Court Opinion

ID: 9854182
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:02:30.036117+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:57.917818
License: Public Domain

TRAYNOR, J.
— -I dissent. It is my opinion that the respondent court has not acquired jurisdiction over the petitioners and should therefore be restrained from entering a default judgment against them. While I agree that the court properly denied petitioners’ motion, I do not believe that petitioners made a general appearance in seeking a dismissal of the action. Had they requested a ruling that could be made only upon the hypothesis that the court had jurisdiction over them, the appearance would be general, for by making the request they would admit that the court had jurisdiction, thereby waiving its lack of jurisdiction. Thus, in the case of In re Clarke, 125 Cal. 388 [58 P. 22], relied upon in the majority opinion, the defendant admitted the jurisdiction of the court by demurring to the complaint. A court does not sustain demurrers and decide moot questions of persons over whom it has no jurisdiction. Likewise, in Zobel v. Zobel, 151 Cal. 98 [90 P. 191], cited in the majority opinion, the defendant filed an answer, a pleading preparatory to a hearing on the merits, which could not be considered by the court if it did not have jurisdiction over the defendant. I do not *16believe, however, that a defendant invariably makes a general appearance by raising a question other than lack of jurisdiction, and I therefore disagree with the statements to the contrary in Olcese v. Justice’s Court, 156 Cal. 82 [103 P. 317], and Raps v. Raps, 20 Cal.2d 382 [125 P.2d 826]. It has been held by this court that by requesting and securing an order extending time to plead, a defendant does not make a general appearance or admit that the court has acquired jurisdiction over his person. (Benson v. Benson, 176 Cal. 649 [170 P. 1182]; Davenport v. Superior Court, 183 Cal. 506 511 [191 P. 911].) A court does not need jurisdiction over the person to grant such an order, and there is no inconsistency in requesting such an order while maintaining that the court lacks jurisdiction. Similarly, a court without jurisdiction over the person can dismiss an action under section 583 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and a defendant, without being inconsistent or impliedly recognizing the jurisdiction of the court, can request such an order while maintaining that the court lacks jurisdiction. There is nothing in section 583 to limit the class of persons who can have actions dismissed. Neither expressly nor by implication does the statute make a general appearance a condition of securing the dismissal of an action thereunder. Thus, in Sharpstein v. Eells, 132 Cal. 507 [64 P. 1080], in holding that an appearance to dismiss an action for failure to serve a summons within the three years prescribed by Code of Civil Procedure section 581 (7), as amended in 1889, was a special appearance only, the court declared: “. . . if defendant voluntarily appears, and answers, and demands a trial, after the three years, the court has jurisdiction to proceed. In this case the respondent did not so appear. The fact that plaintiff, after three years, had the summons served upon her, and that default was entered, did not show any consent or voluntary appearance. When she appeared it was for the purpose of asking that the action be dismissed as to her. She had the right to have it dismissed.” (See, also, Linden Gravel Mining Co. v. Sheplar, 53 Cal. 245; Anderson v. Nawa, 25 Cal.App. 151 [143 P. 555]; Altpeter v. Postal Telegraph-Cable Co., 26 Cal.App. 705 [148 P. 241]; McBaine, Practice: Objections to Jurisdiction Over the Person and the Subject Matter, 30 Cal.L. Rev. 690.)
Petitioners’ application for a rehearing was denied October 29,1942. Traynor, J., voted for a rehearing.