Milmine v. Bass
Milmine v. Bass
Opinion of the Court
I do not agree with the master that, under the Indiana decisions, the levy of the Stearns execution upon the property in question was void, though it was irregular, because of the previous levy upon other real estate. It is quite clear that the property' first levied upon, considering the incumbrances upon it, and the wife’s contingent interest, was not sufficient to satisfy more than a small part of the sum due upon the writ; and, this being so, the decision in Lindley v. Kelley, 42 Ind. 294, is direct authority that the second levy, and the sale under it, is not to be held void merely because of the first levy, which had been abandoned by the owner of the execution. It was doubtless an irregularity to take a new execution, as was done in this case, and such an irregularity as may justify an interference by the court in order to do equity between the parties, if it is apparent that substantial rights have been violated by the sale. But, the property first levied upon having been insufficient in value, that levj did not, in my judgment, operate, under the Indiana decisions, to satisfy the judgment in the full sense; and if, on account of the irregular issue of the second execution, the sale made under it should be set aside, it would result that the judgment, notwithstanding the first levy, must be considered as having been in force all the
Upon the second point, it is quite clear that the complainant might have compelled the sale of the other property of Bowser to satisfy the Stearns execution, before resort to the property covered by their mortgage; but, the complainant not having gone to the courts for this relief, the execution plaintiff was not bound to inquire into the equities in this respect, and to direct (he order of sale accordingly; and it follows that the saléis not void, nor to be annulled, on this account, at the instance of complainant. Sansberry v. Lord, 82 Ind. 521; Wiggin v. Suffolk, 18 Pick. 145; S. C. 29 Amor. Doc. 576; James v. Hubbard, 1 Paige, 228; Clowes v. Dickensod, 5 Johns. Ch. 235; S. C. (on appeal) 9 Cow. 403; Wise v. Shepherd, 13 Ill. 41.
Nevertheless the complainant, as some of the cases just cited show, is not without remedy; but from the defendant, who obtained an inequitable advantage by means of the sale as made, is entitled to compensation to the extent of that advantage, that is to say, to the extent of the value of the property so sold, not exceeding the amount due complainant upon his mortgage debt. The report of the master is perhaps not explicit on the point, but, as I understand, it is not, questioned that the property of Bowser, which was purchased by Bass, and which ought to have been sold on the Stearns’ execution before resort to the lands mortgaged to the complainant, was worth, over and above all incumbrances created before the execution of complainant’s mortgage, more than the amount due upon that mortgage, treated as a subsisting security; and, this being so, the decree here ought to bo that the defendant pay to the plaintiff, within a time stated, the amount due upon their mortgage, with stipulated interest to date of payment, and that, in default of this, the sale to the defendant be annulled, and the title of the complainant under his purchase be confirmed.
The rights of the parties are not affected, in my opinion, by the extension of time granted upon payment of interest in advance upon the Stearns judgment. The extension was granted upon the supposed consent of Bowser & Go., and, if Bowser’s partners were not bound by that consent, the agreement to extend was not binding on the creditor, and execution might have issued at any time, the interest paid in advance being returned or treated as a payment upon the judgment. Albright v. Griffn, 78 Ind. 182.
Tiie sale was not invalid because the proper credits for payments were not noted on the execution, Bass, the purchaser, having no knowledge of the facts. The purchaser at an execution sale is not bound to have examined the dockets to see if the clerk has done his duty in this respect. The presumption is that the officer has done his duty in such particulars. Fowler v. Griffin, 83 Ind. 297.
In so far as the master’s report is inconsistent with the foregoing, the exceptions thereto are sustained, and in other respects overruled.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Milmine v. Bass and others
- Cited By
- 1878 cases
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- Syllabus
- 1. Execution — Levy on Beal Property—Abandonment — Second Levy— Bule ln Indiana. If, in Indiana, the owner of an execution releases and abandons a levy made upon real estate sufficient to satisfy a part only of the writ, and causes a levy and sale of other real estate, the sale will not be deemed void, but, being irregular, it may be set aside, if necessary, in order to do equity between ■parties concerned. 2. Same — Payments not Credited — Levy for Pull Amount—Good-Eaith Purchaser—Notice. If an execution be issued without proper notation of credits for payments upon the judgment, and land be levied upon and sold by virtue of such writ, to a purchaser without notice of the irregularity, the sale will not, on that account, be invalid. 3. Same—Equities of Junior Lien-Holder—Other Lands Available. An execution creditor whose judgment is a lien upon different bodies of land is not bound, when making a levy, to inquire into the equities of junior lien-holders; and if, while other lands are first equitably liable to seizure, a levy be made upon a tract which is subject to a junior lien, and the holder of such lien neglects to assert his rights in court before the sale, he cannot afterwards have the same annulled. 4. Same—Bemedy of Junior Lien-Holder after Sale. If the owner of lands subject to a judgment lien has mortgaged a part thereof to A., and afterwards has mortgaged or conveyed the remainder, worth more than the amount of the judgment, to B., and thereafter the land mortgaged to A. is levied on, and sold to satisfy the judgment, B. being the the purchaser, while A. may not have the sale annulled, he may, to the extent of his interest, require B. to account to him for the value of the mortgaged property so sold on execution. 6. Principal and Surety—Extension of Time — Unauthorized Consent— Partnership. Where an agreement for an extension of time upon a judgment was made between the principal debtor and the creditor, acting on the faith of a written consent signed in the name of a firm which was liable as surety in the judgment, and it turned out that, excepting one, the members of the firm had not authorized, and were not bound by, this consent, the agreement for extension was not binding upon the creditor. (Syllabus by the Court.)