Menken v. Frank
Menken v. Frank
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The controversy involved iu this case was before us at the April term, 1880. See 57 Miss. 737. At that term it was on a writ of error to the Circuit Court of Marshall County to revise a judgment at law sustaining a demurrer to the dec
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Julius Menken v. Samuel Frank
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Obitkk Dictum. Opinion as to rights of parties. Case in judgment. M. brought an action at law against P. upon a bond given in a proceeding to enjoin a sale under a deed of trust executed by D. for tbe benefit of M. The bond was conditioned for the payment of the debt enjoined, instead of the damages and costs which the obligee might sustain by the wrongful suing out of the injunction, in case it should be dissolved, as provided by the statute. The breach declared on was of the condition to pay the debt upon dissolution of the injunction. This court held that, as such condition was not authorized by law, the obligee could not recover according to the terms thereof, but only to the extent that he would have been entitled to recover if the bond had been conditioned, as provided by the statute, for the payment of damages and costs; and that he could not recover at all in a court of law, but his remedy was in a court of chancery. Thereupon ¡VI. filed a bill in chancery to recover on this bond. The Chancery Court sustained a demurrer to the bill, and on appeal to this court it was contended that the expression of this court declaring M. entitled to recover in chancery was obiter dictum, and not binding authority. Held, that the announcement which is attacked as obiter dictum was necessary to express the opinion of the court as to the rights of the parties and the extent of the power of a court of law in an action upon the bond, and therefore it was not obiter dictum.