North Carolina General Statutes 1-113. Defendants jointly or severally liable
Where the action is against two or more defendants, and the summons is served on one or more, but not on all of them, the plaintiff may proceed as follows:
(1) If the action is against defendants jointly indebted upon contract, he may proceed against the defendants served, unless the court otherwise directs, and if he recovers judgment it may be entered against all the defendants thus jointly indebted, so far only as that it may be enforced against the joint property of all and the separate property of the defendants served, and if they are subject to arrest, against the persons of the defendants served.
Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 1-113
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
- property: shall include all property, both real and personal. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
(2) If the action is against defendants severally liable, he may proceed against the defendants served, in the same manner as if they were the only defendants.
(3) If all the defendants have been served, judgment may be taken against any or either of them severally, when the plaintiff would be entitled to judgment against such defendant or defendants if the action has been against them or any of them alone.
(4) If the name of one or more partners has, for any cause, been omitted in an action in which judgment has been rendered against the defendants named in the summons, and the omission was not pleaded in action, the plaintiff, in case the judgment remains unsatisfied, may by action recover of such partner separately, upon proving his joint liability, notwithstanding he was not named in the original action; but the plaintiff may have satisfaction of only one judgment rendered for the same cause of action. (C.C.P., s. 87; Code, s. 222; Rev., s. 455; C.S., s. 497.)