Court Opinion

ID: 9757461
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 22:41:39.375668+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:39.569637
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion by
Mr. Justice Bell:
Plaintiff, pursuant to a warrant of attorney which will be hereinafter quoted, entered a judgment pro confesso for the accelerated rent for the balance of the term. The court below on motion of the defendants struck off this judgment because of certain fatal defects in the exercise of the power. Plaintiff then entered a second judgment, this time only for rent in arrears, which was likewise stricken óff - by the court *140below on tbe theory that the warrant of attorney had been exhausted by the original void exercise thereof. The real question is whether one void exercise exhausts the poAver conferred by the following warrant of attorney: “If rent . . . shall remain unpaid on any day when the same ought to be paid, lessee hereby empowers any . . . attorney of any court of record to appear for lessee in any and all actions which may be brought for rent . . . and in said . . . amicable action or actions to confess judgment against lessee for all or any part of the rent specified in this lease and then unpaid including, at lessor’s option, the rent for the entire unexpired balance of the term of this lease .... Such authority shall not he exhausted hy one exercise thereof * but judgment may be confessed as aforesaid from time to time as often as any of said rent . . . shall fall due or be in arrears . . .”.
The general and well settled rule is that where a power of attorney authorizes a confession of judgment and the power is once exercised, the power is thereby exhausted: Mars National Bank v. Hughes, 243 Pa. 223, 89 A. 1130; Phila. v. Johnson, 208 Pa. 645, 57 A. 1114; Commonwealth v. Massi, 225 Pa. 548, 74 A. 419; Bellevue Borough v. Hallett, 234 Pa. 191, 83 A. 66; Hogsett v. Lutrario, 140 Pa. Superior Ct. 419, 13 A. 2d 902.
This is a wise and humane rule, especially in a case where the power was once validly exercised and there is nothing in the warrant of attorney which clearly allows more than one confession of judgment; its application in a case where the exercise of the power was void seems to me neither logical nor justifiable. However, I do not place my dissent on this ground but base it on the clear language of this warrant of attorney which the majority admit is different from the war*141rant in each and every case heretofore decided. A warrant of attorney authorizing the entry of a judgment by confession should, because of its summary nature and harsh effect, be strictly construed, but that general principle does not prevent parties from making any agreement they desire (unless it is contrary to law or opposed to public policy), nor does it give a court any -right to ignore the plain language of the agreement made by the parties themselves: Rambo B. & L. Ass’n. v. Dragone, 305 Pa. 24, 26, 156 A. 311; Baldwin v. American Motor Sales Co., 309 Pa. 275, 277, 163 A. 507; Hogsett v. Lutrario, 140 Pa. Superior Ct. 419, 425, 13 A. 2d 902. In Rambo B. & L. Ass’n. v. Dragone, 305 Pa., supra, the court said, “As a general rule a warrant or power of attorney to confess judgment is to be construed according to the rules which apply to other written contracts. Such warrant should be strictly construed against the party in whose favor it is given, and the authority thereby conferred must be strictly construed. While it should not be extended by implication or inference . . . yet, when it is reasonably clear that a given authority was intended, the courts will give it effect. That such authority was clearly intended appears from the warrant before us.”
I would hold in accordance with the express language of this warrant, which I believe is crystal clear, that whenever rent is in arrears judgment may be confessed for such rent as often as it becomes in arrears; and the landlord’s authority to enter judgment pro confesso is not and “shall not be exhausted by one exercise thereof” (irrespective of whether the exercise be valid, voidable or void), “but judgment may be confessed as aforesaid from time to time as often as any of said rent... shall fall due or be in arrears . . .”.
For this reason, I would sustain the appeal.

 Italics throughout, ours.