Purser v. Cady
Purser v. Cady
Opinion of the Court
The property involved in this case is situated in Lassen county, and described as that certain storage reservoir known as “Ball’s Canyon Reservoir,” or
At the commencement of the trial' it was stipulated that both parties claimed title to the premises from a common source, the Eagle Lake Land and Irrigation Company, a corporation. To establish his title, the defendant relied on a judgment recovered by him against the said corporation in the superior court of Lassen county on June 13, 1893, upon a money demand; an execution issued on the judgment on January 25, 1894, and a sale thereunder on February 23, 1894, at which he was the purchaser, and a sheriff’s deed executed to bim on August 24, 1894. To establish his right to the property the plaintiff relied upon the following three sources of title: (1) Two judgments recovered in the superior court of Lassen county on February 5, 1894, by T. C.
The finding of the court that plaintiff was in possession of the property in controversy is not questioned, and there was evidence tending to show that his possession commenced, with the permission of the owner, early in 1893. Appellant, however, contends that none of the other findings in favor of the plaintiff were justified by the evidence. The first questions, then, to be considered relate to the Riggs and Keener judgments and the deeds executed in pursuance of sales thereunder, through which plaintiff claims title.- It appears from the record that on February 1, 1895—a year less four days after the judgments were entered—the defendant corporation caused to be served and filed notices of appeal therefrom to the supreme court; and our attention is called
The Code of Civil Procedure contains the following provisions :
“Sec. 945. If the judgment or order appealed from direct the sale or delivery of possession of real property, the execution of the same cannot be stayed unless a written undertaking be executed on the part of the appellant, ’ ’ etc.
“Sec. 957. When the judgment is reversed or modified, the appellate court may make complete restitution of all property and rights lost by the erroneous judgment or order, so far as such restitution is consistent with the protection of a purchaser of property at a sale ordered by the judgment, or had under process issued upon the judgment, on the appeal from which the proceedings were not stayed; and for relief in such cases the appellant may have his action against the respondent enforcing the judgment for the proceeds of the sale of the property, after deducting therefrom the expenses of the sale. ”
In the cases referred to it does not appear that any order for the restitution of the property sold was ever made by the appellate court or the superior court. The purchaser’s title to the property was, therefore, not affected by the reversals, and appellant’s remedy, if any he had, was an action for damages: Reynolds v. Hosmer, 45 Cal. 616; Withers v. Jacks, 79 Cal. 297, 12 Am. St. Rep. 143, 21 Pac. 824; Spring Valley Waterworks v. Drinkhouse, 95 Cal. 220, 30 Pac. 218. The liens foreclosed related back to the time when the labor for which they were claimed commenced (Ger
There was no error in admitting in evidence the Biggs and Keener judgments. “For the purpose of recovering possession of the property purchased at a sale under such execution, it is necessary to introduce in evidence the judgment as the basis of the execution, and, if the enforcement of the judgment has not been stayed, the fact that an appeal therefrom has been taken does not prevent the judgment from being received in evidence and considered”: Colton Land and Water Co. v. Swartz, 99 Cal. 284, 33 Pac. 878. There was evidence that defendant said he had been advised to take possession, if need be, with a shotgun, and that he was going to take possession. Under the circumstances shown, plaintiff was clearly entitled to institute and maintain an action to enjoin defendant from entering upon and taking possession of the property. In view of what has been said, it is unnecessary to consider the plaintiff’s second and third sources of title. We find in the record no valid ground for reversal, and advise that the judgment be affirmed.
We concur: Haynes, C.; Chipman, C.
For the reasons given in the foregoing opinion the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- PURSER v. CADY
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Execution Sale—Reversal of Judgment—Title of Purchaser.— Plaintiff claimed title to certain land under execution sale and sheriff’s deed to his grantors. After such sale the judgment was reversed in the supreme court as far as it awarded counsel fees, but was in all other respects affirmed. Held, that, since no order for the restitution of the property sold was ever made, as provided by Code of Civil Procedure, section 957, plaintiff’s title acquired by the execution sale was not affected by such reversal. Execution Sale—Relation of Deeds.—Where Judgments are Rendered foreclosing liens for labor, the liens relate back to the time when the labor for which they were claimed commenced, and the deeds executed in pursuance thereto take effect by relation to the time the liens attached. Execution Sale.—In Order to Recover Possession of Property purchased at execution sale, it is necessary to introduce in evidence the judgment as a basis of the execution.