Isaac Silver & Bros. v. Kalmon
Isaac Silver & Bros. v. Kalmon
Opinion of the Court
The Civil Code (1910), § 5477, declares: “The power of appointing receivers and ordering injunctions should be prudently and cautiously exercised, and except in clear and urgent cases should not be resorted to.” “The appointment of a receiver is a harsh' remedy to which resort should not be had, except when the interests of creditors are exposed to manifest peril. It has been said that ‘The high prerogative of taking property out of the hands of one, and putting it in pound, under the order of a judge, ought not to be taken, except to prevent manifest wrong imminently impending.’ Crawford v. Ross, 39 Ga. 49. It has been further said that ‘The appointment of a receiver is recognized as one of the harshest remedies which' the law provides for the enforcement of rights, and is allowable only in extreme cases, and under circumstances where the interest of creditors is exposed to manifest peril.’ Dozier v. Logan, 101 Ga. 173 (2), 179 (28 S. E. 612).” Dixon v. Tucker, 167 Ga. 783 (146 S. E. 736). The Code further provides, § 5495: “Creditors without lien can not, as a general rule, enjoin their debtors from disposing of property, nor obtain injunction or other extraordinary relief in equity.” There are exceptions to the general rules stated above. For instance, in § 5479 it is provided: “A court of equity may appoint a receiver to take possession of, and hold subject to the direction of the court, any assets charged with the payment of debts, where there is manifest danger of loss or destruction, or material injury to those interested.”
In the present case plaintiffs have no lien of any character. No fraud is alleged. It is true that the petition alleges that “petitioners are . . advised that ever since the appointment of the New York receivers, or shortly before such appointment, all deposits by said local chaimstore and the persons in charge thereof, were withdrawn from local banks, and are being forwarded beyond the State of Georgia as rapidly as the same are collected, and petitioners are advised that these funds 'are immediately wired beyond the State of Georgia and the reach of' process of its courts, from day to day, as the same are collected.” This allegation is somewhat indefinite as to the disposition of cash receipts. Giving
It is not alleged that petitioners are without an adequate remedy at law. In fact it seems certain that had petitioners moved prior to the appointment of the receivers in New York, the remedy of attachment would have been available under the Civil Code (1910), § 5055. "All extraordinary remedies of equity may be enforced by attachments.” § 5474. "Where property has been placed in the hands of a receiver, all persons properly seeking to assert equitable remedies against these assets should become parties to the cause by intervention and prosecute their remedies therein.” § 5478. Since it appears that receivers were duly appointed by the Federal court in the State of New York and that the Federal court for the Middle District of Georgia has duly and regularly appointed the same receivers in an ancillary proceeding to take charge of all stores and property of the defendants in the Middle District of Georgia, the same including the Albany store, it would appear to have been the legal right of the plaintiffs to avail themselves of the privilege afforded in the Code section just cited, by becoming parties to the cause by intervention in the ancillary proceeding pending in the Federal court of the Middle District of Georgia. Preferring to invoke the powers of the State court, petitioners could, assuming the facts authorized equitable interven
In the brief of defendant in error our attention is directed to 23 Ruling Case Law, 25, § 18, as follows: '“The courts of one State may, at the instance of resident or domestic creditors, or even at the instance of a non-resident creditor, appoint a receiver for a foreign corporation doing business in the State and having property therein, notwithstanding the appointment of a receiver at the domicil of the corporation, where the general requisites for a receivership are shown, as in other cases. Thus when the officers of a foreign corporation are recklessly and extravagantly managing its affairs, involving it in debt, and converting its property to their own use, and the board of directors, though requested, refuse to interfere, the interposition of a court of equity and the appointment of a receiver are proper.” This statement is based upon the ruling in Holbrook v. Ford, 153 Ill. 633 (39 N. E. 1091, 46 Am. St. R. 917, 27 L. R. A. 324). It appears, however, even under the general principle stated in the above-quoted excerpt, that the appointment of a receiver under the conditions named is dependent upon the existence of “the general requisites for a receivership.” The case of Holbrook v. Ford is not binding upon this court. However, it appears to be a well written and sound ruling in which there
Counsel for the Georgia creditors seeking the appointment of the Georgia receiver, in their brief, state: “It may be that the Georgia creditors, if they had all known of the New York proceeding and could have acted in time, could have protected themselves by attachment against this non-resident debtor. . . It does not lie in the mouth of plaintiff in error [Silver & Bros. Co.] to urge this objection, when it consented to the appointment, by the court of New York, of receivers, at the instance of unsecured creditors. It is no concern of this plaintiff in error, whether the defendants in error pursued the proper remedy or not. This and kindred questions ar§
