Kemper v. Berkley
Kemper v. Berkley
Opinion of the Court
So much of the record as is necessary to an elucidation of this opinion is as follows: Sydnor, garnishee, appeared before a justice of the peace, and to the following interrogatories propounded to him, to wit: “At the time of the service of the garnishment had you in your possession or under your control any property, money or effects of the defendant or either of them ? If so, state what property, how much, and of what value and what money or effects.” “At the time of the service of the garnishment did you owe the defendants or either of them any money, or do you owe them any now ? If so, how much, on what account and when did it become due ? If not vet due, when will it become due ? answered as follows, to wit: “First: — That at the time of the tervice of the garnishmeni herein he did not have under his possession or under his control any money, property or effects of defendants or either of them.” “Second :~At the time of the service of the garnishment Ijerein he did not owe defendants any money, nor does he owe them now.”
Tj this answer plaintiff filed the following denial:
“It is not true as stated in the answer to the first interrogatory herein that at the time of the service of the garnishment upon him he did not have in his possession or under his control any property, money or effects of defendants or either of them;
“And plaintiff further says that upon said sale of said land by said garnishee as trustee it became his duty as such trustee, by the terms of said deed of trust, to collect from the purchaser of said land the purchase price of $16,100 and to pay said surplus of $6,600 over to defendants and that if he failed to collect said purchase money, it was by reason of his neglect and fraud entered into between said garnishee and defendants for the purpose of hindering and delaying and defrauding the creditors of defendants, and especially the plaintiff, and of preventing the collection of her judgment against defendants out of the surplus proceeds of said sale, and that by reason i hereof said garnishee is liable to the plaintiff for the amount of her judgment and costs.
“Wherefore plaintiff prays .judgment for the sum of $159.31, the amount of her judgment, and for interest and costs of suit.”
“Now comes the above named garnishee and for his reply to plaintiff’s denial for his answer to interrogatories herein filed, says that it is true that on the 4th day of September, 1897, he, acting as trustee in a certain deed of trust given by defendants as in the denial set out, sold certain lands and that they were bid off for the price and sum of sixteen thousand, one hundred and one dollars, and it is true that the debts and costs of executing said deed of trust did not amount to the price bid for said lands by something over six thousand dollars.
“But further answering, hp says that at the time of the giving of said deed of trust, that defendants were husband and wife, the wife owning in her own right'an undivided two-thirds interest in said lands and the husband an undivided one-third interest in said lands. That afterwards a suit was brought in the circuit court of Lincoln county, Missouri, by Nancy J. Berkley against William Berkley and the beneficiary in said deed of trust, and on the trial of said cause in said circuit court it was ordered, adjudged and decreed by said court and judgment entered thereon that said lands be partitioned between Nancy J. Berkley and William Berkley in accordance with their respective interests and commissioners appointed to make said partition and that one-half of the indebtedness secured by said deed of trust attach to the portion set off to Nancy J. Berkley, and the remaining one-half attach to the portion set off to Wm. Berkley. That in accordance with said judgment and decree, commissioners were appointed, lands were partitioned as ordered in decree and report thereof made by commissioners, which report was approved, and partition made final. By this judgment and decree and partition a portion of said lands were given to Wm. J. Berkley to be held by him in fee simple, subject to the payment of half of the amount of
“Garnishee further answering says that immediately thereafter he offered for sale the lands that had been decreed by this court to Nancy J. Berkley, and that the same were striken off and "sold for the sum of twelve thousand, one hundred and one dollars, 'and the same was by him deeded to Charles Berkley who was to hold the title for the defendant Nancy J. Berkley, and that this garnishee received no-money on said sale save the debt secured, the costs and expenses of said sale.’ That this garnishee paid to and received a receipt from the beneficiary in said deed of trust for the amount of the debt secured, the costs and expenses of executing said trust, and for the surplus or excess of the amount bid, after paying said debt, costs and expenses he,received a receipt from Nancy J. Berkley, the person for whom the land was bid off, and to whom such surplus and excess under the provisions of the deed of trust and the judgment, order and decree of this court, it was payable and-to whom it
Plaintiff then filed the following motion for judgment:
“Now comes the plaintiff and moves the court'to render and enter judgment in this cause for plaintiff upon the admissions contained in defendant’s reply to plaintiff’s denial filed in this cause for the following reasons:
“Eirst. Because by and in said reply of said defendant garnishee it is admitted that he, said garnishee, sold the lands of defendant in said execution for a sum amounting to six thousand dollars in excess of the debt or lien for which the same was sold and does not allege or state that he had paid said sum or any part thereof to.defendants or either of them before service of garnishment in this cause.
“Second. Because the matter set up in said reply as an excuse or reason for not collecting the proceeds of such sale or bid of the purchaser thereof, constitutes no defense to the action.”
On this motion the- circuit rendered judgment for the plaintiff against the garnishee, from which he duly appealed.
A motion for judgment confesses the truth of every fact that is well pleaded by the opposing party, and every reasonable inference in his favor that is deducible from his pleading should be drawn in opposition to the motion.
The reply of the garnishee states that the lands of'Nancy Berkley were by him as trustee offered for sale at public vendue and “were stricken off and sold for $12,101, and that he deeded these lands to Charles Berkley, “who was to hold the title for Nancy Berkley, and that he received no money on the sale, save the debt secured by the deed of trust, costs and expenses of the sale, and that he received a receipt from Nancy Berkley, for whom the land was bid off, for the balance bid on the land.” These allegations clearly show that Nancy
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.