Mathison v. Rickard
Mathison v. Rickard
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiffs, residents of Wyoming, filed a complaint in the city court of Salt Lake City against the defendant, a resident of Minnesota, to recover a money judgment for goods alleged to have been sold to him in Wyoming. At the same time the plaintiffs caused a writ of attachment to issue, and a> writ of garnishment to be served at Salt Lake City on the respondent, a non-resident railway corporation with its principal office at Chicago, Ill., but owning and operating a line of railway in Minnesota, and maintaining an office and doing business in Salt Lake City. Personal service of summons was not had on the defendant. He was in the respondent’s employ in Minnesota, and there worked for it as a brakeman on its line of railway, and where the contract of employment was made between him and the respondent, and where he was to perform, and did perform, his services under the contract, and with respect to which the indebtedness due him from respondent was created and arose, and where during his employment he always was paid, and where the respondent at its various division offices in Minnesota paid all of its employees in that state. The respondent, as garnishee, answered that it so, and not otherwise, was indebted to the defendant in a sum equal to the demands of the complaint, but denied that the indebtedness was subject to garnishment in this state without personal service of summons on the defendant. The court, holding with the respondent, quashed the garnishment. The plaintiffs appealed to the district court, where the same ruling was. made and judgment rendered. From that judgment, the plaintiffs prosecuted an appeal to this court.
In Bristol v. Brent, 38 Utah 58, 110 Pac. 356, we held that:
“A debt that may be enforced in any jurisdiction by a person against his debtor may also by a creditor of such person be attached by garnishment in any jurisdiction where the debtor of such person may be found and served with process.”
“At the time of issuing a writ of attachment in an action, or at any time thereafter, the plaintiff may have a writ of garnishment issue, and thereupon attach the credits, effects, debts, choses in action, and other personal property of the defendant in the possession or under the control of any third person, as garnishee, for the security of any judgment the plaintiff may recover in such action against the defendant; but any indebtedness owing to a defendant not personally served in this state with summons, when such indebtedness arises and is payable outside the state, shall not be subject to attachment, garnishment or execution, except in cases where the plaintiff is a citizen of this state and sues in his own right, and not as an assignee; but in such cases these facts must affirmatively appear by affidavit served with the writ of attachment or garnishment. If such facts do not appear, then the garnishee shall be under no liability on account of such writ of attachment or garnishment. Where the indebtedness arises outside of the state the presumption is that it is payable outside of the state.”
Notwithstanding our holding in Bristol v. Brent, is, as shown by the opinion, supported by good and binding authority, nevertheless it is quite evident that the Legislature intended to announce, and did announce, another and different rule.
The plaintiffs are non-residents of Utah. So is the defend- • ant. He was not personally served in this state with summons. The indebtedness due the defendant from the respondent admittedly (by appellants’ brief) did not, within the meaning of the act, arise in this state, but arose in Minnesota. In such, case,' declares the statute, the presumption is that the indebtedness also is payable outside of the state. Such an indebtedness under such circumstances, declares the Leg-
Sueh is the order, with costs.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- MATHISON v. RICKARD (CHICAGO, M. & ST. P. RY. CO., Garnishee.)
- Status
- Published