Watson v. Schultz
Watson v. Schultz
Opinion of the Court
Appellee concedes the correctness of the statement of the nature and result of this suit contained in appellant’s brief, which is as follows:
“This was a suit in the district court of Robertson county, at the Novcmber-December term, 1917, under the statutory provisions for the trial of the lights of property, in which suit Paul Schultz (appellee) was plaintiff, and H. E. Watson (appellant) was defendant.
“On the 15th day of September, 1917, appel-lee was the judgment creditor of one J. R. Watson, in the sum of $253.08, which judgment was in the county court of Robertson county. On said date be caused to be issued out of said court a certain writ of execution, which was executed by Geo. W. Davlin, sheriff of .Robertson county, by levying upon certain personal property as the property of the judgment debtor.
“After the levy of said execution, appellant filed his statutory affidavit as claimant of said property. The sheriff fixed appellant’s bond at $450, which was duly executed, and which the sheriff accepted and approved.
“This cause was docketed in the name of Paul Schultz, Plaintiff, v. H. E. Watson, Defendant, in the district court of Robertson county, under an act of the Thirty-Fifth Legislature conferring all jurisdiction heretofore exercised by the county court of said county on the district court.
“Upon the trial of the case plaintiff pleaded in substance the following issues:
“That he was the owner of the aforesaid judgment, which he was entitled to collect out of any property of the judgment debtor subject to execution. That he caused to be issued the' aforesaid execution and the levy made thereunder, and that the property seized was the property of the judgment debtor, subject to execution, and in his possession at the time of the levy. That appellant filed his claimant’s oath and bond in statutory form. That his claim was based upon a false, simulated, and void transfer, made for the purpose of hindering, delaying, and defrauding creditors. That plaintiff therefore was entitled to recover against defendant and his sureties.
“Defendant answered by pleading in substance the following: A general demurrer; certain special exceptions and motions to quash; a specific denial of any fraudulent, simulated, or void transfer for the purpose of delaying and defrauding creditors. He pleaded affirmatively that the judgment debtor was justly indebted to Mm in the sum of approximately $270, and that he purchased said crop for the sole purpose of collecting his debt, and in addition assumed an outstanding mortgage debt against the crop in the sum of $150. He further pleaded a rent contract between one Z. P. Phillipps and J. R. Watson, the judgment debtor, which would create the relation of landlord and tenant, the latter being the tenant, and that on the date he purchased the crop the same was grow-, ing, immature, and was therefore, as a matter of law, exempt from forced sale. That, immediately after he purchased said crop, he went upon the premises, took charge of the same, and with his own labor, and at his own expense, harvested and marketed said crop.
“In answer to defendant’s issues, plaintiff pleaded that the real value of the crop alleged to have been purchased was greatly in excess of the consideration alleged to have been paid, and was in fraud of the rights of plaintiff, esvho should recover of and from defendant and his sureties the excess, under the equitable rule of marshaling of assets.
“The case was tried before a jury, and was submitted by the court on special issues. The jury found that the sale of said crop was bona fide. But they found the intrinsic value of an individual one-half interest in and to said crop, on the 29th day of August, 1917, the date of the sale, to be $58.75 in excess of the consideration' paid.
“The court entered judgment in favor of plain *960 ■tiff and against defendant and Ms sureties on his bond in the sum of $58.75, together with •statutory damages of 10 per cent, thereon, and together with all costs of suit.
“Appellant, within the proper time, filed his motion for new trial, complaining of the errors-hereinafter shown. The motion was overruled. The case has been brought to this court by appeal duly perfected.”
Opinion.
By legislative enactment, the district court ■of Robertson county was vested with jurisdiction of all cases of which the county court would otherwise have jurisdiction, and therefore, if the property in controversy was worth more than $200, the district court had jurisdiction. It may he conceded that, strictly speaking, the return of the sheriff did not show the value of the property; but he made •an indorsement upon the replevy bond given by appellant, stating that he assessed the value of the property levied upon at $222.50, and it was agreed by the parties at the trial, as disclosed by the statement of facts, that such was its value. Therefore we hold that the court ruled correctly in overruling the motion to dismiss.
Replying to appellant’s contention under those assignments, appellee submits two propositions, both of which are deemed by this court to be sound, and to sufficiently answer appellant’s contention. These propositions are: (1) The manner of a levy upon partnership property cannot be brought in question by a claimant who is not a party to the I>artnership; (2) the manner of the levy on personal property is waived by claimant thereof, who executes a claimant’s bond therefor, and takes possession of the same from the officer making the levy. Kessler v. Halff, 21 Tex. Civ. App. 91, 51 S. W. 48; Davis v. Jones, 32 Tex. Civ. App. 424, 75 S. W. 63; 17 Cyc. 1213.
“The first two [propositions] raise the question whether the court erred in rendering judgment on the claimants’ bond after finding that one of the claimants owned a half interest in the property; the contention being that, as this claimant was in possession as joint owner, the levy, which was made in the usual way, by seizing the property, instead of by giving notice as provided in article 2349 * * * of the Revised Statutes, was null and void. But we do not so understand the law. The manner of levy was waived by appellants when they employed this speedy and informal method of testing their rights to the property.”
The court submitted the case to the jury upon special issues, one of which required the jury to find whether, at the time in question, J. R. Watson was a tenant or a cropper, and the jury found that he was a cropper. The charge also gave to the jury substantially correct definitions of the terms “tenant” and “cropper,” and there is testimony which supports the^nding of the jury in that respect.
There are some other assignments of error *961 in appellant’s brief, which relate to questions which we do not deem necessary to discuss in this opinion. All of the assignments have been considered, and are decided against appellant.
Judgment affirmed.
Affirmed.
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