Woods v. Southern Life & Trust Co.
Woods v. Southern Life & Trust Co.
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
We think an attachment ought not to be quashed because of the fact that the sheriff attached property not owned by the defendant. The statute provides a special remedy where property attached is claimed by another and
The second ground on which the defendant relied is stronger. “Ordinarily,” as was said by the Supreme Court in Anspach v. Spring Lake, 58 N. J. L. 136 (at p. 138), “the validity of the claim should not be tried on a motion to discharge the defendant or his property from suit.” To do so, deprives the plaintiff of his right to trial by jury in case the claim is contested, and it would require a clear ease of abuse of the process of attachment to justify the court in interfering in this summary way.
We have, however, reached the conclusion that the judgment should be affirmed. The affidavits and arguments on the part of the plaintiff make it clear that the only question involved is one of law. He rests his case upon the theory that although the contract purported to be that of the defendant as receiver, it was really the contract of the defendant individually (to use the term that would be appropriate in case of a natural person), for the reason that as receiver'it was not authorized to act in the district of New Jersey. This contention rests upon the legal theory that before a receiver in bankruptcy can act outside of the district of his appointment, he must ° have an ancillary appointment in the district in which he acts. As we understand the rule of the United States Supreme Court, the law is settled to the contrary. Robertson v. Howard, 229 U. S. 254. That ease, it is true, involved the
For affw-mamce—The Chancellor, Swayze, Trenohard, Parker, Bergen, Minturn, Kalisch, Black, Bogeet, Vre-DENBURGII, WHITE, TeRHUNE, IÍEPPENHEIMEE, WILLIAMS, JJ. 14.
For reversal—bfone.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.