Court Opinion

ID: 9662296
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 23:05:04.140262+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:38.397063
License: Public Domain

On Motions for Rehearing, to Transfer to Court en Banc and for Stay Order.
Plaintiff reargues most of the original contentions made in her brief and also claims that material allegations of fact have been overlooked. Plaintiff misconstrues the opinion as stating that all actions ever commenced between the parties were successfully terminated in favor of the estates represented by defendant. We, of course, referred to the cases finally determined between the parties which we had cited in the opinion, supra. After making that statement we referred, infra, to the fourteen other suits listed by plaintiff and noted that one of them was still pending in the Circuit Court of Jackson County. It is shown that four of these cases are Probate Court claims in Kansas, one of which was alleged to be the identical claim still being litigated in the Circuit Court of Jackson County.
Plaintiff also says it is alleged in paragraphs 67 to 72 of Count One that the claims made in all of the actions listed as pending were settled before they were ever instituted; that defendant knew of this settlement; and that the actions were not brought in good faith but for the ulterior purpose of obtaining judgments for non-existing debts. It is true that this part of the petition alleged that the members of the various partnerships for several years prior to January 1, 1927, engaged in negotiations to settle disputes between them as to the correctness of their accounts and that as of that date agreed upon a settlement. However, it is stated that payments were to be made by L. B. Andrews and J. C. Lewis to John Moffett and Thomas Mof-fett, and it is also stated that before these payments were completed John Moffett died. Furthermore, as stated in the present motion, “Moffett Brothers partnership estate is not included in the settlement and compromise described in paragraphs 67 to 72 of Count One.” The motion says this was “because the brothers John and Tom Moffett were the only members of said partnership and they never had any controversies over their business relations.” Nevertheless, the petition shows that in the Harper County, Kansas case, Thomas Mof-fett and two of the partnership estates in which he was interested were found to be indebted to John Moffett. It is again vigorously argued that this judgment was void, *602but we hold that the facts stated in the petition do not show it to be void for the reasons stated in our opinion and in the other cases cited in which it was attacked.
As to the actions still pending, plaintiff’s argument of lack of good faith in attempting to get judgments indicates a situation more in the nature of malicious prosecution than abuse of process. Malicious prosecution, of course, cannot be maintained because these actions have not been determined in plaintiff’s favor. This contention of plaintiff really is wrongful initiation of civil proceedings, which we pointed out in the opinion is not abuse of process as stated in Restatement of Torts, comment under Section 682, from which we quoted. The institution of vexatious civil suits known to be groundless is governed by substantially the same rules as malicious prosecution of criminal proceedings. Prosser on Torts, 885, Sec. 97; see also Weber v. Strobel, Mo.Sup., 225 S.W. 925, 927-928 and cases cited; and see distinction made between malicious use and malicious abuse of process, 50 C.J. 612, Sec. 372, p. 622, Sec. 396; 72 C.J.S., Process, §§ 119, 120c, pp. 1188, 1195. The case of Goler v. Zaporanik (Sask.), 1 Dom.L.R. 34, was not an action for abuse of process but was, instead, a proceeding to quash a writ wrongfully issued to collect a mortgage which had been paid. It is not in point on the decisive issue herein. The allegations relied on in plaintiff’s motions are not sufficient to state a cause of action of malicious prosecution and we have explained in the opinion why they do not show a cause of action for abuse of process, which is plaintiff’s theory of the case.
Plaintiff says in any event, a Federal question is presented which necessitates transfer to banc. However, we do not find any real Federal questions in the case. Plaintiff bases this claim on the contention that defendant’s motion to dismiss the civil rights suit in the United States District Court, and that court’s action thereon, admitted and adjudged the facts “to constitute the basis of said judgment of dismissal and its affirmance cannot be controverted in this case by Commerce Trust Company— estopped, as it is, by said admissions and adjudications.” Plaintiff also says “the Federal Court based its decision and judgment upon the ground that, under the facts, admitted by the motion to dismiss, the Federal Court could grant no relief, but that the State court could.” The first part of that statement is correct, but plaintiff is mistaken in saying that the Federal court did or ever undertook to decide what the State court could do or to decide “that the facts alleged stated a cause of action under the state law”, as plaintiff claims. In the opinion of the United States Court of Appeals, 187 F.2d 242, loc. cit. 249, it is said: “The only question presented on this appeal is the sufficiency of the complaint.”. See also 87 F.Supp. 438, loc. cit. 443. Thus it is apparent that no Federal question is presented.
Plaintiff’s request to file and. have considered depositions in the case now pending in the Circuit Court of Jackson County must be denied. There is no authority for considering them on the issue involved herein of whether plaintiff’s petition states a claim upon which relief can be granted. Likewise, because that is the issue involved, there is no reason for an order to stay this decision.
All motions are overruled.
All concur.