Court Opinion

ID: 9711680
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 04:36:38.295234+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:06.626285
License: Public Domain

*182(Dissenting Opinion)
Jackson, J.
I am not able to agree with the majority opinion herein and therefore dissent thereto.
Relator’s brief filed herein recites the following actions of the respondent judge as being erroneous in this to-wit:
“ (a) Summarily overruling the plea in abatement filed by the Defendant in said cause;
“(b) Overruling motion of the Defendant for a change of judge in said cause;
“(c) Appointing a receiver for the Defendant in said cause.”
The statement of the record as encompassed in relator’s brief is as follows:
“1. That the relator is the Defendant in an action filed by the Brunswick Corporation on the 18th day of December, 1964, in the Blackford Circuit Court of Blackford County, Indiana, and docketed therein as Cause No. 16263 on the docket of said Court.
“2. That on the 18th day of December, 1964, said Plaintiff, Brunswick Corporation, filed its complaint against said Defendant, Victory Lanes, Inc., relator herein, in the Blackford Circuit Court, which said complaint was docketed therein as cause No. 16263 in said Court.
“3; That on the said 18th day of December, 1964, said Plaintiff filed its pleading in said Cause No. 16263, denominated and called an application for the appointment of a receiver pendente lite.
“4. That on the 18th day of December, 1964, the Court fixed the time for the hearing upon the application for the appointment of a receiver pendente lite and ordered notice to Defendant.
“5. That thereafter, on the 19th day of December, 1964, summons was filed in said cause in said Court.
“6. That thereafter,. on said 19th day of December, 1964, notice of filing and date of hearing upon application for appointment of a receiver pendente lite was filed in said cause in said Court.
“7. That thereafter, on the 23rd day of December, 1964, the Defendant, Victory Lanes, Inc., by David D. Wilson, its attorney, filed its special appearance to contest jurisdiction.
*183“8. That thereafter, on said 23rd day of December, 1964, the Defendant, Victory Lanes, Inc., by David D. Wilson, its attorney, filed its motion for continuance.
“9. That thereafter, on the 23rd day of December, 1964, Victory Lanes, Inc., by its attorney, filed its motion for change of judge.
“10. That on the 23rd day of December, 1964, the plea in abatement of the Defendant was filed and summarily overruled, the motion of the Defendant for a continuance was filed and overruled, the motion of the Defendant for a change of judge was filed and overruled and a hearing on the appointment of a receiver and the appointment of a receiver were had and made in said cause in said Court.
“11. That on the 24th day of December, 1964, upon a showing that the receiver theretofore appointed on the 23rd day of December, 1964, declined to serve, the appointment and qualification of a receiver were had and made in said cause in said Court.
“12. That the record in said cause in said Court does not show any answer or pleading filed to the special appearance to contest jurisdiction filed by the Defendant, or that the issue tendered thereby was closed and tried; that the record in said cause shows plea in abatement of Defendant was summarily overruled by the Court.
“13. That the record in said cause in said Court shows that motion for continuance filed by the Defendant was filed within a reasonable time and stated sufficient reason for granting a continuance therein.
“14. That the record in said cause in said Court shows that the motion for change of judge filed by the Defendant was filed in time and that the Defendant was and is entitled to a change of judge, as so requested thereby.”
In my opinion the relator has raised several very grave questions in this proceeding. The actions complained of are satisfactorily set out in the briefs. The question of jurisdiction attempted to be presented by the plea in abatement is one that, in my opinion, should have been heard on the merits and not disposed of in a summary manner.
I would point out that at the time the court fixed the time for hearing on the application, summons in the case at bar had not even been issued let alone served upon the relator *184herein; consequently, the action below had not then even been commenced.
In my opinion the implementation of Rule 1-12B (7), under the circumstances delineated in the case at bar, constitutes a grave threat to the proper administration of justice and works an undue hardship upon litigants. The requirement that upon the filing of an action the party must immediately request a change of venue before summons is even issued is a travesty of justice because under our practice an action is not commenced until a summons has been issued. In the instant case the defendant was by the action of this court deprived of the right to seek a change of venue before the action had even been commenced in the trial court. The doctrine of waiver applied in such circumstances not only is conducive to fraud and fraught with danger, it is illegal. In my opinion said section of the rule should be abrogated forthwith, or modified, as in my opinion there can be no intelligent waiver of rights under such a rule.
The change of venue should have been granted. And in the case at bar the temporary writ heretofore issued should be made permanent.
Note. — Reported in 231 N. E. 2d 140.