former decision in same case, 79 N. C., 528. The remedy when the plaintiff wishes to reinforce his first demand is to amend the complaint, and that in this case would be to put the plaintiff out of the jurisdiction of the justice. Scott v. Bryan, 96 N. C., 289. It will be noted that this is not an action for a balance admitted to be due on an account stated, for which balance, if not more than $200, an action can be sustained before a justice of the peace.
MONTGOMERY, J.: I concur in the above opinion.