Richardson v. Peoples' National Bank
Richardson v. Peoples' National Bank
Opinion of the Court
On February 9, 1894, Catharine Woog commenced an action of .replevin in the court of common pleas of Greene county against the'Peoples’ National Bank of Jamestown for the recovery of certain personal property. The property was taken by the sheriff under the writ, appraised and delivered to the plaintiff on her executing an under
“October 9, 1894. '
•October Term, 1894.
“On motion of defendant, and it appearing to the court that execution has been issued and returned, unsatisfied, against the plaintiff herein, for the collection of the judgment in favor of defendant against said plaintiff, and it appearing that Robert Richardson is surety on the undertaking given by the plaintiff, it is ordered that said Robert Richardson appear in court at 10 o’clock A. M., October 11, 1894, and show cause, if any he has, why jugdment should not be entered against him for the breach of such replevin undertaking, and why he should not be made party defendant to such action, and be adjudged liable to the defendant for the amount of its judgment against the plaintiff, to-wit, the sum of —■— and costs, according to the terms and conditions of said undertaking.
“It is further ordered that defendant cause a copy of this entry to be served on said Robert*308 Richardson forthwith, and on further motion of defendant, it is ordered that this ease be and the same is hereby placed on the trial docket of this court;” which was served on the surety, Richardson.
The motion and order was made under a provision, contained in section 5820, Revised Statutes, as amended April 3, 1891, (88 Laws, 274) which is as follows: “That after the rendition of a judgment in any cause in which an undertaking has been given in compliance with the provisions of this chapter, (Replevin) on motion to the court, the sureties upon the undertaking shall be notified to appear in such court within ten days from the issuing of such service, and show cause why judgment should not be entered against them for the breach of such undertaking, whereupon such sureties shall be made parties defendant in such action, and the same shall proceed as other civil actions.”
Two classes of questions are made in the case, one as to practice, and the other as to the merits of the showing- made. The surety appeared and made a showing, which was held insufficient; he was thereupon ordered to be made a party and to answer. He objected to being required to answer without a petition being filed. We think there was no necessity for filing a petition. It is not contemplated by the proceeding, being intended as a summary one on undertakings in replevin. The law enters into and becomes a part of each undertaking of this kind; and the surety must be held to know that he may be called on in this summary mode to show cause why judgment should not be entered against him on a breach of the undertaking. The motion and the order served on him are all that can be required. The filing' of a petition as in an
The question then arises, whether his answer makes a sufficient showing why judgment should not be rendered against him for- a breach of the undertaking. His first defense is, in substance, that he signed the undertaking- on the express agreement with the sheriff, that it should not be delivered as an undertaking, until the plaintiff had indemnified him by executing- a mortgage on certain real estate, which was disregarded by the sheriff. Second, that it was signed before the writ was served, on an agreement with the sheriff, that whatever property might be taken, should be retained by him for five days; and if in that time he should inform the sheriff that he had not been indemnified, the property should be returned to the defendant. That within that time he notified the sheriff that he had not been indemnified, and demanded that the sheriff return the property, which he did not do. Third, that the property sought to be replevined was not in the possession
‘ £2d. Said bank has now in its possession, funds obtained from the sale of property delivered to it by said Loretta Haughey for the purpose of paying and satisfying said claim of said bank against her, or any judgment which might be obtained on account of such claim and has also other securities in its possession for such purpose, which money and securities are more than sufficient to satisfy in full said claim, and said judgment against said Woog. Yet said bank wrongfully, and in fraud of the rights of said Richardson, fails, neglects and refuses, to apply said moneys and securities, or any part thereof, towards the payment or satisfaction of said judgment.
££3d. The said Robert E. Richardson, prior to the signing of said pretended undertaking, in the manner and upon the conditions as heretofore alleged in this answer, was assured by said bank, through its authorized agent and its president, that all claims held by said bank against the said Loretta Haughey, were either fully paid, or the payment thereof amply secured; and upon such assurance, as well as upon the conditions and agreements set forth in his answer, the said Richardson signed said pretended undertaking, which he would not have done but for such assurance, upon which assurance he fully relied, believing the same to be true and upon which he had a right to rely.
££4th. Said Robert E. Richardson, further says, that all the proceedings herein against him, were begun without the knowledge or consent of said defendant bank, and without its authority, and are
The case, on the issues, was tried to a jury, and the court, at the conclusion of the evidence, directed a verdict for the bank. The evidence is all set forth in a bill of exceptions.
We perceive no error in the direction of a verdict for the bank. There was no evidence that a court or jury could regard, that the bank had in its possession, funds obtained from the sale of property delivered it bjr Mrs. Haughey, which, with other security, would satisfy in whole or in part, the claim of the bank against her; or, that Richardson, before signing the undertaking, had been informed by any one representing the bank, that its claim was fully paid or. amply secured. With the property secured by the Haughey mortgage, tñe claim of the bank may have been amply secured; but this very property was taken from it by the writ of replevin sued out by Mrs. Woog. Neither was there any evidence of collusion or fraud in obtaining the judgment against the plaintiff in the replevin suit. If Mrs. Woog was not present, she had an opportunity to be present; and if she was prevented by sickness from being present at the trial, that would have been a proper ground for setting the judgment aside and granting a new trial, had such application been made, but it was not.
Then, as to the other matters relied on, in regard to signing the undertaking, on an agreement with the sheriff, that it was not to be delivered until the surety, Richardson, was indemnified by the principal; and, if not so indemnified, the property' taken was to be returned at the end of five days, or, any of the objections made as to the accuracy
1. It is too well settled to be questioned, that a surety on a bond of any kind cannot defeat his liability thereon by showing that it was delivered in violation of agreements between himself and the principal, or any other co-maker, unknown to the party for whose benefit it was given. It will be sufficient to cite some of the numerous cases or. this point: Bigelow v. Comegys, 5 Ohio St., 256; Harrison v. Wilkin, 69 N. Y., 412; Dangler v. Baker, 35 Ohio St., 673; Taylor County v. King, 73 Iowa, 153; Smith v. Peoria County, 59 Ill., 412; Deardorff v. Foresman, 24 Ind., 481; McCormick v. Bay City, 23 Mich., 457; State v. Peck, 53 Maine, 284. In Bigelow v. Comegys, the decision is placed on what is termed the settled rule, “that where one of the two persons must suffer a loss by fraud or misconduct of a third person, he who first reposes the confidence, or commits the first oversight, must bear the loss.”
In a suit in replevin, before the property taken can be delivered to the plaintiff, the statute requires an undertaking to be given .by him with sufficient surety, that, among other things, he will pay the assessed value of it, in case judgment shall be against him, which must be returned with the order. After the property has thus been delivered to the plaintiff, and judgment against him, to permit the surety on the undertaking’ to set up-that it was delivered to the sheriff in the nature of an escrow, and was returned by him contrary to their understanding’, but of which the defendant
2. We think it also clear that the surety on a replevin undertaking, cannot, in the absence of fraud or mistake, be heard to question the validity, or the amount of the judgment rendered against his principal in an action on the undertaking. When he signed the paper, he undertook to pay what might be so ascertained and adjudged against his principal. He cannot, therefore, be heard to say, that the judgment is wrong. If there were any
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.