Court Opinion

ID: 9671239
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:33:15.01892+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:08.864507
License: Public Domain

HEFLIN, Chief Justice
(dissenting):
I disagree with Justice Coleman’s opinion that Plea II is a plea in bar. I feel that it is a plea in abatement.
*383Plea II is as follows:
“Plaintiff ought not to recover of this defendant for that:
“The accident made the basis of this action occurred February 23, 1965. Long prior thereto plaintiff deserted his family and his desertion continued until the death of said minor child as averred in said count.”
Justice Coleman in his proposed opinion states as follows:
“Plea II in the instant case is a complete defense to the action. The plea does not in any respect give plaintiff a better writ. If the allegations of Plea II be true, the plaintiff can never recover for the death of his children, which is the foundation of plaintiff’s cause of action.”
This Court in City of Prichard v. Geary, 268 Ala. 243, 105 So.2d 682, stated:
“ * * *. The principle is well established that the issue of want of capacity in, or right or authority of, the plaintiff to maintain suit is a matter in abatement, and that the practice prevailing in suits at law and in equity requires that when a party sued would deny the capacity in which the plaintiff (or complainant) sues, it must be done by plea (or in some cases by demurrer). The right to sue is admitted by a plea to the merits and is a waiver of any objection to capacity or authority of the plaintiff (or complainant) to bring the suit. Mitchell v. Church of Christ at Mt. Olive, 221 Ala. 315, 128 So. 781, 70 A.L.R. 71; Mitchell v. Church of Christ at Mt. Olive, 219 Ala. 322, 122 So. 341; Tilson v. Graham, 208 Ala. 312, 94 So. 295; Blount v. Sixteenth St. Baptist Church, 206 Ala. 423, 90 So. 602; Conn v. Sellers, 198 Ala. 606, 73 So. 961; Southern Railway Company v. Stonewall Insurance Co., 177 Ala. 327, 58 So. 313, Ann.Cas. 1915A, 987; Southern Railway Company v. Stonewall Insurance Co., 163 Ala. 161, 50 So. 940; Davis v. Miller, 109 Ala. 589, 19 So. 699; Louisville & Nashville Railroad Co. v. Trammell, 93 Ala. 350, 9 So. 870; Prince & Garrett v. Commercial Bank of Columbus, 1 Ala. 241; 1 Encyc. of Pl. and Pr., 11; 31 Cyc. 171-172; 39 Am.Jur. 981, § 108; 67 C.J.S. Parties § 113, p. 1116.
“The rule here is also followed in other jurisdictions. McCanless v. Furlaud, 293 U.S. 67, 55 S.Ct. 42, 79 L.Ed. 202, rehearing denied in 293 U.S. 632, 55 S.Ct. 211, 79 L.Ed. 717; White v. Wasson, 118 Okl. 29, 246 P. 445; Gibson v. Shull, 251 Mo. 480, 158 S.W. 322; and other cases which could be cited.”
This Court in City of Mobile v. Lee, 274 Ala. 344, 148 So.2d 642, stated as follows:
“The principle is well established that the issue of the want of capacity in, or right or authority of, the plaintiff to maintain suit is matter in abatement, and that the practice prevailing in suits at law and in equity requires that when a party sued would deny the capacity in which the plaintiff sues, it must be done by plea, demurrer, or other appropriate pleading. The right to sue is admitted by a plea to the merits and is a waiver of any objection to the capacity of the plaintiff to bring the suit. * * * ”
In 39 Am.Jur., Parties, Section 105, the following appears:
“It is, of course, a valid ground of obj ection to the maintenance of an action that the party plaintiff does not possess legal capacity to sue, but where the contrary does not appear on the face of the petition, the plaintiff is presumed to have legal capacity to sue, and the burden is on the defendant in the first instance to show that such capacity does not exist.
