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17 Vt. 656

June v. Conant

Supreme Court of Vermont

Decided January 15, 1845

Supreme Court of Vermont · decided 1845-01-15

<p>in an action of trespass on the freehold, brought before a justice of the peace, the writ must be made returnable in the town where one of the parties resides, if both parties are citizens of this State; and the writ will abate, if made returnable in the town where the land lies, if neither of the parties resides in that town. In this respect section 16 of chapter 28 of the Revised Statutes, respecting process, does not control section 14 of chapter 26, which specifies where writs, in actions before a justice of the peace, shall be made returnable.</p>

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently November 1909

3 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1845-01-15

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¶1The opinion of the court was delivered by

Hebaud, J.

¶2This was an action of trespass upon land of the plaintiffs lying in the town of Leicester and County of Addison. The parties both reside in Brandon in the County of Rutland. The suit was brought before a justice, and the court was held in Leicester. The defendant pleaded in abatement the above facts, to the replication to which plea, which alleged that the locus in quo was in Leicester, the defendant demurred. The only question is, whether this suit should have been brought in Brandon, where both parties reside.

¶3The statute provides, that “ suits before a justice must be made returnable within the town, where one of the parties reside, if either party vesides in this state, — unless otherwise specially ordered. By the 16th sec., chap, 28, of “ Process,” it is provided, that every action, or suit, before the county or supreme court, shall be brought, tried and determined in the county, in which one of the parties resides, if either resides in this state; otherwise the writ, on motion, shall abate; if neither party resides in this state, the suit may be brought in any county in the state ; but all actions of ejectment and *658for trespasses committed on the freehold shall be brought in the county, in which the lahd lies.” This-provision is for suits brought to the county court, and can have no qualifying effect upon the provision in the Justice act. There is nothing conflicting between the two provisions of the statute. For county courts there is but one place in the county for holding courts; not so with justice courts.

¶4The action being local at common law will not help to remove the difficulty, so long as the statute is explicit on the subject. Pitman v. Flint, 10 Pick. 504.

¶5Judgment affirmed.

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