McGriff v. Ried
McGriff v. Ried
Opinion of the Court
The defendant in error was the plaintiff in the Circuit Court in an action of replevin, and at the May term, 1888, recovered a judgment against the plaintiff in error, who' was the defendant in the lower court. The verdict in the case was as follows: “We, the jury, find for the plaintiff, and assess damages at one-hundred and forty dollars; so say we all.” The judgment entered upon this verdict was “that the plaintiff, Robert A. Ried, do have and recover of and from the-defendant, P. T. McG-riff, the sum of one hundred and.
The errors assigned here are, the allowing of the plaintiff’s amendment, and refusing to allow the defendant’s. The writ of error was sued out more than two years from the entry of the original judgment. No attack was made upon this judgment, and it is admitted that it must stand. The only question arises upon the amending of such judgment. The rule is settled in this State that a judgment rendered at one term may be amended nunc pro tunc at a subsequent term, when, from an inspection of the record in the •case, it is apparent that the proposed amendment would have been a part of the original judgment, or that the
The orders allowing the amendment of the plaintiff» and refusing to allow the amendment of the defendant, are reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- P. T. McGriff, in Error v. R. A. Ried, in Error
- Cited By
- 6 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. The rule is settled in this State that a judgment rendered at one term may be amended nunc pro tunc at a subsequent term when from an inspection of the record in the case it is apparent that the proposed amendment would have been a part of the original judgment, or that the original judgment would have been in accordance therewith, had it not been for the inadvertance of the court, or an error or omission of the clerk. 2. In this action of replevin, brought and determined before the adoption of the Revised Statutes, in which the property involved had been delivered to the defendant under a forthcoming bond, the verdict was: “We, the jury, find for the plaintiff, and assess damages at one hundred and forty dollars; so say we all.” The judgment was for the recovery of said damages and costs, and awarded execution accordingly. More than two years afterward the plaintiff moved the court to amend the judgment nunc pro tunc so as to make it also for the property itself, and awarding a writ of possession for the same: Held, That by the statute then in force the successful plaintiff in an action of replevin has his election to take a judgment for the value of the property and to sue out an execution thereon, or for the property itself and to sue out a writ of possession, but that he could not have both. The verdict and original judgment beirg clearly not for the property itself, we must presume in favor of the judgment, that the plaintiff exercised his legal right to take a judgment for the value of the property. He is bound by his election. The proposed amendment would make the judgment a double one, both for the value of the property and the possession of it. It would be illegal, not in accordance with the verdict or the statute then in force. The judgment does not appear to have been one in which there was any judicial inadvertence or clerical mistake. It was the proper judgment to have been entered in the case, and the motion to amend it should not have beeD allowed.