Court Opinion

ID: 9809670
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 21:20:34.423415+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:53:02.023643
License: Public Domain

Stacy, C. J.,
concurs on the ground that the municipal court of the city of High Point, unless it be a court of general jurisdiction, has no authority to remove a cause to the Superior Court of any county other than Guilford. Chap. 699, Public-Local Laws, 1927; 27 R. C. L., 779; Lewellyn v. Lewellyn, 203 N. C., 575.
Speaking to the right of a municipal court to grant a change of venue in the absence of statutory authority, it was said in Franken v. State, 190 Wis., 424, 209 N. W., 766: “Proceedings for change of venue are statutory in their origin, and, where no statutory provision exists authorizing a change, the right thereto is nonexistent.”
To like effect is the language of the Court In re McFarland, 223 Mo. App., 826, 12 S. W., (2d), 523: “The question is whether a change of venue may be taken from the juvenile court, which is a division of the circuit court, in a proceeding for the adoption of a minor child, pending before such juvenile court. It is fundamental that the right to a change of venue does not exist in this state except by statutory enactment. Heather v. Palmyra, 311 Mo., 32, 276 S. W., 872, loc. cit., 875.”
Similar holdings may be found in Hale v. Barker, 70 Utah, 284, 259 Pac., 928, and Tucker v. State, 35 Wyo., 430, 251 Pac., 460.
It is conceded that a court of general jurisdiction, such as our Superior Courts, may have inherent power, even in the absence of express statutory authority, to order a change of venue. Crocker v. Justices, 208 Mass., 162, 21 Ann. Cas., 1061, and note; 27 R. C. L., 810. And it may be contended that the municipal court of the city of High Point has such jurisdiction. Sec. 5, subsection (m), chap. 699, Public-Local Laws, 1927, provides:
*755“That tbe rules of practice as prescribed by law in tbe Superior Court for tbe trial of all causes shall apply to tbe High Point municipal court; . . . tbat wherever tbe statute provides for a thing to be done or a thing may be done in connection with tbe trial of an action in said court by tbe clerk of tbe Superior Court or by tbe judge of tbe Superior Court or by either, tbe same thing shall be performed by tbe clerk of tbe High Point municipal court or by tbe judge of tbe High Point municipal court, tbe clerk of said court, however, having no more powers and authorities with respect thereto than that as now given to clerks of tbe Superior Court.”
Change of venue may be ordered by tbe Superior Courts in certain cases as provided by 0. S., 469-470. All motions to remove as a matter of right are now made before tbe clerk. C. S., 913(a).
But without regard to tbe power of tbe court to order a change of venue, whether tbe plaintiff is in tbe proper court, while not now before us, may arise hereafter. C. S., 1667; Hendrix v. R. R., 202 N. C., 579, 163 S. E., 752.