Miles v. Oden
Miles v. Oden
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court. The petitioner states, that he obtained a judgment against one Oden, in the state of Kentucky, on which judgment an execution issued, that was levied on property that was afterwards replevied under the laws of Kentucky, by the said Oden, he giving his bond, with a certain O. G. Waggoner as his security. That on the 7th of June 1820, Oden executed to Waggoner a mortgage upon the articles seized among which were certain slaves. That the debt, due to the petitioner, is yet unpaid, and that in virtue of the seizure made under the execution in Kentucky, and the assignment from Waggoner, the petitioner has a lien on the property levied on.
That one Miller, of the state of Kentucky, has fraudulently caused the said property to be transported from the state of Kentucky to defraud the mortgagee, and has sold it to one Brent.
That Miller’s title, if he had any, is subordinate to his; that the proceeds of the proper
The attachment issued and was levied on the debt due by Brent.
Brent, who was thus made both defendant and garnishee, filed an answer in which he staled:
First: That he bought the negroes from a certain Morris L. Miller, in good faith, without any notice or knowledge of the plaintiff’s claim: and if the said title should hereafter be declared fraudulent against Oden’s creditors it cannot affect his rights, as he purchased in this state without knowledge of these transactions.
That the negroes purchased by him only formed a part of the property mortgaged to Waggoner, and that the plaintiffs must discuss the other portion of it in the state of Kentucky, before he can have recourse on that sold to the respondent.
That one of the slaves is affected with redhibitory defects, and the price of this slave must be deducted from the sum due.
That on the 21st of April, he received a notice from L. and M. Commagere, who state themselves the holders of the note which the respondent gave to Miller, for the slaves now claimed by the petitioner, in which notice they demand payment for the same.
Brent’s answers to interrogatories, given on oath, do not state that funds of the defendants were in his hands, but acknowledges a note to have been given for the slaves mentioned in the petition, on which a deduction should be made of $400 or $450, the price of one of the slaves, so affected with redhibitory diseases as not to be of any value.
On filing this answer the plaintiff prayed liberty to amend his petition, by making Miller, who sold to Brent, a party to the suit. In this amendment judgment is asked against
The court ordered Miller and Commagere to be made parties to the suit.
At this stage of the proceedings Raspalier intervened,and averred that he had purchased the note the defendant, Brent, had given for the slaves. That Miller’s title to the property was bona fide. The petition of intervention concluded by demanding, that he might be decreed to be the only person entitled to receive the amount of said note with interest, and that judgment should be rendered in his favor against Brent.
Miller answered by denying any knowledge of Miles’ having such a claim as that set up in the petition, and requiring him to furnish proof of it.
That Miles’ mortgage is inferior to the title which the respondent acquired, because a long time previous to the date of the mort
The answer further states, that the respondent being unwilling to speculate on the misfortunes of Oden, directed the proceeds of the sale of the slaves, sent by him to Louisiana, to be paid over to Oden’s creditors.
The respondent also states, that Letcher has assigned to him the mortgage under which the slaves were sold: that Waggoner, under the mortgage, in virtue of which the petitioner claims, directed the execution at the suit of Letcher to be levied on the property which the respondent purchased; and finally, that the petitioner had ratified and approved the sale.
Brent amended his answer, by stating that the title under which Miller had sold the ne
Miller and Raspalier objected to this answer being filed, but the court received it.
The next change we find in the pleadings is that made by the plaintiff, amending the petition, and especially stating the facts attending the suit in Kentucky, which he averred, terminated by a decree annulling the sale to Miller.
The suit of Raspalier against Brent was consolidated with that in which the proceedings have been just stated, and on the consolidation being made, Brent filed another amended answer, in which, repeating all the facts already stated, he prayed that the sale might be annulled and avoided, it being fraudulent on the part of Miller.
Miller denied the allegation of Brent, and averred there was collision between him and Miles, the plaintiff, to cheat and defraud Raspalier.
