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38 Colo. 70

Byram v. Piggot

Supreme Court of Colorado

Decided September 15, 1906

Supreme Court of Colorado · decided 1906-09-15

<p>Practice in Civil Actions — Change of Venue — Actions for Torts.</p> <p>Mills’ Ann. Code, § 27, provides that certain actions shall be tried in the county in which the defendant resides at the commencement of the action, or in the county where the plaintiff resides when service is 'made on the defendant in such county, and actions for torts in the county where the tort was committed. Held, in an action for tort brought against a defendant in another county and the summons served in the county in which defendant lived, that it was incumbent upon plaintiff in resisting a motion for a change of venue to bring the case within the provision that actions for torts can be brought in the county in which the tort was committed; and, that having failed to do so, when the court' denied the motion it lost jurisdiction of the case, and its retention thereafter constituted reversible error.— P. 71.</p>

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently September 1952

1 state decisions

Relies on Brewer v. Gordon · Woodworth v. Henderson

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Reversed · Decided 1906-09-15

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Mr. Justice Gunter

¶1delivered the opinion of the court:

¶2This was an action in tort, alienation of the affections of a husband. Plaintiff had a verdict and judgment, defendant brings error.

¶3The action was brought in Arapahoe county. The defendant moved a change of venue, and affirmatively showed that she, at the time of the institution of the suit, was a resident of Larimer county,, this state, and was served with process therein. In no manner did it appear by the complaint, or otherwise, that the tort constituting the cause of action was committed in Arapahoe county. The court denied the motion.

¶4Section 27, Mills ’ Ann. Code, provides:

¶5“In all other cases the actions shall be tried in the county in which the defendants or any of them may- reside at the commencement of the action, or in the county where the plaintiff resides when service is made on the defendant in such county * # * and actions for torts in the county where the tort was committed.”

¶6“The Texas Code (Revised Statutes of Texas, 1895, art. 1194), is substantially the same as section 27 of our code.” — Brewer v. Gordon, 27 Colo. 111, 115.

¶7*72In Cohen v. Munson, 59 Texas 236, approved in Brewer v. Gordon, supra,the court said:

‘ ‘ To entitle plaintiff to sue in a county other than the residence of the defendant, he must bring his case .clearly within one of the exceptions. ’ ’

¶8An exception to the general rule entitling defendant to be sued in the county of his residence is that actions for torts may be brought “in the county where the tort was committed. ’ ’

¶9It was incumbent upon the plaintiff in resisting the motion for a change of venue to' bring the case within this exception. This she failed to do, and the motion.should have been granted.- When the court failed to grant the motion, it lost jurisdiction of the case, and its retention thereafter constituted reversible error. — Brewer v. Gordon, supra; Woodworth v. Henderson, 28 Colo. 381.

¶10Judgment reversed. Reversed.

¶11Chief Justice Gabbeet and Mr. Justice Maxwell concurring.

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