Ex parte Pittinger
Ex parte Pittinger
Opinion of the Court
The ground upon which Mrs. Harrison resists payment of the purchase-money is based upon certain statements in the report of the commissioner and in the decree of confirmation. The report of the commissioner states: “And the cooperage was to go'to the purchaser of said lands, with the understanding that if it should become necessary for said cooperage to be sold by the receivers to pay the debts of O. W. Garrett & Co., then and in that event the purchaser of said lands should be credited on the purchase price for the value■ of said cooperage.”
If the cooperage was the property of C. W. Garrett & Co., no reason is given as to why it was sold with the land. If it was the property of Mrs. Pittinger and Mrs. Harrison, the record discloses no reason why it should have thus been practically dedicated to the payment of Garrett & Co.’s debts, as neither tenant in common was a member of that firm.
Mrs. Pittinger has not asked to have the report of sale and decree of confirmation set aside. On the contrary, she has received her share of so much of the purchase-money as lias been paid and is moving in the cause and under such decree to collect her share of the remainder. It therefore requires no citation of authority to show that in pressing her motion to collect the unpaid purchase-money Mrs. Pittinger is bound by the action of the commissioner and the recital in the decree of confirmation that it was done by her consent. If the action of the commissioner was unauthorized and the decree of confirmation made without her knowledge and consent, Mrs. Pittinger should have taken proper steps to have the sale and- decree set aside. But she has taken benefit under it by receiving part of the purchase-money, and is now moving in the cause to collect the remainder.
The cooperage referred to consisted of about 100 empty casks, 15 fermenting tanks, pipes, etc. It appears that the cooperage was taken by the receiver of Garrett & Go., and
A schedule of tbe creditors of O. W. Garrett & Co. is set out in tbe record. Tbe name of Paul Garrett does not appear among tbe number, but tbe receiver reports that Paul Garrett owns all tbe indebtedness except $86.62. What be paid for it does not appear. But tbe record shows that said debts were worth much less than their face value. Tbe price bid by Paul Garrett was not paid in money, but by this insolvent paper, which be bad evidently bought up for tbe purpose and probably at large discount.
Mrs. Harrison claims tbe right to have tbe $10,200 credited on tbe purchase-money notes. Mrs. Pittinger replies that Mrs. Harrison is endorser upon some of tbe notes of C. W. Garrett & Co., and that she should be required to pay these before tbe cooperage money can be so applied. This cannot avail Mrs. Pittinger, because tbe cooperage is regarded in tbe decree and was sold as tbe property of C. W. Garrett & Co., and if Mrs. Harrison as endorser or surety bad paid tbe notes she would be subrogated to tbe rights of tbe creditors as against tbe property of O. W. Garrett & Co. But we think it would be rank injustice, and neither within tbe letter nor spirit of tbe language of tbe decree, to bold Mrs. Pittinger bound by tbe sum which Paul Garrett saAV fit to bid for the cooperage when be knew be could pay for it in tbe greatly depreciated paper of O. W. Garrett & Co. That sale is no more a criterion of its value than tbe first sale when it was sold for cash and brought only $350.
We are of tbe opinion that Mrs. Pittinger, under tbe terms of tbe decree, is responsible for one-balf of tbe actual cash value of tbe cooperage at tbe date when it was sold by tbe receiver, and no more.
, The order of the Clerk and Judge is'reversed, and the cause remanded to be proceeded with in accordance with this opinion.
Reversed and remanded.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.