Scott v. Kirschbaum
Scott v. Kirschbaum
Opinion of the Court
In the district court of Lancaster county the defendants in error brought suit for the recovery of the sum of $100, and interest from February 1, 1888, and recovered judgment as prayed. In the petition Kirschbaum & Co. was described as a partnership firm doing business in Philadelphia, and the defendants were alleged to have been partners engaged in practicing law in York, Nebraska. For a cause of action in favor of the' first named firm it was alleged that the firm last
The case at bar has heretofore been before this court, upon which occasion a judgment in favor of Scott & Gilbert was reversed. In the opinion then delivered it was said that the questions to be determined in the district court, upon proper issues, were whether or not the garnishment was in good faith, and whether or not the action was one in which an attachment, would lie. (Kirschbaum v. Scott, 35 Neb., 199.) As these requirements as to pleading have been satisfactorily met, there is no occasion for further reference to the former opinion. Not only have the issues presented these questions, but the evidence leaves no reason for doubt that Scott & Gilbert acted in the utmost good faith in respect to the notice of garnishment served upon them, and, having paid into court
Upon request of Kirsehbaum & Co. the district court gave three instructions upon the theory which is sufficiently illustrated by the first instruction, which was in the following language: “In this case it is urged that the money sought to be recovered is in part proceeds of a collection sent by L. C. Burr, attorney for plaintiffs, to the defendants, and that, respecting the collection thereof, the defendants had no direct communication with the plaintiffs on the funds being attached. As appears from the evidence, it was the duty of the defendants to follow the directions of Mr. Burr, from whom they received the collection, in the matter of protecting the funds arising therefrom; and if you find in this case that said Burr instructed defendants that the claim was unjust, the enforcement of which was sought by an attachment, and not to appear in such case, but to require notice to non-residents to be published as required by law, and await word from their principals, and that defendants, in violation of such direction, wrongfully assumed to appear in said cause for their principals, the owners of the attached fund, and on a judgment based on such wrongful appearance, without any service of summons made or notice published therein, paid out said funds or any part thereof, then such payment would be voluntary and wrongful and defendants are liable for any sum withheld from plaintiff on account thereof.” It is but fair, before discussing the principles contained in the
In respect to the assumption that Scott & Gilbert were bound to contest the jurisdiction of the justice of the peace before paying money upon garnishment, defendants in error, perhaps unconsciously, assume that these garnishees were attorneys for Kirschbaum & Co. As ordinary garnishees Scott & Gilbert were entitled to be discharged from their liability to Kirschbaum & Co. by paying just as they did pay. (Code of Civil Procedure, sec. 222.) The requirement that these particular garnishees should have defended upon the ground of a want of jurisdiction of the persons of the attachment defendants certainly could not have been predicated upon the mere fact that they were garnishees. Probably the theory on which the recovery was for the most part held justifiable was that before and without service of summons the attachment had no binding force and consequently payment under and because of it, afforded no protection to the garnishees. The very well considered opinion in Darnall v. Mack, 46 Neb., 740, has destroyed whatever of plausibility there may theretofore have been in this con
Reversed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.