Court Opinion

ID: 9753665
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 19:22:10.248272+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:27:39.926021
License: Public Domain

*63Dissenting Opinion by
Mr. Justice Roberts:
The majority says this case “is not one of jurisdiction.” I agree that this is a non-jurisdictional controversy; but, I must dissent from the majority’s disregard of that position and its incorrect treatment of the judgment as though it were entered by a court without competency to act. In the absence of a jurisdictional defect, there is no basis for disturbing the judgment duly entered against the defendant—Thomas Sheridan, who did not appear (initially or at any stage of this litigation) to challenge the claim for support or the validity of the judgment entered against him.
The majority proceeds on the assumption that the Family Division “inappropriately exercised jurisdiction.” The majority also assumes that this issue is one which appellant-garnishee (Mellon Trust) can raise in New Matter. Rule 1275(b) of the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure is specifically to the contrary. That Rule provides: “(b) The garnishee in his answer under 'new matter’ may include the defenses of the immunity or exemption of property, the defense that no property of the defendant was in the possession of the garnishee at the time of service of the attachment, or any defense or counterclaim which he could assert against the defendant if sued by him, but may not assert any defenses on behalf of the defendant against the plaintiff or otherwise attack the validity of the attachment” (Emphasis added.) Thus, under New Matter, the garnishee may raise only: (1) the immunity or exemption of the property; (2) the defense that no property of the defendant is in its possession; and (3) any defense or counterclaim it could raise against the defendant. Whether the Family Division “inappropriately exercised jurisdiction” is not one of the permissible issues under Rule 1275(b). It, therefore, cannot be asserted—as the garnishee here attempts—in New Matter.
*64Furthermore, that Rule explicitly prohibits the garnishee from asserting—as it here attempts—defenses on behalf of the defendant or attacking the validity of the attachment. “In the issue between the plaintiff and the garnishee any matters dealing with defenses the defendant may have against the plaintiff are irrelevant. Those defenses may only be raised by the defendant. The judgment against the defendant forecloses those issues. Nor may the garnishee in his answer otherwise attack the validity of the attachment. That must be done, if at all, at an earlier stage of the action, by preliminary objection, and if not attacked by such a pleading is deemed waived.” 2 Goodrich-Amram, Standard Pennsylvania Practice, §1275 (b) -2 at 216 (1962). Here, defendant Thomas Sheridan neither appeared nor interposed any defense and a default judgment was entered against him. The judgment so entered foreclosed the garnishee from asserting that the Family Division “inappropriately exercised jurisdiction” in this proceeding. The garnishee may not now raise that issue either on its own behalf or on behalf of the defendant.
The garnishee has not raised any permissible challenge to the validity of the judgment of the Family Division. The present controversy is not one involving satisfaction or execution of the judgment. The judgment of the Family Division, just as any judgment seeking to reach assets of a decedent’s estate or testamentary trust, may be satisfied by appropriate proceedings in the Orphans’ Court Division. Act of Aug. 16, 1951, P. L. 1163, art. Ill, §361, as amended, 26 P.S. 2686.361 (1964).