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60 Ill. App. 126

Willerton v. Shoemaker

Appellate Court of Illinois

Decided June 3, 1895

Appellate Court of Illinois · decided 1895-06-03

<p>1. Waiver—Defects in Service—Taking an Appeal.—A defect in the service of a summons in an action before a justice of the peace is waived by taking an appeal.</p> <p>2. Practice— Objections Must be Made in the Court Below.—An objection that the complaint in an action of forcible detainer before a justice of the peace is not sufficient, should be made before going to trial. It can not be made for the first time in the Appellate Court.</p> <p>3. Same—Informal Complaints.—A defective complaint in forcible detainer, which is merely informal, is sufficient if no objection is made at the proper time in the court below.</p> <p>4. Demand—When Unnecessary in Forcible Detainer.—Where a tenant holds over after the termination of a lease for a definite period, under the statute no demand is necessary to terminate the tenancy.</p>

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently March 1929

2 state decisions

Relies on Schreiber v. Chicago & Evanston Railroad · Swingley v. Haynes · Stolberg v. Ohnmacht

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Affirmed · Decided 1895-06-03

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Mr. Presiding Justice Wall

¶1delivered the opinion of the Court.

¶2The first objection urged is that the court should have dismissed the suit because of the defect in the service of the summons before the justice of the peace.

¶3This defect was waived by taking the appeal.

¶4As was said in Swingley v. Haynes, 22 Ill. 214, u When the defendant files his appeal bond he thereby enters his appearance to the cause in the Circuit Court, and by so doing waives all defects in the process, the want of process, defects in the service or want of service before the justice.”

¶5The rule so stated was based upon Sec. 66 of the act in relation to justices and constables, as it then was—Sec. 72 of the present act—and has been repeatedly approved in subsequent cases.

¶6The second objection is that the complaint is not sufficient. This objection should have been presented to the trial court, and the special ground thereof pointed out, so that it might have been obviated by amendment.

¶7Going to trial waived the objection, and it can not be presented for the first time in this court. The evidence made out a case under the statute, and, while the complaint may be informal, we can not reverse for that reason. Had the defect been suggested below, the necessary amendment could have been made.

¶8The case cited by appellant, Stolberg v. Ohnmacht, 50 Ill. 442, is not in point. There the fault was that no affidavit had been filed, and under the statute, as it then read, the court held that an affidavit was necessary to give jurisdiction of the subject-matter.

¶9Here the defect is that the complaint is informal.

¶10So it may be, but it is sufficient to give the court to understand what the cause of action is, and under it, without objection or suggestion of informality, the plaintiff was permitted to prove a case within the statute.

¶11The point must be overruled.

¶12The third objection is that there was no demand for possession before suit was brought.

¶13The case was one where the tenant held over after the termination of his lease, which was for a definite period, and under the statute no demand was necessary to end his tenancy. C. & St. L. R. R. Co. v. Wiggins Ferry Co., 82 Ill. 233; Schreiber v. C. & E. R. R. Co., 115 Ill. 345.

¶14Hor was it necessary under the forcible detainer act to make demand in such a case before bringing suit. Had the plaintiff’s case been within the fifth or sixth clause of Sec. 2 of that act, a demand would have been necessary.

¶15This objection must be overruled.

¶16The point fourthly made, that there was a variance between the complaint and the proof, is disposed of by what has been said in reference to the second objection.

¶17We find no error, and the judgment will be affirmed.

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