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34 Colo. 374

Richardson v. Wortman

Supreme Court of Colorado

Decided September 15, 1905

Supreme Court of Colorado · decided 1905-09-15

Samuel L. Carpenter, Judge. This is an action brought to recover certain sums of money alleged to be due defendant in error (plaintiff below) from plaintiff in error (defendant below) upon an agreement for the sale hy plaintiff to defendant of certain mining property, and for money alleged to be due for board and lodging furnished to the employees of defendant, and for goods, wares and merchandise sold to her, and work and labor performed at her request.

Relies on Eagle Gold Mining Co. v. Bryarly

Decided 1905-09-15

Mr. Justice Goddard

¶1delivered the opinion of the court.

¶2It is contended by counsel for plaintiff in error that the issuance and return of an alias summons showing that the same could not be personally served on the defendant at the time of the issuance of the order for publication was an essential step and a condition precedent, and that the delay of five months between the return of the first summons and the making of the order of publication was fatal to' the validity of the order, and rendered the service of the summons void, notwithstanding the affidavit of plaintiff filed at the time the order was made established the fact that the defendant had been a nonresident of the state ever since the commencement of the *379action, and' still resided out of the state, and whose post office address was Springville, in the county of Erie, state of New York.

¶3In the case of Eagle Gold Mining Co. v. Bryarly, 28 Colo. 262, wherein several actions were consolidated, the procedure for the obtaining of the order of publication was very similar to the steps taken here. There was a delay of more than four months between the return of the sheriff on the summons there issued and the final order upon which publication of summons was made owing to a successful attempt on the part of the defendant to quash the first publication, as in this case. The orders were made and publication of summons had upon new affidavits filed at the time the order was obtained. Mr. Justice Steele, who delivered the opinion of the court, after quoting section 41 of the code, which controls in cases of service of summons by publication, says:

“It is apparent from an examination of this statute that the return of the sheriff was not intended by the legislature to be made the basis of the order for publication, because the service is only to be attempted in the county where the suit is brought, and the information that the defendant is a nonresident is contained only in the affidavit made by the plaintiff. ’ ’

¶4The court there held that' the several steps having been taken in the order required by the code, the delay between the return of the sheriff and the making of the order of publication was not fatal to the service of the process, and sustained the action of the court below in entertaining jurisdiction of the case.

¶5There is no substantial difference between the facts in that case and those disclosed in the record before us, and under the rule there announced the *380court below rightly entertained jurisdiction of this action, and its judgment is therefore affirmed.

¶6Affirmed.

¶7Chief Justice Gabbert and Mr. Justice Bailey concur.

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