First National Bank v. Turner
First National Bank v. Turner
Opinion of the Court
The cause of action in this case is stated as follows:
“The plaintiff complains of the defendant and says that on the 30th day of September, 1886, she recovered a judgment against one M. H. King for $150 debt, and $9.55 costs, before II. D. Ranney, a justice of the peace of Webster county, Nebraska; that the suit against said King, in which the said judgment was obtained, was aided by an order of attachment, by virtue of which the defendant in this cause, viz., The First National Rank of Blue Hill, was summoned as garnishee to appear before the said II. D. Ranney, justice of the peace, and answer such interrogations as might be propounded to it touching their in-, debtedness to the said M. A. King, and any property, rights, or credits in its hands and belonging to him; that the said garnishee summons required the said First National Bank to appear before said Ranney, justice, on the 30th day of August, 1886; that the said First National Bank failed, neglected, and refused to appear before the said Ranney, justice, on the 30th day of August, 1886, as required by the said garnishee summons, and failed, neglected, and refused to appear before said Ranney and make answer as such garnishee at any time.
To this petition the bank filed an answer as follows:
“Now comes said defendant and wholly denies the issuance of order of attachment and service of notice of garnishment thereon upon this defendant in any action between said plaintiff and any party; and this defendant further denies that there was any lawful action pending-before H. D. Ranney, justice of the peace in and for Webster county, Nebraska, 'on August 30, 1886, wherein said plaintiff was plaintiff, and defendant wholly denies that it ever received any notice of garnishment in any such action; and defendant, further answering, denies that it, the said defendant, was, on the 24th day of August, A. D. 1886, or ever thereafter, indebted to one M. H. King in any sum, nor did this defendant have, on said 24th day of August, or ever thereafter, any property, rights, or credits of said M. H. King in its possession or under its control.
“2d. This defendant, further answering, says, that any pretended proceedings and judgment had before said justice of the peace in a certain pretended action wherein said plaintiff M. IT. King was sought to be made defendant, and said plaintiff was sought to be made plaintiff, were wholly void and without any jurisdiction on the part of said justice of the peace in the matter of issuing said pretended attachment, and without any jurisdiction over the person of any defendant in said action. •
“3d. That as to the matters and things in plaintiff’s petition not hereinbefore specifically denied, this defendant has no knowledge as to the truth thereof, and therefore denies and demands proof thereof.”
On the trial of the cause the jury returned a verdict for
The testimony shows that in the action against King he was personally served with summons and also with a copy of the writ of attachment; that no property was found whereon to levy the attachment, whereupon an affidavit for garnishment was duly made and filed, the docket entry being:
“ Plaintiff filed affidavit that she has reason to believe, and does believe, that the First National Bank of Blue Hill has property of and is indebted to the defendant in an amount to her unknown.
“ Issued order and notice to garnishee to appear on the 30th day of August, 1886, at 1 o’clock P. M. and answer as to property of the defendant under his control and as to his indebtedness to the defendant M. H. King.
“ Garnishee entered indorsed as follows:
“ ‘I hereby certify that I served on the First National Bank a true copy of the within garnishee notice.
“ ‘ (Signed)
A. Sheets, Constable
“ Order for attachment returned indorsed as follows:
“ ‘August 24,1886, received this writ, and not being able to come at the property of M. II. King, claimed to be in the possession of First National Bank of Blue Hill, Nebraska, I on the same day at 3 o’clock P. M. served on Edward Morse, book-keeper of said First National Bank, there being no other officer of the bank present, a copy of this order and also a written notice to appear and answer as therein required. A copy of which notice is hereunto attached.
“ ‘ (Signed)
A. Sheets, Constable.’ ”
The garnishee did not appear and answer, and it is claimed that the service was insufficient.
Sec. 935 of the Code provides that “The copy of the order and the notice shall be served upon the garnishee as
Sec. 936 of the Code provides that “The garnishee shall appear before the justice in accordance with the command of the notice, and shall answer, under oath, all questions put to him touching the property of every description and credits of the defendant.in his possession or under his control, and he shall disclose truly the amount owing by him to the defendant, whether due or not, and, in case of a corporation, any stock therein held by or for the benefit of the defendant, at or after the service of the notice.” It thus became the duty of the garnishee to appear and answer all questions in relation to the property of King in its possession or under its control, and as it is evident that it had more or less of such property after the notice of garnishment was served, it has no cause of complaint; in other words, it failed to answer at its peril, and as it made no attempt in the garnishee proceedings to exonerate itself from the charge that it was in possession of property of King, the presumption is that the affidavit of garnishment is true, and as the amount of such property seems to have exceeded the judgment in this case, the judgment is right and is
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- First National Bank of Blue Hill v. Margaret M. Turner
- Status
- Published