Leach v. Thomas
Leach v. Thomas
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
Neither of the Acts prescribes any particular form in which the bond shall be taken. But the Legislature conceiving this mode of proceeding might subject defendants to vexation and injury, by unjust plaintiffs, it was thought proper to secure their rights by requiring those, who should resort to this remedy, to give bond in double the amount of the sum to be attached, (1 Brev. Dig. 39, P. L. 366-8)
The Act authorizing the issuing of foreign attachments is in these words : “ No writ of attachment shall issue before the plaintiff has given bond to *1121 the ^defendant in double the amount for which the attachment is-J sues, to be taken by arid lodged with the clerk of the district, to he answerable for all damages which the defendant may sustain by any illegal conduct in obtaining said attachment.”
The condition of the bond, in foreign attachments, is, that the plaintiff shall be answerable to the defendant for all damages which he may sustain by any illegal conduct in obtaining said attachment. That of the bond, in domestic attachments, is, to be amenable for'all costs which may be awarded, and also for all damages which shall be recovered against the plaintiff, for his suing out such attachment. Now damages cannot be recovered for suing out the attachment. The Act then means for illegally suing it out. And the conditions here used, then, contain all that is required by the Act for issuing foreign attachments, with an addition of the word costs, which would follow as a matter of course, the recovery of damages, and may therefore be considered as mere surplusage.
The motion is- rejected.
County Court Act, 7 Stat. 213, § 4.
1799, 7 Stat. 294, § 7
7 Stat. 213, \ 4.
Post. 125; 4 Rich. 328; 1 Rich. 412, 438 ; 3 McC. 345 ; 1 McM. 54.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Anthony Leach and others v. James V. Thomas
- Status
- Published