Lee v. Watson
Lee v. Watson
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The pleadings are so confused in this case that it is difficult to learn the real issue on this appeal. The question, and the only one we propose to consider, is the right of the appellants to show, upon proper allegations by an amended pleading, that the garnishee has failed to disclose the real amount of his indebtedness.
Rodimer had been garnisheed by Bailey & Watson to secure a debt owing them by Mike Lee. Rodimer came into court and admitted an indebtedness. These appellants by petition were made parties, and they claim that the amount owing by Rodimer had been transferred to them, and by an amended cross-petition allege that Rodimer had failed to make a full disclosure of his indebtedness for the corn, but was owing a larger sum for corn sold and delivered by the debtor to him at his request, etc. They were permitted to be made parties and exhibited a claim to this particular fund. The indebtedness by Rodimer to Lee originated from a single transaction ; and by an express provision of the Code an attaching creditor may, by an original or amended pleading, proceed against the garnishee by petition when the latter fails to make disclosure. These appellants were before the chancellor asserting their right to the whole fund, and said to the garnishee, “You owe more than you admit,” and then set forth the consideration.
The garnishee is out of court in so far as he is required to plead when he files his answer denying or admitting, if a mere garnishee; and the only way you can get him into court is by an amended pleading in the same action or an original petition attacking the truth of the statements made by him and setting forth -a cause of action by the debtor. These appellants were compelled to come into court to
To determine otherwise, the plaintiff iii the attachment and the plaintiff in the cross-petition have a cause of action for one part of the debt in this proceeding, and another for the balance due in an independent action, and perhaps in the same forum. When each party is asserting a right to the entire claim, and the one or the other is entitled to it, they should be allowed to litigate their right, and a judgment be .rendered in favor of the party entitled. The question as to damages by reason of the garnishee will be settled should the appellants recover by a judgment for the debt, interest and their costs; this is all they can recover.
Judgment reversed and cause remanded.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.