“An objection to the plaintiff’s legal disability or incapacity to sue is strictly matter in abatement of the action, which must be timely asserted in the manner ' prescribed by the local justice. * * * ”
*384In Sovereign Camp, W. O. W., v. Gunn, 229 Ala. 508, 512, 158 So. 192, it was stated as follows:
“The question of the plaintiff’s right to bring the suit in her own name could only be raised by plea in abatement, and the fact that she had become of age after the suit was brought and before the trial cured the irregularity, if any there was, in the proceeding. Howland v. Wallace, 81 Ala. 238, 2 So. 96; Wyrosdick v. Age-Herald Pub. Co., 217 Ala. 657, 117 So. 28. * * * ”
Justice Coleman contends that in determining whether a plea is a plea in bar or a plea in abatement it is necessary to look to see whether or not the plea gives the plaintiff a better writ. Under the circumstances, involved in the case under review, I fail to see how this inquiry is a criterion for determining the type of plea in this case. Certainly a party who contends that a plea is a plea in abatement should not be penalized because the adverse pleader creates a defect in his plea, if such a defect exists. However, under the facts of this case, I fail to see why the defendant should have to give the plaintiff a better writ. The purpose of providing the plaintiff with information to prepare a better writ is so that the plaintiff may correct his writ or so that he may avoid the same mistake if another suit is filed in regards to the same cause of action. If a better writ is needed, the statute provides the necessary guidelines. Whenever the law requires that the defendant give the plaintiff a better writ in a plea in abatement, the rationale of such requirement is based on the fact that the defendant has a peculiar knowledge of the facts and materials which the plaintiff might not have. But in this instance, such is not applicable for the plaintiff has a better knowledge of whether he qualifies under the statute to bring the suit.
Holding that the issues on this appeal are limited to the sole question of the adequacy of damages because the successful party in the trial below took the appeal, the majority of this Court, who concur specially in the result of Justice Coleman’s opinion, avoids a determination of the issue of whether Plea II is in bar or in abatement, I feel that this majority overlooked or misconstrued the law of this state which allows a review where erroneous rulings on questions of evidence affected, or may have affected, the assessment of damages to the plaintiff’s harm.
In Pounds v. General Motors Acceptance Corporation, 220 Ala. 145, 124 So. 204, an action for damages for a malicious trespass, plaintiff, dissatisfied with the judgment in his favor, appealed to this Court. At the time of the alleged trespass, an agent of the defendant was attempting to collect an allegedly overdue payment on an automobile. Plaintiff contended that he was not in arrears, and complains that the trial court improperly allowed testimony tending to show he had been frequently or even habitually slow in his payments. This Court held such evidence to have been properly admitted in answer to the claim of punitive damages asserted by the plaintiff. The Court further stated, however, that “In these circumstances this court will review only those assignments of error that may have prejudicially affected the amount of plaintiff’s recovery. Franklin v. Argyro, 211 Ala. 506, 100 So. 811; Davis v. Erwin, 214 Ala. 341, 107 So. 903. The damages assessed may have been in greatly preponderating part merely punitive, their assessment, within reasonable limits, resting in the sound discretion of the jury * * * ; but if erroneous rulings on questions of evidence affected, or may have affected, the assessment of damages to plaintiff’s hurt, such rulings will be reviewed on appeal.” Id., at 146, 124 So. at 204.
The principle enunciated in the Pounds case, supra, was recognized in Miller v. Thomason, 229 Ala. 267, 156 So. 773, in slightly different language, to wit:
“This appeal is by the plaintiff from a judgment in his favor, and rulings of the court not affecting the amount of the recovery, though erroneous, cannot avail *385to reverse the judgment. * * * Id., at 268, 156 So. at 773.
In Caudle v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 236 Ala. 37, 182 So. 461, this Court as then constituted, stated:
“This is an action to recover damages for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution of the plaintiff by the defendant, and the appeal is by the plaintiff from a judgment on the verdict of a jury assessing the plaintiff’s damages at $250. Therefore, only rulings affecting the measure and quantum of damages are presented for review.” Id., at 39, 182 So. at 462.
Agreeing with that portion of Justice Coleman’s opinion that the evidence admitted in support of Plea II was unfavorable to the plaintiff and should not have been admitted if Plea II was in abatement, it is inescapable that the admission of such evidence tended to reduce the amount of the judgment. Therefore, I must respectfully dissent.