Cooper

Petition for writ of review. It is alleged that, in February, 1897, an action was commenced in the superior court of San Joaquin County by N. Arata, plaintiff, against William E. Cooper and Annie Cooper, defendants, for the foreclosure of a mortgage; that return of service of summons was made by one J. L. Nye, whose affidavit of service failed to show that he was over the age of eighteen years; that said summons was never in fact served upon the defendants in the action; that the default of defendants to answer was entered and decree of foreclosure thereafter made and entered, on February 23, 1897; that defendants had no notice or knowledge of the pendency of said action or of the judgment entered therein until the -twenty-first day of October, 1914. Petitioners pray that defendant be called upon to show cause why said judgment should not be set aside and annulled.

The service of summons was insufficient (Lyons v. Cunningham, 66 Cal. 43 , [ 4 Pac. 938 ]), but we do not think the judgment, after so great a lapse of time, should be set aside in this somewhat summary manner. Petitioners should seek relief by some appropriate proceeding in which the purchaser at the foreclosure sale,…