On these pleadings the parties went to trial, and judgment was rendered in favor of the intervener. An appeal was taken to this court; the judgment was reversed, and the cause remanded, it appearing to have been tried without any answer having been put in on behalf of the defendant in attachment.— Vol. 6, 211,
On the return of the case to the district court, the pleadings were so amended as to present the contestatio litis between all the parties. Another trial was had which terminated as the first, by judgment being rendered in favor of Raspalier, the interpleader.
From this judgment Miles, the plaintiff, and Brent have appealed.
The plaintiff has placed his right to recover, before this court, on two principal grounds.
1st. That he had a lien on the property in Kentucky, which he has a right to enforce here.
2d. That the money, due by Brent for the negroes purchased from Miller, was in fact due by Oden and Waggoner, and that as
I. On the first ground, we are of opinion, that the lien, which the plaintiffs might have had in Kentucky, cannot affect a bona fide purchaser in this state. The court are aware of the common principle, that contracts are governed by the laws of the country in which they are passed; and that, by the comity of nations the rights, flowing from them, are not diminished by the parties passing into other states: — Provided, the laws of that state afford adequate remedies to enforce the obligation. But this principle is subject to the exception, that in carrying them into effect, no injury result to the inhabitants of the country whose aid is required to enforce them. We had occasion to express our views fully on this subject in the case of Saul vs. Ms Creditors, 6 Mar. n. s. ; and it is unnecessary to repeat here the reasoning on which we considered the limitation of the general principle to rest.
Our legislature have declared, that liens on land and slaves remaining in the possession of the owner, should not have effect against
Huberus, whose authority on this subject is justly entitled to great attention, after giving the limitation above noticed to the general rule, presents nearly this case as an example of it: and states that a mortgage, good on personal property in one country, cannot be carried into effect in another state, whose laws do not recognise such hypothecations. If this be true, where mortgages of this description are not recognized as having any legal effect, we think the same rule should apply where they are only permitted against third persons, on certain conditions—such as registry, &c. This writer, indeed, gives the case of a marriage contract, binding on creditors in one country without being enregister
II. This point disposed of, the right of the plaintiff to recover must rest on the strength of his pretensions to attach the debt due by Brent, as belonging to his debtors, Oden and Waggoner.
Oden, who was a citizen and resident of Kentucky, was indebted to a larger amount than he was able to pay. He was pressed by some of his creditors: among others, by the plaintiff in this suit. To avoid the sacrifice
The real character of the transaction and its legal effect, according to the laws of Kentucky, have been the subject of most elaborate discussion at the bar. We do not find it necessary to go into the question. It is shewn, that after the slaves were sent down the river, and before they were sold, Miles, the present plaintiff, Letcher, another creditor of Oden’s, and Oden, entered into an agreement, by
But there is another ground on which the plaintiff insists the attachment was properly levied. Miller, he says? was the trustee of Oden, and the debt due to him being for the
Brent, in his amended answer, has prayed a rescission of the sale, on the ground that he has not acquired a good title; but we do not see any danger to which he is exposed on this score, that would authorise us to declare the contract void. We understand it to be a clear principle of the common law, under which this transaction took place; that a bona fide purchaser is not affected by fraud in his vendor, who has a legal title to the property sold. 6, Cranch, 133.
The court below gave interest on the note, and in this we think it erred. There was one party claiming a lien on the slaves and a right to the proceeds, as belonging to Oden and Waggoner. The other demanded the proceeds, in virtue of an assignment from Miller. This was such a disturbance in the title as well authorised Brent to refuse paying either. Placed in so much uncertainty as to whom he was to pay, he could not be considered in mora.
The court decided correctly in deducting the price of the negro Charles, who had died, but the judgment must be reversed on account of the error in allowing interest.
It is therefore ordered adjudged and decreed, that the judgment of the district court be annulled, avoided and reversed. And it is further ordered, adjudged and decreed, that the intervener, C. Raspalier, do recover, against William L. Brent, the sum of two thousand three hundred and fifty dollars: and that the plaintiff, Charles Miles, pay all the costs of the proceedings, except those of appeal, which are to be paid by the intervener and appellee.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- MILES v. ODEN & AL.
- Status
- Published