M'Clung v. Beirne
M'Clung v. Beirne
Opinion of the Court
I am of opinion that there is no error in the decree in substituting the appellee to all the rights and remedies of Callison under his original judgment. To the benefit of it he had the clearest right, upon the .ordinary and well established principles of the court j nor was it necessary to entitle him to it that he should have been a party to that judgment. It is enough that having paid off the amount of it to Callison, to whom he was bound by the appeal bond, he had a right to demand a cession of every remedy Callison had for the recovery of his demand from his debtor. Among these was the execution by elegit, which reached all the lands of which Mays was seized at the date of that judgment, or at any time afterwards. The decree was therefore right in giving him the benefit of it.
Nor do I think there was any error in charging upon the real estate bound by the original judgment, the damages and costs in the court of appeals. Had an execution by elegit been sued out, it must have included those damages and costs, and must have, directed the levy of them, as well as of the amount of the original judgment, by extent of the lands whereof the defendant was seized at its date. They are but emanations of that judgment, which opens to receive them, in like manner as the interest of the debt, and the fee for issuing an execution, though accruing subsequent to the judgment, are considered and taken to be part of it or appendages to it. In England, upon a writ of error in the exchequer chamber or in parliament, to a judgment in the king’s bench, the damages are certified to that court, for the purpose of being included in the execution, which can only issue from it, as the record itself still remains there. Tidd’s Practice 1244. Tidd’s Prac. Forms 539. 14 Vin. Abr. 614. 2 Wms. Saund. 101. z. 2 Lilly’s Entries 571. So here, the affirmance and the award of damages are certified to the court below, whose clerk is directed to. calculate the amount,
Passing over the objections to the shortness of the credit allowed and the supposed rigour of the terms of sale, which I think are without foundation, these being matters of sound discretion, and there being nothing in the record to shew it was exercised improperly, (see Perine v. Dunn, 4 Johns. Ch. Rep. 140. and the act of assembly, 1 Rev. Code, ch. 66. § 41. p. 20. which authorizes a sale for cash or upon credit,) I proceed to consider whether the appellant had a right to demand that the other vendees and incumbrancers should contribute ratably.
In this case it is clear that had Callison the creditor issued his elegit, it must at law have comprehended the whole of the lands in the hands of all the defendants,. and a moiety of the whole, without distinction, would have been extended for the payment of his demand. The plaintiff, who seeks in equity to be subrogated to his rights, cannot fairly be shorn of any portion of the remedy by the necessity of coming into equity. He is therefore clearly entitled to charge the whole. But it is no invasion of his rights, to provide that the respective parties should be chargeable as equity would direct, provided he is neither delayed nor deprived of any portion of his security. Of this he does not complain ; and indeed, as I understand the decree, he is not delayed; for the whole of the lands are, I take it, to be advertised together, and then sold in immediate succession, until enough is raised to pay the debt. The question then is, whether, as between the defendants, either is entitled to preference, and what should be the order of liability if they are not to be charged pro rata.
In the case of Beverley v. Brooke et al. 2 Leigh 425. it had, however, been decided that where a judgment is obtained against a debtor, who afterwards aliens his lands to divers alienees by divers conveyances, all the lands in the hands of the several alienees are alike liable to the judgment creditor, and must contribute pro rata. This case is different from that of Conrad v. Harrison et al. as it is the case of a judgment; and that difference was adverted to by the judges in the decision of Conrad v. Harrison, as important. It was not expressly overruled, and it cannot be distinguished, I think, from the case at bar. We must therefore either
My own opinion is that that case should be reviewed, as one of the most distinguished judges who decided it, expressly renounced it in Conrad v. Harrison, and as it appears that the point was not fully discussed, nor were the respectable authorities produced which have since been brought before the court. (10 Serg. & Rawle 450. Clowes v. Dickenson, 5 Johns. Ch. Rep. 235.) The case was decided by only three judges, one of whom having since distinctly declared that he could not distinguish it from Conrad v. Harrison et al. which he yet decided the other way, it stands now as the decision of only two judges, and so is no longer an authority binding upon us.
Upon reviewing this case, and revolving the principles decided in Clowes v. Dickenson and Conrad v. Harrison et al. I am compelled to say that I think those principles should govern it. The case put by chancellor Kent, of a judgment binding lands, is precisely the case of Beverley v. Brooke et al. and its naked statement exhibits the truth and applicability of the principle laid down by him. The case put by judge Car?-, in 3 Leigh 539, 40. is apt and forcible for its illustration. The argument, seems to me unanswerable, that the right of the prior vendee to demand that his vendor’s land should, for his relief, be first charged under an elegit, cannot be taken away without his consent. The consequences of the contrary doctrine are also worthy of the gravest consideration. A debtor who, after judgment, has sold part of his lands, has every temptation to defraud his grantee of his right to resort to the residue for his relief. He has every inducement to sell that residue and pocket the price, the purchaser holding it free from more than a pro rata charge. It is worth nothing in his own hands, but" by selling it to another, it brings profit to himself.
Thus far I have been able to discover no error in the decree. But I am of opinion that in some other points it is clearly erroneous. First, the decree is for interest on the aggregate sum of 362 dollars 64 cents, instead of the original sum of 148 dollars 63 cents. Secondly, the equity of redemption in the land conveyed in trust for Withrow should have been first sold out and out,— not a moiety only, but the whole. Haleys v. Williams, 1 Leigh 140.—3. If that fell short of satisfying the demand, then the tract conveyed to the appellant should have been next sold, and so in succession, until the debt should be satisfied, or one half in value of the whole lands should be sold. For had the elegit been executed, one half of each tract would not be extended, but one half of the whole lands, and that half which was last sold should bear the burden. See Harvey v. Woodhouse, Kelyng’s Rep. 3.
Dissenting Opinion
dissented from the opinion that the lien existed from the date of the original judgment, for the damages and costs to which the creditor became entitled by the judgment of affirmance; and also from the opinion that a court of equity should not compel the alienees to contribute pro rata, considering that on this point, and those flowing from it, the decision ought to conform to that in Beverley v. Brooke et al. But
Concurring Opinion
concurring with the president, the decree was merely reversed in those things wherein it
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