Rothermel v. Moyer
Rothermel v. Moyer
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
On October 20,1902, the plaintiff issued a fi. fa. upon which a levy on real and personal property was made, upon a judgment by confession entered originally in 1894 and amicably revived in 1899. The sale of the personal property levied upon was advertised to take place on October 28, 1902. On October 27, 1902, upon the defendant’s petition setting forth that he had on that day presented to the district court of the United States a petition in due form praying to be adjudged a bankrupt, that the sale of the personal property under the above execution would give the plaintiff a preference over other creditors, and that unless it was stayed the trustee in bankruptcy thereafter to be chosen would be involved in litigation to the great detriment and loss of the bankrupt estate, the court made an order, a copy of which was served on the plaintiff’s attorney and the deputy sheriff on the day it was made, staying the execution and directing the lien of the levy to remain until further order. No appeal or other action for the revocation of the order was taken by the plaintiff until nearly nine months afterwards, when upon. his petition the court granted a rule to show cause why it should not be vacated. He alleged in his petition that the defendant’s petition in bankruptcy was not filed or presented on October 27,1902, but
It is argued that the burden of proof as to allegations of new matter set up in answer to a rule to show cause rests on the respondent, and, in the absence of a rule of court providing that if they are not denied by counter affidavit they shall be taken as admitted, must be sustained by evidence. This is true as a general proposition; but what right have we to presume from the mere fact that depositions were not taken that evidence was not adduced at the hearing of the rule in support of the defendant’s allegations ? If there is any rule of court below forbidding the introduction of record or documentary evidence — as for example record evidence of the adjudication or discharge in bankruptcy — upon the hearing of an application for summary relief it ought to have been called to our attention. We ought not to be asked to presume that the court acted arbitrarily and without proper proof of the facts upon which it based its refusal to vacate its previous order. See Laird’s Appeal, 2 Pa. Superior Ct. 300, 305. But assuming for a moment that the rule to show cause was heard and disposed of on petition and answer, does it follow that the refusal to vacate the previous order was an abuse of discretion? We think not. It is to be observed the plaintiff does not allege in his petition that he did not have notice of or an opportunity to be heard on the motion for stay. This omission is significant; it is sufficient to repel any presumption that the court arbitrarily stayed his execution without proof that he had been notified of the intended application. Nor does he deny that the bankruptcy petition was “ in the form required by the act of congress ” as alleged in the affidavit upon which the motion was granted. True, he says it was not filed on October 27, but he admits that it was filed on the following day. The petition being in
Appeal dismissed at appellants’ cost.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.