Perry v. Williams
Perry v. Williams
Opinion of the Court
The rule in sheriff’s sales is caveat emptor. The sheriff sells the interest of the defendant in the property, and the purchaser buys it, be it more or less. In the case of Moore vs. Aiken, 2 Hill, although it appeared that the defendant had no tifie, yet Aiken, who was the purchaser, was bound to pay his bid. Perry purchased whatever title E. Williams, the defendant, had to the negro. The contract was perfected by delivery, and he was bound by it. if the sheriff suffered him to take the negro without paying, the sheriff was answerable, and would have been compelled to pay, had there been an older execution. In this case, Perry’s was the oldest execution, and entitled him to the money; and for this reason he was permitted to take the negro without payment. If a third person had bought, and the money had been paid, would not the fi. fa. have been satisfied ? Certainly. Can it make any difference that Perry received the negro, instead of the money ? I think not. In Davis vs. Hunt, (2 Bailey, 412,) the purchaser was hel,d bound to pay, although he bought his own land, and did so under the supposition that his fa. fa. was the oldest. The principle of this case came up incidentally in the Appeal Court, in May, 1880, in the Equity case of Rowe vs. Cockrell. In that case it is said, “the sheriff is not bound to become a trespasser; and where an adverse claim is set up to the property, he is not bound to levy and sell without indemnity. But if he does sell, the oldest execution is entitled to the -money.”
When the sheriff’s sale is perfected, the oldest executions in his office are satisfied to the amount of the sale. But it is contended that as he indemnified the sheriff, and had to pay his bond of indemnity, a different rule should prevail. It may be a hard case, but the rules of law must prevail. In
The motion is dismissed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.