Strong v. Linn
Strong v. Linn
Opinion of the Court
This is a motion for a new trial. The substance of the case, omitting immaterial circumstances, is this:
Havens and Strong had an execution against one Kerr, issued out of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas of the county of Sussex, returnable to November term 1814, for the sum of $597.46; upon this, and a prior execution, in his hands, returnable to the same term. Linn, the then sheriff, by the request of Kerr, levied upon and sold his real estate, and paid the proceeds thereof upon those executions, according to their priority, leaving a balance due, upon that of the plaintiffs.
After this, one Armstrong obtained a judgment against the same Kerr, for $2165.25, and sued out execution thereupon, returnable to May term 1815; upon which execution, the same sheriff seized and sold certain goods of the said Kerr, then found, to the amount of $500, and paid the same to the said Armstrong.
Subsequent to all these proceedings, Havens and Strong sued out a ca. sa. for the residue of their judgment, upon which Kerr was arrested and taken into custody, and was afterwards discharged by their order. They then brought this action against the sheriff, for the said residue of their debt, because he had neglected or refused to levy upon and sell these goods by virtue of their execution, and to apply the proceeds thereof towards the payment of the same, alleging that the said goods were then the property of the said Kerr, and in his hands; that they were bound by their said execution, and ought to have been levied on and sold for their benefit.
Upon the trial of the cause, we are to presume these allegations respecting these goods, were made out to the
The case of Ustic v. Allen, in this court, (Coxe 168) I think, settles this question, and even goes further. There the sheriff had rendered himself liable to amercement, for the debt and costs, before the ca. sa. and discharge ; and upon a motion to amerce, which aims at the punishment of the officer as well as the payment of the debt, it was adjudged for the sheriff, for the'debt was satisfied by the taking of the defendant’s body.
But as there seems to be some doubt about the principles of the law, upon this subject, it may be well to look into it a little.
We will take it, that the sheriff had rendered himself liable for this residue, and that, being so liable, the plaintiffs took out a ca. sa. against the defendant, and caused him to be taken into custody, and then discharged him ; and the question will be, whether they can come back upon the sheriff?
If a man be arrested upon a ca. sa., he shall be considered as in custody, immediately upon the arrest, and before the return of the writ. 1 Rol. 901. Whether Kerr, then, had been actually locked up in the prison, or not, and whether the plaintiffs, upon the return of the writ, had entered a committitur, or not, makes *no difference. As soon as he was arrested, theca, sa. was executed; he was in custody upon it; the- plaintiffs had the effect of it.
Now, if a ca. sa. be executed, that is sufficient in law, for the whole debt; for corpus humanum non recipit estimationem; so that if you take the body at all, you take it for the whole debt. Hob. 52. Again. A ca. sa., as respects the party against whom it is taken, is a full satisfaction by force, act, and judgment, of law ; so that against him and his representatives, there can be no other; for when the plaintiff hath begun and chosen the body, he can resort to no other, execution against the self-same party. Hob. 59. It is a complete satisfaction, in law, of that very
It must be admitted, however, that though this be so, yet it is not a satisfaction in the same sense, and to the same extent, as the payment of the money would be ; it is not a satisfaction to all purposes, and in favour of all persons. As if two be bound in a bond, jointly and severally, and there be several judgments against them, and one be taken on a ca. sa., that cannot be pleaded in satisfaction, by the other, though it be for the very same debt. Hob. 60. So if two commit a trespass, and there he several judgments, and one be taken upon a ca. sa., the other cannot plead this in exoneration of himself, though the plaintiff has but one satisfaction. But this regards the mere taking of the body only, without regard to ulterior proceedings ; for, even in these cases, if one be actually taken, and then suffered to go at large, by the license or command of the plaintiff, it may be pleaded by the other, and shall be a complete discharge. Oro. Gar. 75.
The case of Hayling v. Mullhall, (2 Black. 1285) has been cited, as containing a doctrine contrary to this last. There, the endorsee of a bill of exchange sued the last endorser, and took his body in execution, and afterwards let him out on a letter of license ; then he sued the first endorser, and it was pleaded, that *the debt was satisfied by the imprisonment of him that was first sued, and held to he a good plea. And, though I do not very well see the force of what the judges there say, in support of their opinion, yet there was this good reason for it, that it was of no consequence to the first endorser, whether the last was discharged or not; it did not at all affect his ultimate liability; he had endorsed the bill, and he must answer for the amount to somebody, if the drawer did not pay. But if the endorsee had first sued the drawee of the bill,
If, therefore, we view this action as founded upon the judgment against Kerr, and as a means of compelling the payment of this residue, out of his property, the plaintiffs must fail, for that judgment is already satisfied by the body. If we view it as founded upon the liability of the sheriff, for his neglect of duty, without relation to Kerr’s property at all, the plaintiffs still must fail; for the sheriff, having rendered himself answerable for the debt, stands in the nature of a security only, or; if you please, in the situation of a co-obligor, jointly and severally bound, and, therefore, may plead the discharge, and it shall be a good plea.
