WALTER KROUSE, JOE MARK, MRS. R. H. SAVAGE, BY HER HUSBAND AND HER NEXT FRIEND, R. H. SAVAGE, AND CHARLES E. BACHTOLD,
v.
JULTA M. PALMER, JOINED AND BY HER HUSBAND AND NEXT FRIEND, T. W. PALMER, ET AL.

Fla. | 1938-02-14
Whitfield, P. J., and Brown, and Chapman, J. J., concur., Ellis, C. J., and Terrell and Buford, J. J., concur in the opinion and judgment.
131 Fla. 444 Florida Supreme Court (1938) Positive Treatment
Also reported at: 179 So. 762
Cited by 38 cases

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Synopsis

This case concerns whether intervenors in a lawsuit can move to dismiss the main proceeding. The court held that intervenors are generally bound by the existing record and cannot challenge the propriety of the main suit unless the court specifically allows it.


Holding

No, parties who intervene in a lawsuit are generally bound by the record at the time of intervention and must take the suit as they find it. They cannot contest the plaintiff's claim against the defendant or move to dismiss the cause without the court's permission.


Key Quotes

“Anyone claiming an interest in the litigation may at any time be permitted to assert his rights by intervention, but the intervention shall be in subordination to, and in recognition of, the propriety of the main proceeding, unless otherwise ordered by the court in its discretion.”

This quote from the 1931 Chancery Act defines the limitations on intervention.

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Facts & Procedural History

Appellee filed a suit in equity for the benefit of herself and others similarly situated. Appellants sought to intervene as defendants. The court allo…

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Opinion of the Court
Per Curiam.

Per Curiam.

Appellee Julia M. Palmer, as complainant, brought a suit in equity for “her individual benefit and for the benefit of all other persons similarly situated,” against named defendants composing bondholders protective committees and others to enforce a trust agreement, to appoint a receiver to wind up the trust, for accounting, and for other equitable relief.

Appellants moved to be permitted to intervene and be made partiés defendant to the main suit. The Chancellor entered his decree stating that the “said parties shall henceforth stand as parties defendants to said cause pursuant to Section 9 of the 1931 Chancery Act.” The intervenors were later in a second decree given permission to plead to the bill of complaint as they may be advised and accord*446ingly moved to vacate the order appointing the receivers and to dismiss the bill of complaint.

The motion to dismiss was granted but limited to the intervenors, the Chancellor’s order reading in part as follows:

“* * * ft appearing to the Court that said parties heretofore have been permitted to assert their rights in the subject matter of litigation by intervention, but said intervention was only permitted in subordination to and in recognition of the main proceeding, and said intervening defendants having now filed a motion to dismiss the main proceeding, the Court announced to Counsel for the respective parties that it construed the motion to dismiss the main proceedings as only a motion on the part of the said intervening Defendants to he dismissed as parties defendants to said cause, and further requested of counsel for the intervening defendants, in open court, whether it was desired of said defendants to be permitted to remain as parties defendant for the purpose of protecting their interest or right in the subject matter of the main proceeding in view of the court’s construction of said motion to dismiss, and counsel for the intervening defendants having announced in open court that it was their desire to stand upon the motion to dismiss the main proceedings, and to vacate the order appointing receivers, * * *”

From said order, this appeal was prosecuted. The questions raised by Appellants grow out of the trial Court’s interpretation of the effect of the motion to dismiss and whether or not the bill of complaint was sufficient as a class suit.

The scope and effect of the motion to intervene is controlled by Section 9 of the 1931 Chancery Act as follows:

“Anyone claiming an interest in the litigation may at any time be permitted to assert his rights by intervention, but the intervention shall be in subordination to, and in recog*447nition of, the propriety of the main proceeding, unless otherwise ordered by the court in its discretion.”

The decree dated July 19, 1935, permitting the intervention limited the intervenors by the terms of Section 9 of the 1931 Chancery Act as quoted. This decree did not set a time for the intervenors to plead; a later decree gave them until the twent)r-fifth day of August, 1935, to file such “motions, demurrers, and other pleadings to said bill of complaint as they may be advised.” Appellants contend that this amendment opened the decree to intervene and authorized them to challenge the propriety of the main proceeding and move to dismiss the bill.

Section 9 of the 1931 Chancery Act limits the intervention “in subordination to, and in recognition of, the propriety of the main proceeding, unless otherwise ordered by the Court in his discretion.” We find nothing in either order affecting the intervention indicating affirmatively that the Court intended to extend its scope beyond the terms of the 1931 Chancery Act and his further order dismissing the bill as to Appellants would seem conclusive that he did not intend to do so.

The law is settled that an intervener is bound by the record made at the time he intervenes and must take the suit as he finds it. He cannot contest the plaintiff’s claim against the defendant but is limited to an assertion of his right to the res. He cannot challenge sufficiency of the pleadings or the propriety of the procedure nor can he move to dismiss or delay the cause without permission of the Chancellor.

In view of the law as thus stated, the terms of the 1931 Chancery Act and the terms of the decree permitting the intervention, we do not think we would be authorized to reverse the decree of the Chancellor so it is affirmed.

Affirmed.

*448Whitfield, P. J., and Brown, and Chapman, J. J., concur.

Ellis, C. J., and Terrell and Buford, J. J., concur in the opinion and judgment.


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Citator

Cited By (12 total)

  • United States v. State of Fla. & Cnty. of Dade, 179 So. 2d 890 (Fla. 3d DCA 1965)
    …final judgment in favor of appellant against Pinder was entered on July 9, 1962 by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The procedural rights of an inter-venor (appellant) were set forth in Krouse v. Palmer, 1938, 131 Fla. 444, 179 So. 762, wherein the Supreme Court said: ** “The law is settled that an inter-venor is bound by the record made at the time he intervenes and must take the suit as he finds it. He cannot contest the plaintiff’s claim against the defendant, bu…
  • …of the cause; he becomes bound by the de.cree and may appeal. An intervenor must abide by the pleadings as he finds them at the time of his entry; he can not be heard to raise any new issue.’ ” And further, in the case of Krouse v. Palmer, et al., 131 Fla. 444, 447, 179 South. Rep. 762, 763, we reiterated the same rule in the following languagé: “The law is settled that an intervenor is bound by the record made at the time he intervenes and must take the suit as he finds it. He cannot contest the plainti…
  • …ration owns or controls in any way the majority of stocks or controlling interest in any other corporation which is engaged directly or indirectly in bottling spirituous liquors in any state other than the state of Florida.” . See Krouse v. Palmer, 131 Fla. 444, 179 So. 762 (1938) ; Florida Gas Co. v. American Employers’ Insurance Co., 218 So. 2d 197 (3d Dist.Ct.App.Fla.1969) ; and United States v. State of Florida, 179 So. 2d 890 (3d Dist.Ct.App.Fla.1965). 39 Am. Jur. Parties § 61 (1942), and cases cited…

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