Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1841

Meacham v. McCorbitt

Meacham v. McCorbitt
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · Decided March 15, 1841 · Shaw
43 Mass. 352

Meacham v. McCorbitt

Opinion of the Court

Shaw, C. J.

The liability of Simpson to the principal defendants, at the time of the service of the trustee process, was contingent. He had a right to collect the money due on the policy, which, when collected, and after satisfying his own debt, would be the money of the defendants. Till collected, *353he nad no money of the defendants ; and the right to collect it was a chose in action not attachable by the trustee process. Wood v. Partridge, 11 Mass. 488. We think he stood in no higher responsibility to the defendants, than the assignee of a chose ir action to the assignor, before the debt has been recovered. Lupton v. Cutter, 8 Pick. 298. Tucker v. Clisby, 12 Pick. 22. The validity of the attachment must depend upon the facts, as they existed at the time of the service of the trustee process ; the receipt of the money on the policy, afterwards, did not render the respondent liable as trustee.

Trustee discharged.

Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.