Another case, Sands v. Greeley & Co., 88 Fed. 130 [31 C. C. A. 424], liberally quoted by counsel, so well states the principles involved that we likewise liberally quote therefrom. It was there contended “that the Connecticut receivers have no title or power to collect the assets of the corporation outside of that State, and that in the State of New York the assets are primarily subject to the claims of its citizens, and will not be surrendered until they are satisfied. There are expressions in the text-books which sanction this contention. Thus, it is stated in Beach on Eeceivers (section 254) that ‘a, foreign receiver will not be permitted, as against the
“The decree in the court of the domicile of the corporation is evidence in every other State that the corporation is insolvent, and that a proper case exists in that State for the appointment of a receiver, and it is to be respected accordingly, in obedience to the constitutional provision whereby full faith and credit is to be given in each State to the records and judicial proceedings of every other State of the Union. But it is for the court to which the application is made to decide what remedy it should extend in the particular case, and whether the proper administration of the assets requires the appointment of a receiver. Ordinarily, in comity to the proceeding of another court of co-ordinate jurisdiction, it will appoint an ancillary receiver, and assume administration in aid of the primary receiver. Trust Co. v. Miller, 33 N. J. Eq. 155. When it appoints a receiver, the officer becomes its officer, and is completely amenable to its control, and it matters not whether he is called an ancillary receiver or merely a receiver. His title to the assets within the jurisdiction is derived-from its decree, and does not depend upon comity. The assets are in its custody, and are to be disposed of as equity and the orderly administration of justice require. Its judgments and decrees in respect to these assets must be accepted as conclusive by all other courts. ‘Where a receiver, administrator, or other custodian of an estate is appointed by the courts of one State, the courts of that State reserve to themselves full and exclusive jurisdiction over the assets of the estate, within the limits of the Stated Reynolds v. Stockton, 140 U. S. 254, 11 Sup. Ct. 773 [35 L. ed. 464], It rests in the discretion of the court appointing the receiver whether the assets within its jurisdiction shall be distributed under its own direction or shall be transmitted to the primary receiver. U. S. v. Coxe, 18 How. 105 [15 L. ed. 299]. It is eminently proper that claimants residing within its jurisdicton should be relieved from the expense and inconvenience of proving their claims in other jurisdictions, and that pro
It is important to note the lines italicized by us in the above quotation, to wit: “who have fairly acquired title to the assets, either by purchase, attachment, or other legal process, or whose claims are entitled to priority as equitable liens.” It also must be borne in mind that receivers were first appointed in New York, and they were authorized to take charge of all of the stores in all of the States. It is a reasonable construction of the pleadings that in pursuance of such appointment those in charge of the Albany store acknowledged the binding force upon them of such appointment, and were making reports and remittances of cash to such receivers. All of these were established facts at the time the Georgia petition was filed in the superior court. The reasons already stated seem sufficient to compel the ruling that the petition in the State court did not set out a cause of action for a receiver, and it follows that the allowance of the amendment was erroneous. The court erred in refusing to revoke the order of appointment on due application made. There is another and conclusive reason, however, and that is the spirit of comity which is proper and essential as between State and Federal courts. The Federal court first acquired jurisdition and had already appointed receivers who had taken charge of all the property of the defendants. It would appear to be unseemly upon the part of the State court to undertake to withdraw from the jurisdiction and control of the Federal court
The judgments in both cases are therefore
Reversed.
Dissenting Opinion
I dissent because the stock of goods involved in this case is within this jurisdiction. The suit in tbe superior court of Dougherty County was filed prior to the ancillary petition in the Middle District Federal court. No comity requires either of these courts to yield precedence to the other, except a prior proceeding entitles the one which first proceeds to precedence. An attachment against the stock of goods might have been sworn out on the ground of non-residence, but equity provides a far more available remedy for achieving the real value of the assets upon which depends the claims of the resident creditors within this State.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.