In whatever light ■ we view it, therefore, I think the plaintiffs must fail, and, therefore, that the verdict must be set aside.
The case in Coze 168, is conclusive.
Dissenting Opinion
dissented. This case comes up, upon objections to opinions delivered by myself, upon three questions, which arose at the trial. Upon the best view which I have been able to take of the case, and the argument delivered upon the rule, I still remain of the same opinion, which I expressed, upon all the points.
. *The suit was brought by Strong and Havens, against the sheriff, for neglecting to levy, make, and pay over,
After the plaintiffs had rested, the defendant offered to prove, that after the sale of Kerr’s personal property, to Armstrong, and taking his acknowledgement and receipt, a ca. sa. was issued in favour of Strong and Havens, and Kerr taken, by the sheriff, but discharged, by their order, before he was confined ; and, after his discharge, the present suit was brought. This evidence, after argument, was overruled.
John Armstrong was offered as a witness, to prove, that at the sale of personal property, Green, who held the first execution, demanded that it should be first satisfied; and that he, supposing that the proceeds of the sale, would go to his execution, agreed to, and did pay Green, the amount of his claim, which was about $60. He was objected to, and declared by the court, to be an incompetent witness. Those facts were then all proved by E. Green, and the plaintiffs admitted, before the jury, that it was proper to
I will notice the three objections in their order. 1. There was error, in not directing the costs, of the suit of Linn v. Barnet, to be deducted.
I do not understand, that a sheriff is bound to bring suit and expend his own or the plaintiff’s money, in order to enforce every questionable bid, which may be made at sales of property, by him. Neither law, nor the interest of parties, requires it. He may refuse to sue, until an indemnity for the costs, &c., be given to him; and if he does so refuse, and takes a bond to indemnify him, I do not perceive by what right he can desert that bond, and claim the costs from another source. In this case, the defendant seems to have been aware, that the bid of Barnet could not be enforced, and he, therefore, refused to attempt to enforce it, until Kerr, the person whose property was sold, gave him security for the costs. Why then should these costs be taken out of the amount which was coming to the plaintiffs ? The suit was not brought at their request, but at the request of Kerr. The plaintiffs gave no promise of indemnity. Why should they pay for Kerr’s ' acts ? Besides, there were really no costs to come out of
2. As to Armstrong's interest. The plaintiffs Strong and Ha*vens, claim the amount of certain personal property, sold by the sheriff, and bought by Armstrong. At the foot of a schedule, or list, of the property, so sold, Armstrong signed an acknowledgement that he bought this property, and stated the sum given. This sum was endorsed on his execution, and he thus received the benefit of it. If he was not entitled to receive it; if it was paid to him by mistake ; it may certainly be recovered from him, upon the plainest legal principles. But the question, whether he was entitled to it? depends, altogether, upon the fact, whether Strong and Havens recovered in this action or not. If they were entitled to it, he was not; if they were not, he was. Their right to it was to be settled in this action, and to be more or less governed by this evidence. To me, therefore, the interest seems positive, direct, and immediate. If Strong and Havens recover, he must refund the money; and he may be compelled to do it, either upon the general principle of money received by mistake, or by force of the acknowledgement, at the foot of the articles bought.
But even if this were not so, I am not satisfied that a new trial should be granted. The facts, which he was offered to prove, were amply proved by the most unexceptionable evidence, afterwards, and defendant had the benefit of them.
3. As to the effect of the ca. sa. This ca. sa. was issued after the execution, which was the foundation of this suit; and after the default of the sheriff; and, also, after the sheriff had the money in his hands. Now, whatever may be the law, as to issuing a fieri facias, after the body has been taken under a ca. sa.; surely the issuing of a ca. sa. can neither divest out of the plaintiff, rights which are vested in him, nor save the previous liabilities of the defendant, and justify him, in keeping money, to which he had no right, but which he had made for another. If the
I do not preceive, that this case can be affected by the fact, that Armstrong agreed to satisfy Qreeris execution. What he paid on that execution, was first to come out of the property sold; and was, therefore, properly credited by the plaintiff, in this suit; and, by that credit, it was restored to Armstrong ; for he was thus permitted to retain so much on his execution. And even if this were not so, the rights of the plaintiffs would not be altered. If a third person, either through friendship or interest, chose to satisfy a previous execution, it did not lessen the lien of their execution. It still bound and held the property, and the only effect of such a procedure would be, to free the property from previous liens, and leave it unincumbered for the satisfaction of this.
I, therefore, see no reason why the verdict should be set aside.
New trial granted.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Strong and Havens against Linn
- Status
- Published