Emerald & Phœnix Brewing Co. v. Sutton
Emerald & Phœnix Brewing Co. v. Sutton
Opinion of the Court
In order to justify an order to hold a debtor to bail, in 'an action upon contract, upon the ground that he is about to dispose of his property with intent to defraud his creditors, there must be proof, not only of the intended disposal of his property, but also of his intent to defraud. Assuming that the affidavit, in the present case, contains proof that the defendant is about to dispose of his property, I find in it no proof that he is about to do so with intent to defraud his creditors. The affiant swears that he is informed and believes this to be so, but this statement is without evidential force. It is the statement of a conclusion, not of a fact; and the facts upon which this conclusion rests are not set forth in the affidavit. Moreover, it is the conclusion, not of the affiant, but of a third person, communicated to him, and is further objectionable because it is hearsay. The affiant also swears that the defendant, after admitting to him that he was going to sell his property, stated that he could not, and would not, pay the plaintiff’s claim. But the refusal of a debtor to apply his property, or the proceeds of the sale thereof, to the satisfaction of a particular debt, is
The order to hold to bail must be set aside, and the defendant discharged on common bail.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.