Ellis v. Rademacher
Before: Cooper
Synopsis
Judgment Upon Admissions op Answer — Relief Must be Warranted by Complaint.—In case of a judgment rendered upon an answer admitting all of the averments of the complaint, and presenting no issue, whether it is in effect the same as a judgment hy default or not, the relief granted to the plaintiff cannot exceed that which the law awards as the legal conclusion from the facts alleged, or he inconsistent with the case made by the complaint.
Id.—Complaint fob Specific Performance—Improper Relief.— Under a complaint for the specific performance of a contract to convey a half interest in a mine in consideration of the building of a mill hy plaintiff, and to work the mine upon equal shares, alleging interference by defendant with the performance of the contract by plaintiff, and his ejection of plaintiff from the mine, a judgment directing specific performance by the defendant, and not by the plaintiff, and enjoining the defendant from conveying any part of the mine to anyone other than plaintiff, and from working the mine, without reference to any performance of the contract hy the plaintiff, is improper, and grants relief inconsistent with the case made by the complaint.
Id.—Judgment fob Co-Plaintiff—Insufficient Allegation.—a judgment in favor of a co-plaintiff is not authorized or sustained by an allegation that plaintiffs are informed and believe that such co-plaintiff has or claims to have some interest in the mining property.
Id.—Indefinite Judgment—Refebence to Exhibit of Contbact.— A decree^ enforcing a contract should be definite as to the things to be performed by each of the parties, and as to the acts enjoined; and a decree enjoining a defendant from doing any act whatever which will in any way interfere with the rights of the plaintiff under an exhibit of the contract attached to the complaint, is too uncertain and indefinite to be enforced.
COOPER, C. This is an appeal from the judgment on the judgment-roll alone. The defendant Rademacher (appellant here) filed an answer, and hy his answer admitted the allegations of the complaint and prayed that plaintiff might have judgment.
Findings were filed and judgment entered for respondents. The appellant claims that the findings and judgment are too broad and give to respondent more relief than is warranted by the complaint. It is well settled that a judgment by default cannot give any relief in excess of that demanded in the complaint. (Code Civ. Proc., sec. 580; Raun v. Reynolds, 11 Cal. 19; Lamping v. Hyatt, 27 Cal. 102.)
A default admits the material allegations of the complaint, and no more. It is not necessary to determine whether there is any difference in principle between a case where the allegations of the complaint are admitted hy the legal effect of the silence of a party, and where such allegations are admitted hy a written answer. In either case the relief given to the plaintiff cannot exceed that which the law awards as the legal conclusion from the facts alleged. The court cannot grant any relief in either case not warranted by the averments of the complaint. [558](Carpentier v. Brenham, 50 Cal. 551; Cummings v. Cummings, 75 Cal. 441; Hicks v. Murray, 43 Cal. 522.) Our code (Code Civ. Proc., sec. 580) provides as follows: “The relief granted to the plaintiff, if there be no answer, cannot exceed that which he shall have demanded in his complaint; but, in any other case, the court may grant him any relief consistent with the case made by the complaint and embraced within the issue.”
It will be necessary, therefore, for us to determine whether in this case the relief granted was consistent with the complaint, as there were no issues made by the answer. The complaint alleges that on July 28, 1896, the appellant and respondent Ellis entered into a written contract, by the terms of which the appellant agreed to sell and convey to said Ellis an undivided one-half of a certain mining claim known as the Baron mine, in consideration of the agreement of said Ellis to erect a quartz stamp mill on the nearest adjacent millsite where water can be obtained, the said mill to be erected within six months from the time that the water can be procured at some near and suitable place, the appellant reserving the surface ground upon which his cabin stands. The proceeds from the mining and milling of ores were to be equally divided. Each party was to have equal voice in determining whether or not the milling capacity of the mill so erected shall be increased. Respondent Ellis further agreed to use his best endeavors immediately to secure a sufficient water supply as near said mine as possible. The complaint further alleges that the appellant interfered with and prevented respondent Ellis from performing said contract on his part, and from prospecting for water on said claim, and from taking ores therefrom, and from entering thereon for the purpose of erecting a mill, and that appellant ousted and ejected the respondent Ellis from said claim. The prayer of the complaint is for a specific performance of the contract, and that defendants be enjoined from digging up and carrying away the ores, and from interfering with plaintiff’s rights, and that appellant Rademacher be enjoined from conveying the mine to any one other than respondent Ellis, and for general reliet. The decree entered grants more relief to respondents than is authorized by the complaint in several respects. It directs appellant to specifically perform the contract while it does not so
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