Vollmer v. Simon
Vollmer v. Simon
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
It is beyond all question, upon testimony entirely uncontradicted, that the judgment in controversy was marked to the use of the defendant, upon the advice of counsel merely to place it in that position for the protection of Frederick Simon, Sr., who had paid the judgment debt being the debt of William Simon, the codefendant in the judgment. The testimony proves most conclusively, that the defendant was not consulted in regard to the transaction; that he had no knowledge of it until after the death of his father; and it is certainly true that there is no lawful testimony in the case to prove that the judgment was marked to the use of the defendant, in consideration of any indebtedness of the defendant’s father to him. His own assertion to such effect is of no account whatever, as he was utterly incompetent to testify on that subject, and his testimony to create such proof was objected to on the ground of his incompetency and was rejected by the court. The fact that he made such a statement surreptitiously and without legal sanction, in the course of his examination on other subjects is nothing better than a fraud upon the court, and is of course not entitled to the least consideration. It was properly rejected by the court in the ultimate disposition of the case, and the cause is to be determined without any reference to it. But there was a still more serious objection to the defendant’s testimony on this subject. It was not credible, it was not believed by the learned court below, and it is not believed by this court. It is simply impossible to read the testimony of Mr. John Adams who acted as counsel for Frederick Simon, Sr., in conducting the transaction which resulted in marking the Porter judgment to the use of Frederick Simon, Jr., and was a perfectly disinterested witness, and give any credence to the story set up by the defendant that the transfer was made in payment of a debt owing to the defendant by his father. After the witness had
He afterwards said that Adams told him that the judgment was transferred for him, that his father had given him the judgment instead of money, that he could not pay the money. But Mr. Adams being called in rebuttal most positively and emphatically denied that any such conversation had taken place. He said, “ Nothing of that kind was said whatever. Mr. Simon knew nothing at all about this judgment when he came to the office until I had explained it to him.” It is not necessary to
Decree affirmed and appeal dismissed at the cost of the appellant.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.