Marsteller and Others v. McClean

Story, J. delivered the opinion of the court as follows •, The Plaintiffs in error brought an action of trespass quare clansum freg.it— to which the Defendant in error pleaded the statute of .limitations. The replication in substance states that, at the time when the cause of action accrued, Christiana, wife of one of the Plaintiffs, .and Elizabeth, wife of another of the Plaintiffs, « were « feme. coverts, and ever since have continued ferae coverts” — and “ that Kitty Hunter” one of the Plaintiffs, “ was a feme covertand that the other Plaintiffs in whose right the suit was bi ought, at the time when the action accrued, and also at the commencement of the suit, were infants. To tliis replication there is a general demurrer and joinder on which the court below gave judgment for the Defendant. It is contended by the Defendant that this replication is. insufficient, inasmuch as it does not allege that Kitty Hunter, continued a feme covert until within five years, the time prescribed by the statute of limitations for the pursuit of this remedy. And it is further contended, that, even if the replication be good, yet the Plaintiffs ought not to recover, because the declaration charges the trespass by way of recital — “ for that whereas the Defendant with force and arms,” &c., and not by positive and direct allegations as the law requires. On this last exception the court, do not intend to. give any opinion | but unless the point were fully settled by authority, they would feel little inclination to sustain an objection- which would seem directed more to the form -than- the merits of the action. The. objection to the replication deserves more, consideration. It is certainly a rule of pleading that a replication should of itself contain a full and complete, answer to the bar, and that a joint plea which is , bad, affects with its consequences all the parties joining in it, *159 In the present case it may be true that Kitty Hunter was a feme covert'at the' time when the action accrued; and yet it may be equally true that five years have elapsed since the disalt ility was removed. It was therefore incumbent on the Plaintiffs, not barely to shew coverture, but, by a proper averment, to shew its continuance to a time within which it would have been a perfect avoidance of the bar. The objection then would have been fatal in a several action brought by Kitty Hunter. But it is said that though the replicatio’n be bad as to one of the Plaintiffs, yet it can only bar her: that the infancy or coverture of the other Plaintiffs entitles them to a recovery in this action for the injury done..to them; ánd that, as parceners and tenants in common are compellable to join in actions of this nature, it would be hard to affect them with the disability of a co-tenant. It seems, however, to be a settled rule that all the Plaintiffs in a suit must be competent to sue, otherwise the action cannot be supported: and the case of Perry v. Jackson, cited from 4, Term Reports, 516, decides that a plea of the statute of limitations, which is good as to one partner, bars them both in a joint action. When once the statute runs against one of two parties entitled to a joint action, it operates as a bar to such joint action. It is therefore the opinión of the Court that as this answer to the objection fails, the replication must be adjudged insufficient, and of course the bar must prevail. Judgment affirmed.