Adams v. Hessian
Adams v. Hessian
Opinion of the Court
This was an action to recover the possession of certain personal property, brought by the appellee against the appellants. The facts as found by the court are briefly as follows: The appellant Hollenbeck recovered a judgment in the Monroe Circuit Court against the appellee and another. The cause of action on which it was based grew out of a contract. A writ of execution was issued on said judgment and came into the hands of the appellant Adams as sheriff of said county, who levied upon, and took into his possession, the property in controversy. The appellee being a resident householder, and entitled to the benefit of the exemption laws, after the levy and before sale, presented to the sheriff a schedule of all his property of every description
Several errors are assigned, but the only one discussed by appellant’s counsel is the overruling of the motion to modify the judgment. Whatever other errors may exist in the judgment and proceedings they are waived by a failure to present them.
The motion to modify requested the court to render judgment for nominal damages only. The contention is that appellee’s interest in the goods was only the equity of redemption from the mortgage of $1,000; that this equity of redemption was the only thing the sheriff could levy on and sell; that this was of no value, and that there
The sheriff is bound to take notice of recorded mortgages, and it is his duty to require the purchaser to comply with the conditions of the mortgage before placing him in possession. Collins v. State, ex rel., 3 Ind. App. 542.
There is no finding that the sheriff did not require the purchaser to comply with the conditions of the mortgage. In the absence of such finding, the presumption will be indulged that the officer did his duty and that he realized from the sale the sum of $230. If he did so, the appellants would not be entitled to have the judgment reduced to a mere nominal personal judgment. But aside from this the appellee, under the findings, was entitled to have the property set off to him as exempt from execution. The fact that it was mortgaged did not deprive him of this right. The appellants were in the wrong in retaining the possession of the property under the circumstances. They can not shield themselves behind a condition broken of the mortgage, for that is a privilege personal to the mortgagee alone. A privilege of. which he may or may not avail himself, and certainly can not be invoked by one who is not a party to the mortgage.
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.