Smallwood v. Pratt
Smallwood v. Pratt
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff has appealed from a judgment dis. solving an injunction she had sued out to stay the sale of a slave, her separate and paraphernal property, seized under a ji.fa. issued by virtue of a judgment obtained by Harrison against her husband, William Smallwood, and herself, for a debt which she avers was fiP.t due by her, b.u.t by .the community,. She .alleges that, under
The record shows that the petitioner and her husband were sued on their joint note, and that a judgment was rendered against them, in solido, which has never been annulled or appealed from. Whatever we may think of the judgment, we cannot go behind it to inquire whether the debt was originally due by the wife, or by the community. The sheriff could, therefore, properly levy on the slave seized, admitting him to be her separate property, which, under the evidence she has adduced, may perhaps be questioned. But the appellant further complains that the tract of land, which was first levied on, was not sold to satisfy Harrison’s execution, because he discharged the levy on the day of the sale. When property is once levied upon and advertised to be sold, it is doubtful whether the plaintiff in execution can, without the consent of the debtor, discharge the levy, or retard the sale, and thus continue at the risk of the latter the thing seized, which, if it be of a perishable nature, may be lost to him in consequence of such delay. But in the present case, the debtor’s consent was given shortly after, for he availed himself of this release to sell the land. This sale, the appellant urges, was made by her husband, collusively with Harrison, and Reuben White, the purchaser. As the head of the community, William Smallwood had undoubtedly the right of alienating property belonging to it. If he did so fraudulently, and for the purpose of injuring his wife, she is without any immediate remedy, at least in this suit, as the law has provided for her a recourse against his heirs, after his death. Civ, Code, art. 2373. Al
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Elizabeth Smallwood v. David C. Pratt, Sheriff, and another
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published