Asbill v. Standley
Asbill v. Standley
Opinion of the Court
Appeal by defendant from a judgment rendered against him and from an order denying a new trial. The plaintiffs brought replevin against the defendant for the recovery of certain mares and colts seized by the defendant as sheriff on an attachment issued against the property of the plaintiff’s husband. The cause was tried before a jury, and the plaintiff had a verdict and judgment for return of part of the property, or for $1,600, the value thereof, if a delivery thereof could not be had.
We have looked carefully into the questions presented by the record upon the motion for a new trial, and find no error of which the appellant can complain. The instructions to the jury were full and clear, especially those given at the request of the defendant, and, as they do not involve any new principle of law, a discussion of them would serve no useful purpose.
The principal question in the case is the oft-recurring one as to what constitutes “an immediate delivery, and an actual and continued change of possession,” and upon this question appellant contends that the evidence does not justify the verdict. The plaintiff gave evidence tending to prove that her husband was indebted to her, and sold her sixteen mares in satisfaction of the debt. These mares were pastured on land of the husband prior to the sale, and were branded with his brand. That at the time of the sale they were brought to the corral, and vented with the husband’s brand, and then branded with plaintiff’s brand. A bill of sale of the mares was also given. They were then turned back on the range where they had been before, and cared for, at sea
The evidence upon all points necessary to sustain the verdict was sufficient. The objections to questions put to the plaintiff upon cross-examination were properly sustained. .Whether the plaintiff did or did not give in to the assessor in 1889 the ranch as her property could not in any manner affect the validity of her purchase of the mares in question the preceding July, and did not tend to show fraud in that transaction. The latter part of the question assumed what was not shown by the evidence, that she had made an affidavit as to her ownership of the ranch, and for that reason, as well as because it did not relate to nor affect the transaction involved in the litigation, was irrelevant. Nor can we perceive the materiality of the question as to how many sheep and cattle her husband had at the time of her marriage to him in the year 1887.
The only question arising upon the judgment-roll is as to the sufficiency of the description of the property to which the jury found the plaintiff entitled. The verdict is as follows: “We, the jury, find a verdict for the plaintiff, Mrs. Mary Asbill, for the 16 mares bought of F. M. Asbill on the 23d day of June, 1888, with suckling colts, which we value at $675; also 12 two year old mules, valued at $560; also 4 two year old horse colts, valued at $140; also 4 one year old mule colts, valued at $160; also 3 one year old horse colts, valued at $65, the latter being the increase of aforesaid 16 mares,—being a sum total of $1,600 for value of said animals
The answer of the defendant affirmatively alleged that “plaintiff claims title to the property described in the complaint, either directly or indirectly, from the said F. M. Asbill, her husband, to herself”; and also alleged “that on or about June 23, 1888, .... all these things being well known to the plaintiff and to the said John B. Asbill, the said F. M. Asbill transferred by bill of sale, without consideration, sixteen head of horses, being part of the property described in the complaint, to the plaintiff herein, and at the same time transferred by bill of sale, without consideration, the remainder of said property described in the complaint to his son, John B. Asbill.”. The answer further alleged that the remainder of the property was transferred to the plaintiff by John B. Asbill, November 1, 1888. The appellant took all the property under an attachment, and justifies under his writ. His answer shows a familiarity with the property which precludes the idea that he is unable, for want of a sufficient description of the property in the verdict and judgment, to comply therewith; and, unless we can see how the defendant may be prejudiced by the defective description, we are not permitted to reverse the judgment: Code Civ. Proc., sec. 475. The discrepancy between the number of mares sued for and the number awarded plaintiff by the verdict was corrected in the court below, and no question is now made thereon. The judgment and order appealed from should be affirmed.
We concur: Belcher, C.; Vanclief, C.
For the reasons given in the foregoing opinion the judgment and order appealed from are affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- ASBILL v. STANDLEY, Sheriff
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Sale—Change of Possession.—In an Action to Recover certain mares and colts seized on an execution against plaintiff’s husband, plaintiff testified that her husband sold her sixteen mares in satisfaction of a debt. The mares were pastured on the husband’s land prior to the sale, and were branded with his brand, but at the time of the sale they were brought to the corral, vented with the husband’s brand, and then branded with plaintiff’s brand. A bill of sale was also given, and they were then turned.back on the range where they had been before, and cared for, at seasons requiring care, by men hired and paid by plaintiff. Held, that there was sufficient delivery and change of possession of the property. Sale—Fraud.—Evidence as to Whether Plaintiff in 1889 gave in to the assessor the ranch as her property could not affect the validity of her purchase of the mares in question in the preceding July, and did not tend to show fraud in the transaction, and was therefore properly excluded. Verdict—Uncertainty.—A Verdict will not he Set Aside on the ground that it is so uncertain that the judgment thereon cannot be executed, when such objection is presented on the judgment-roll alone, and there is no bill of exceptions presenting the facts sustaining the contention of the uncertainty of the verdict, and when the answer of defendant sheriff also shows a familiarity with the property referred to in the verdict.