Harney v. Ellis
Harney v. Ellis
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
Our statute requires the garnishee, when summoned for the purpose, to state what he is indebted to the defendant in the judgment, and authorizes a judgment against him for the amount admitted to be due. If, however, the indebtedness be denied by the answer, and there be no finding of a jury against it, then no judgment can be entered against the garnishee. H. & H. 557.
The plaintiff in the execution insists upon a judgment in his favor upon the answer, because it discloses no defence to the note as between the garnishee and the original payee.
This is asking too much. The transaction took place in Texas; the note, for any thing that appears, was payable there, and the contract to be governed by the laws of that state. The plaintiff should have shown, that according to those laws operating upon the construction of the contract, he was entitled to the judgment. The laws of this state will regulate the remedy. If the note were negotiable in Texas, in the commercial sense of the term, and had been indorsed before maturity; or if a partial failure of consideration were admissible as a defence there to the note, such defence would, in either event, be admissible here. Unless the plaintiff shows himself entitled to judgment by law, none can be rendered for him. See Huff v. Mills, 7 Yerg. 42.
The garnishee does not admit any indebtedness, on the contrary, he denies it. The object here is to obtain judgment upon the admissions of the answer. Its statements do not warrant this, and the judgment discharging the garnishee is affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Thomas Harney v. William C. Ellis, garnishee of N. K. Kellum
- Status
- Published