Spradlin v. Bratton
Spradlin v. Bratton
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court. '
On the 2d of January, 1875, Spradlin sued Brat-ton before a justice of the peace on a debt due for rent of land, and at the same time sued out an attachment to attach the crop growing on the land, under the provision of the Code giving a Hen on the crop for the rent: Code, sec. 3541. The defendant
The Code, sec. 3059, is: “On all judgments before justices of the peace, the defendant is entitled to a stay of execution for eight months, upon entering good and sufficient security on the justice’s docket for debt, interest and costs, within two entire days, Sundays excepted, after the rendition of the judgment.” The language is general, and would include all judg
The argument is, that the stay law does not apply to judgments upon suits for rent because the creditor is, by the express provisions of the Code, sec. 3539, given a lien on the growing crop for the security of the debt, the • benefit of which would be lost by the stay of execution. It might be an answer to say, that if the creditor elect to sue before a justice, the security provided by law for the stay is in lieu of the speedier remedies when the judgment is not stayed. But the true answer is, that the benefit of the lien is not lost by the stay. The lien is merely suspended during the necessary law’s delay, and can be enforced as soon as the period of stay has expired. If the creditor resort, as in this instance, to an original attachment, the property attached will remain in custodia legis until a venditioni exponas can issue. The creditor is precisely in the situation of the creditor Avho has obtained an attachment of his debtor’s property, under the general attachment law, whose judg-‘ ment has been stayed, without security, for “not exceeding twelve nor less than six months,” by the court or justice in compliance with the provisions of the Code, secs. 3527, 3528.
Nor is there anything in the suggestion that the
The judgment creditor has simply mistaken his remedy. He should have applied to the justice for a sale of the corn and fodder attached, as being of a perishable nature, and for a receiver .to take charge of the fund until the stay of the judgment expired. He was clearly not entitled to a venditioni exponas on the judgment, for the issuance of that writ within the eight months of the stay would have been a violation of the statute.
The judgment of the circuit judge will be reversed, the demurrer to the mandamus sustained, and the proceedings dismissed with costs.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.