Gillespie v. Keating
Gillespie v. Keating
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
We agree with the learned court below that the sale was not
Tbe evidence is clear and convincing that the executions issued before tbe assignment were delivered to the sheriff with directions to make tbe money upon them; that these directions were not countermanded or modified by tbe parties, and that 'they were repeated more than once by tbe plaintiff in tbe first ■execution. Tbe plaintiffs in the executions are thus exonerated from responsibility for tbe delay in making tbe sale, and if they lose by it their loss is chargeable to tbe sheriff’s disregard of their positive instructions. No case has been cited which can be justly likened to tbe one before us, or which furnishes a clear warrant or precedent for the decree contended for on this appeal.
In Earle’s Appeal, 13 Pa. 483, tbe court found from tbe evidence that tbe plaintiff “ did not put bis execution in the bands ■of the sheriff with a bona fide intent that be should proceed and make tbe money according to law.” In Weir v. Hale, 3 W. & S. 285, it was the arrangement between tbe first execution creditor and tbe defendant which was adjudged to give the subsequent ■executions priority. These cases are plainly distinguishable in their facts from tbe case at bar. That they have not been considered heretofore as overruling M’Coy v. Reed, 5 Watts, 302, is shown by McGinnis v. Prieson, 85 Pa. 116, in which it was said that “ an execution will not be postponed for tbe officer’s default. His procrastination even by tbe sufferance of tbe creditor is not fraudulent per se and postpones only when tbe creditor directs him not to proceed.” In tbe case now under consideration tbe auditor’s findings of fact approved by tbe court, furnish an adequate basis for tbe decree appealed from, and they appear to be well sustained by tbe evidence.
Tbe Western Electric Company is not in tbe position of an
The specifications of error are overruled.
Decree affirmed and appeal dismissed at the costs of the-appellant.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- T. A. Gillespie v. A. F. Keating. Appeal of The Western Electric Company
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Assignment for creditors — Execution—Sheriff. There can be no valid, levy made on a writ of execution issued after the defendant in the execution has made an assignment for the benefit of creditors: Missimer v. Ebersole, 87 Pa. 109. Execution — Delay by sheriff — Loss of liens. An execution creditor who places his writ in the hands of the sheriff ■ with instructions to make the money upon it, and who does not countermand or modify his instructions, or in any way interfere with the execution of the writ, does not lose his lien by the delay of the sheriff in making the sale. Execution — Assignment for the benefit of creditors. Two executions were placed in the hands of the sheriff with directions to make the money upon them. The directions were subsequently repeated, but the sheriff delayed making the sale. In the mean time an attachment execution was issued against the debtor, who shortly afterwards made an assignment for the benefit of creditors. After the assignment judgment was entered in the attachment execution and a fi. fa. was issued on the judgment. The sheriff subsequently sold the property of the debtor. Held, (1) that the liens of the levies on the first -writs were not lost as against the defendant at whose instance the sale was postponed; (2) that as the third execution creditor did not dispute the validity of the assignment, he obtained by his levy no priority over general creditors and no standing to contest the prior levy; (8) that as no general creditors are claiming the fund on the ground that the levies were fraudulent as to them, the first and second execution creditors were entitled to the proceeds of the sale.