Wilcox & Gibbs G. Co. v. Piedmont Lumber Co.
Wilcox & Gibbs G. Co. v. Piedmont Lumber Co.
Opinion of the Court
An execution, issued on a judgment recovered by appellants against A. 0. Harwell for the sum of $812.85, and costs of suit, having been levied on a quantity of mixed lumber, an office-building and other personal property, appellee interposed a claim, and gave bond with sureties, conditioned as provided by section 3004 of the Code; whereupon the property was delivered to the claimant. On a trial of the right of property, a verdict was returned, and judgment rendered against the claimant. The value of the property levied on was assessed by the jury as follows: “65,997 feet of rough lumber, at $8.00 per thousand, $527.97, and 12,114 feet of' dressed lumber, at $12.50 per thousand, $151.42, and 22,500 shingles, at $2.00 per thousand, $45.00, and 3,600 laths, at $1.75, $63.00, and thirteen window sash, at $1.40, $18,00, 3 doors, at $1.25, $3.75; one office, at $40.00, and one lumber shed, at $10.00, making the total value of the property $859.34. Before the expiration of thirty days after the rendition of this judgment, the claimant delivered to the sheriff twenty-eight thousand, three hundred and seventy-nine feet of rough lumber, seven thousand one hundred and eighty-one feet of dressed lumber, and the office building. The balance of the property not having been delivered, the sheriff endorsed the bond, forfeited, and thereupon, the clerk issued an execution against the claimant and 'the sureties on the bond for $859.34, the total assessed value of the property. The property delivered was sold by the sheriff and purchased by the claimant, for $50.00, which amount was credited on the execution. The claimant seeks by this proceeding, to supersede and quash the execution, claiming that it should be credited with $356.79, as the assessed value of the lumber delivered. The court ordered the execution credited rvitli the value of the property turned over to the sheriff, as assessed by the jury.
Section 3008 of the Code provides: “If judgment is rendered against the claimant, and he fails to deliver the property to the sheriff within thirty days thereafter, to satisfy the plaintiff’s execution, the sheriff must endorse the bond forfeited; and thereupon the clerk must issue execution against all the obligors thereon, for the amount of the plaintiff’s judgment, if that be less than the value of the property as assessed by the jury, or for the amount of such assessed value, if less than the amount of the judgment, and also for
In Dunlap v. Clements, 18 Ala. 778, tbe bond was given for tbe forthcoming of a stock of goods levied on by attachment. Tbe plaintiff in tbe attachment caused tbe major part of tbe goods to be seized, under a subsequent attachment against one of tbe sureties on tbe forthcoming bond. Tbe goods not seized, were delivered to tbe sheriff. While it was held, that tbe act of tbe plaintiff, having prevented compliance with tbe condition of tbe bond was a discharge of tbe obli-gors, to tbe extent of tbe property seized under tbe second attachment, it was conceded, that tbe failure to deliver a part of tbe property, when not caused by the plaintiff, would amount to a forfeiture, and tbe bond would have tbe effect of a judgment, upon which execution could be issued for tbe amount recovered in tbe first attachment suit, and tbe bondsmen “would have been liable, for all which tbe goods delivered were not sufficient to satisfy.” It is said, “It is true, as contended at the bar, that if tbe bond is returned forfeited for tbe noü-delivery of only a small part of tbe property replevied, and there should be a large amount of tbe judgment remaining, after applying what was delivered, tbe obli-gors would be bound for it all, at law.” Tbe principle is analogous. The case of Munter v. Lienkauff, supra, is similar to tbe present, except that tbe levy in that case was upon a stock of merchandise. After stating tbe prindples here-inabove stated, it is said, “Applying these principles, we
But counsel insist that the decision in the case, — the levy being on a stock of goods which could not be separately assessed, from the nature of the articles, — is not decisive of the present case, in which the property was separately valued. The chattels levied on were separately described and valued, but, excepting the office, the partial delivery was of a specific number of feet of each, the rough and dressed lumber, which consisted of many pieces no more susceptible of separate description and valuation than the articles composing a stock of merchandise. The valuation of each was one and entire, though ascertained by a calculation based on a valuation jDer one thousand feet. As to the lumber delivered, the case comes directly within the rule declared in Munter v. Leinkauff, supra. True, some stress was placed on the fact that the valuation of the goods was one and entire; and the court declined to decide, whether, if the subject of the levy had been distinct chattels, susceptible of separate description and valuation, and their values separately assessed by the jury, the forfeiture, if there were a partial delivery, should not also be partial, and the money recovery only for the separately valued chattels which were not delivered. This question, especially as to the delivery of the office, now comes directly for decision. The fundamental principle on which the rule rests, is that when the' bond is rightly endorsed and returned forfeited, it is the right of the plaintiff, under the statute, to have execution for the amount of his judgment, or of the assessed value of all of the property, if such value be less than the judgment. The rule works no hardship. ' The claimant, having obtained possession of the property by giving the claim bond, becomes the legal custodian, and it is his duty to safely keep it, to be re
This opinion was prepared by the late Justice Clopton and adopted by the court.
Reversed and judgment rendered sustaining the demurrer.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.