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Scottish Court of Session Decisions


You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> Scottish Court of Session Decisions >> Anderson v. Garson [1875] ScotLR 13_166 (16 December 1875)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/scot/cases/ScotCS/1875/13SLR0166.html
Cite as: [1875] ScotLR 13_166, [1875] SLR 13_166

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SCOTTISH_SLR_Court_of_Session

Page: 166

Court of Session Inner House First Division.

Thursday, December 16. 1875.

[ Lord Craighill.

13 SLR 166

Anderson

v.

Garson.

Subject_1Process
Subject_2Reclaiming Note
Subject_3Reponing
Subject_4Decree by Default.
Facts:

A defender prayed to be reponed against a decree by default. Held that the granting or refusing such a prayer is matter for the discretion of the Court, and in the circumstances remit made to the Lord Ordinary to repone upon payment of previous expenses.

Headnote:

Garson was a member of the Imperial Building Association, and one of the defenders in an action brought against the Association by Anderson, another member, for payment of £420, the amount of a bill which he, as one of the trustees for and specially authorised by the Association, had accepted on their behalf, and which he had himself paid under threat of immediate personal diligence, the Association having failed to meet it. Defences in the action were lodged for Garson and another, and decree in absence was pronounced against the latter. When the case was called in the procedure roll, Garson at that time being the only defender, no appearance was made for him, and decree was given against him by default.

Against this decree he now prayed to be reponed, on the ground that he had not observed the case in the rolls. Garson acted as his own agent.

The following authorities were quoted— Arthur v. Bell, 16th June 1861, 4 Macph. 841; Wilson v. Stark, Feb. 17, 1844, 6 D. 692; Young v. Mackenzie, July 19, 1859, 21 D. 1358; Boak v. Watson, July 14, 1860, 22 D. 1468; Gordon v. Fraser, June 7, 1831, 9 S. 690; Maclaren v. Robertson, May 29, 1857, 19 D. 769.

At advising—

Judgment:

Lord President—This is a decree by default, and not a decree in absence, against which the defender desires to be reponed, and I am not disposed to depart from what I said in the case of Arthur v. Bell, 4 Macph. 841. I think it is a matter in the discretion of the Court whether the party against whom a decree has gone out is, in the first place, to be reponed at all, and, in the second, if so, upon what conditions. The Court has had occasion to see and know that many decrees go out against parties in circumstances which show fault and negligence on their part and that of their agents, and we must take care that they are not reponed against these decrees on conditions that are too light. I think that the defender ought in the circumstances to be reponed, but he must pay the previous expenses which have been incurred in this case.

The other Judges concurred.

The following interlocutor was pronounced:—

“Remit to the Lord Ordinary to repone the said defender on payment by him of the expenses incurred by the pursuer in the cause up to this date.”

Counsel:

Counsel for the Pursuer— Trayner. Agents— A. & G. V. Mann, S.S.C.

Counsel for the Defender— Mackintosh, Agent—Party.

1875


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URL: http://www.bailii.org/scot/cases/ScotCS/1875/13SLR0166.html