Worthley v. Goodbar

Supreme Court of Arkansas
Worthley v. Goodbar, 53 Ark. 1 (Ark. 1890)
13 S.W. 216

Worthley v. Goodbar

Opinion of the Court

Per Curiam.

Each defendant is answerable to the remedy by attachment under the statute for his own act, but not for that of his co-obligor. Mansf. Dig., sec. 309, subdivision 9.

The law confines the remedy to the actual wrong-doer. Acts of one partner, therefore, in the conduct of a partnership business, which warrant the issuance of an attachment .against his property, will not warrant the condemnation of the individual property of a partner who has not participated in such an act, if seized under a writ issued against all the members of the firm.

The rule which holds an innocent partner responsible for the fraud of his copartner is only compensatory and was ■devised to prevent a failure of justice. None of the penalties for fraud can be visited upon an innocent partner; his body cannot be taken upon process as for a debt contracted through fraud by himself; and no more can the provisional remedy Iby attachment, which is purely statutory, be enforced against his individual property, when limited as ours is to the particular wrong-doer, unless some participation by him in the wrongful act is shown.

The question as to what are the rights of a firm creditor, who attaches partnership property in a writ against one member of the firm, or against all, when it is shown that one has committed a fraud in relation to the firm business, is not presented by the record. See 2 Bates Part., sec. 1117; Williams v. Muthersbaugh, 29 Kan., 730; Hadley v. Bryan, 58 Ala., 139; Inbusch v. Farwell, 1 Black, 566; Bryant v. Simoneau, 51 Ill., 324.

Judgment condemning the property of Worthley is reversed and cause remanded for further proceedings.

Reference

Cited By
2 cases
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Published