In re Beardsley
In re Beardsley
Opinion of the Court
The petitioner set forth in his petition that he had no assets or property. His discharge is opposed by a creditor, who has filed eight specifications of the grounds of his opposition. Six of these have been heretofore held by this court not to be in proper form to be triable. The third and fifth alone are in is-, sue. The third is that “said Beardsley had an interest in the property in, and the business conducted at the saloon at Liberty-street, city of New York, at the time of making and filing said petition, of the value of three thousand dollars, and the said business was and is carried on for his sole benefit.” The fifth is, that “the business at said saloon is pretended to be conducted in the
The allegation that the bankrupt had an interest in the business carried on at the saloon is true, although it is not true that it was carried on for his sole benefit. But that interest was not property which he was bound to set forth in his inventory, unless it had resulted at the time in money or something tangible which he then possessed. The right to his share of the net profits was not property, any more than the right of a clerk who has a stated salary, to continue to receive such salary, is property, which he is bound to set forth in his inventory as a bankrupt. As to the allegation that the business at the saloon was pretended to be conducted in the name of Pope, but really for the benefit of the bankrupt with intent to defraud his creditors, the business seems to have been conducted, so far as the public could see, in the name of the bankrupt, his name being over the saloon. This would have led rather to the belief by the public and the creditors of the bankrupt, that the property at the saloon belonged to the bankrupt, when in fact it did not; and there was nothing in it calculated to defraud or showing any intent to defraud his creditors.
- This disposes of the specifications. I have assumed that the note referred to was paid out of the net profits of the business. Unless it was, then no part of the property of the bankrupt went towards paying it, and Pope did not become thereby a debtor to the bankrupt, so as to be his debtor at the time the petition was filed, and make it incumbent on the bankrupt to set out such debt due from Pope as an asset in his inventory. But the only evidence is that the note was paid out of the receipts of the saloon. The creditor does not show that it was paid out of the net profits. It does not appear what was the state of the accounts between the bankrupt and Pope when the petition was filed. It is incumbent on the creditor to show that such debt from Pope existed as an asset. The bankrupt swears that he had no claims due him, that he knows of, at the time when he filed his petition. It is for the creditor to show that he had. These remarks are made as if there was an allegation in the specifications that the bankrupt had wilfully sworn falsely in the oath to his inventory, in omitting his debt from Pope. But there is no such allegation. The case is not a proper one for withholding a discharge, and one will be granted whenever the register shall certify that the bankrupt has in all things conformed to his duty under the act, and has conformed to all the requirements of the act, except as in the particulars embraced in such specifications.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- In re BEARDSLEY
- Status
- Published