Hudson v. Lamar
Hudson v. Lamar
Opinion of the Court
— The petition stated that the defendant is the sheriff of Barry county; that on July 28, 1896, the McGregor-Noe Hardware Company sued out of the office of the clerk of the circuit court of Barry county a writ of attachment against one Lawrence Sulkowski and delivered the same to defendant as sheriff, by virtue of which writ he levied upon a stock of merchandise; that one William Lucjack, the father-in-law of Sulkowski, claimed to be the owner of the goods levied upon, and that he, Lucjack, and Sulkowski being desirous of retaining possession of the goods by
A trial was had by the court without a jury, by consent of parties. The attachment writs were shown by the proof to have been issued as averred in plaintiff’s petition; a judgment was recovered in the McG-regor-Noe Hardware Company sustaining their attachment against Sulkowski; judgment was also recovered on the merits for $156.60, and an order made on Sulkowski, Lucjack and plaintiff to deliver, the attached goods to the sheriff on or before November 14, 1896. The judgment was paid. The chattel mortgage was read in evidence and was as described in the. petition and covered the goods levied on under the several writs of attachments, and was conditioned as stated in the petition — that is it was given to indemnify plaintiff against loss or damage, as security on the forthcoming bond of Lucjack and Sulkowski. It was admitted that the sheriff had seized the goods under the attachment in the Milligan suit and was about to sell them under an order of the court issued in that case, when they were replevied from him in this action.
Hudson testified as follows: “I am the plaintiff in this case, and am acquainted with the Sulkowski stock
CROSS-EXAMINATION.
“I lived near Bricefield at the time of these attachments. I have known Sulkowski since he came there. I think he came there in February, 1896. I was at the store occasionally. He did business in the name of L. Sulkowski. He had a sign in front of the door up to the time they were attached by the McGregor Hardware people. I do not remember of seeing Lucjack in the store. I saw him walking around there when they were building the store. I was around the store occasionally before this bond was given. I saw Lucjack in the loft sick at the time this bond was given. Mr. Sulkowski and his wife were running the store at this time the same as they had all the time. I did not notice any change in the possession. Didn’t see anything unusual. Sulkowski and his wife seemed to run the store. I know nothing about his selling to Lucjack before the attachment. I didn’t know anything about it until about that date. Had no talk with him about the business until it was attached; then he came for me to sign the bond.
“Q. Sulkowski wanted you to go on the bond for him so he could retain the goods? A. Yes, sir. He
“Q. Well, what did you do when the forthcoming bond was given and the sheriff attached them and went away? A. The sheriff turned the keys over to me, and I carried them a day or two, and then turned them over to Sulkowski, as agent for Lucjack, with the understanding that he was to sell, and turn over to me all the money that was collected, and I was to deposit the money in the bank, that was the understanding between Sulkowski and me; and a day or so after that Lamai-, the sheriff, came and attached again, and when he attached, I asked Sulkowski if he had any money he had taken in, and he said he had not. If he sold anything he would have turned it over to me. The sheriff came again and attached, and I instituted this replevin suit after he had advertised them to sell.
“Q. You claim no interest in this case at all except what would indemnify you on your forthcoming bond? A. I claim no interest in the world only what would pay it.”
He further testified that he had sold $170 worth of the goods and had deposited the money in bank; that in addition to the mortgage on the goods, he had also a deed of trust on one acre of land and a house, a mortgage on a horse and wagon, swing and platform, to secure him as security on the forthcoming bond. On
“The court declares the law to be that if the court finds from the evidence that the goods in controversy or any part thereof, were attached on a writ of attachment issued by the clerk of this court, in behalf of the McGregor-Noe Hardware Company against Lawrence Sulkowski, and said goods were by this defendant, as sheriff levying said attachment, released under a forthcoming or redelivery bond under the statute, then said goods so attached and released were in the custody of the law, and defendant had no authority of law to retake said goods so released under the said forthcoming or redelivery bond under attachment issued subsequent to the release under said bond, and has no equities in the goods so released to adjust in said action, and the plaintiff will recover as to all such goods so released.” The court refused to so declare the law and rendered the following judgment:
“Now at this day comes the plaintiff and defendant, in person and by their attorneys, and announce ready for trial, and by agreement a jury is waived, and this cause is submitted to the court. The court after hearing the evidence and argument of counsel, finds that the plaintiff has taken the goods in controversy, and holds the same, and that the value of said goods is $500.
“The court further finds that the plaintiff is not entitled to all the said goods, but has a special interest in the same to the amount of $183.50, and that the defendant is entitled to the balance of said goods, and the defendant having elected to take the balance of his interest in the goods, the said defendant is entitled*245 to recover from plaintiff the sum of $316.50, that being.the difference between the value of said goods and the amount of plaintiff’s special interest therein.
“Therefore it is ordered, considered and adjudged that defendant have judgment against the plaintiff and his securities on his replevin bond for the sum of $316.50, and that execution may issue therefor.”
After unsuccessful motions for new trial Hudson took his appeal.
It is contended by the respondent that the forthcoming bond is void for the reason that it was not given by Sulkowski, who was the defendant in the attachment and the real owner of the goods. The evidence is that Hudson required both Lucjack and Sulkowski to sign the bond, and that they both did sign it, and we think it immaterial that Lucjack is designated in the bond as principal and Sulkowski as one of the securities. It is the bond of each of them and they are equally bound, the bond being the joint and several bond of all who executed it, under our statute. (R. S. 1889, sec. 2384.) The bond was not executed by a stranger or mere interloper, but by the real owner of the goods, whether he be Lucjack or Sulkowski. The lien on the McGregor-Noe Hardware Company on the goods, obtained by their attachment, was in full force at the time of their seizure on the attachment in the Milligan case, and were in custodia legis and therefore not subject to the latter attachment. Shinn on Attachment, sec. 46; Drake on Attachment, sec. 251; Bank v. Owen, 79 Mo. 429; Belekow Mill Co. v. Turner, 23 Mo. App. cit. cit. 109; Fleming v. Clark, 22 Mo. App. 218.
The instruction is a correct declaration of the law of this case and should have been given. The goods being in the custody of the law when the defendant as sheriff seized them on the Milligan attachment, his
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.