Court Opinion

ID: 9518362
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 00:51:18.112404+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:28:45.599437
License: Public Domain

DUNN, Chief Justice
(concurring specially).
I concur in the result reached in this opinion; however, I would reverse the judgment n. o. v. for Joanne Gruba on the grounds that the statute of limitations is a personal defense and does not deprive the trial court of jurisdiction on its face and that it may be waived at any time. See SDCL 15-6-8(c) and Frederickson v. McIntyre, 1938, 52 Ariz. 61, 78 P.2d 1124. As was stated in First v. Byrne, 1947, 238 Iowa 712, 28 N.W.2d 509:
“It is true of course as a rule that the right to interpose the statute (of limitations) as a defense is a personal privilege of the debtor which he may waive, or omit to avail himself of, if so inclined.” 28 N.W.2d at 513-514.
This seems to be the way the statute of limitations defense is viewed in South Dakota. In Stokes v. Rabenberg, 1927, 51 S.D. 493, 215 N.W. 492, the question was whether one party could waive objection to a notice for intention to seek a new trial outside the statutory 20-day period. The court considered the 20-day period to be a statute of limitations. “The jurisdiction conferred by a notice of intention timely served is jurisdiction over the person, not of the subject-matter and can be waived. The time in which such notice must be served is a statute of limitations subject to waiver.”
In his final argument, the defense counsel stated:
“As I said, you can give the plaintiff a verdict against Joanne Gruba in whatever amount you think is right, if you think that’s the right thing to do. I think that the action of Mr. Gruba is understandable and is proper under all the circumstances. There is no reason that you can’t award the plaintiff as much of a verdict as you would award against both defendants if you just give the verdict to the plaintiff against Joanne Gruba. Mr. Holland made reference to the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Gruba are biased; that they’ve got the interest in this *332thing, and that the implication was that they haven’t been truthful. I want to disclose to you something that only I have the right to disclose to you; that neither the Court nor Mr. Holland would be able to disclose to you, and that is the fact that Mr. Gruba and Mrs. Gruba are covered by liability insurance, and they don’t have a monetary interest in this case, as the plaintiff has. So, I ask you to keep that in mind; that they have no reason to be here coloring their testimony in any matter.” (emphasis supplied)
I would hold that the defendant waived her defense of statute of limitations by this statement made openly in court in her presence and in the presence of the court and jury. She should not be permitted to revoke that waiver, relied on by the plaintiff and the jury, in a later motion n. o. v.
This line of reasoning relieves this court of any consideration of the fact that plaintiff’s attorney failed to object to improper statements by defendants’ counsel at the time they were made or by a later motion for mistrial. He would have no reason to object to defendant’s waiver of this defense as it was to his client’s advantage.