McAllister v. Harman
McAllister v. Harman
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
One of the questions involved in this appeal is whether a
'Che general rule is that a receiver, who is a mere ministerial officer of the court by which he is appointed, must have its consent and authority, either general or special, as a condition precedent to institution of a suit or other legal proceeding. Davis v. Snead, 33 Gratt. 709; Reynolds v. Pettyjohn, 79 Va. 331; and Smith on Receivers, sec. 69.
The receiver, McAllister, had no special authority to institute this suit, nor is there anything in the decree directing him to collect, from which any such authority can reasonably be implied.
The decree must be construed in the light of the facts as they then existed. The sale was confirmed by the same decree which ordered the receiver to collect. Only part of the purchase money was due. There was nothing in the record to show that the land was not worth the amount for which it had been sold, and that upon a resale, if one had to be made, it would not bring that sum. Upon this state of facts the court would not have been justified in giving the receiver authority to institute a suit to set aside an alleged voluntary or fraudulent conveyance which might involve large expenditures in the way of counsel fees and costs, and be wholly unnecessary; and clearly authority which ought to have been refused if ashed for, cannot be implied from the order which was made.
The other question is whether the other complainant in the bill, who was the owner of and entitled to a part of the proceeds of the land sold, had the right to maintain this suit. We are of opinion that he had. It is true that the purchasers of the land were contesting the payment of the purchase money on a rule
The pendency of one suit may be set up to defeat another for the same matter, but in order that this may be done it is necessary, among other things, that in both suits the parties shall be the same, or at least shall be such as represent the same interests; that the first suit shall be for the same matter as the second (though the second suit need not be for the whole matter embraced in the first), and that the whole effect of the second suit shall be attainable in the first. 1 Dan. Chy. Pr. 632, &c. (side page); Story’s Eq. Pl., secs. 737 to 739; Watson v. Jones, 13 Wall. 679.
Tested by this rule, it is very clear that the suit pending in the Circuit Court for Bath county could not defeat this suit. The parties were different, and did not represent the same interests, the objects of the suits were not the same, and the whole relief sought in this suit was not attainable in the other. The alleged voluntary or fraudulent alienees of the land sought to be subjected in this suit were not parties to the other, and could not be made parties to it. They had no interest in, or connection with.,
It follows, therefore, from what has been said that so much of the decree appealed from is erroneous as sustained the plea in abatement as to the right of the complainant Glendye to maintain this suit, and as to him the decree must he reversed, and this court will enter such decree as the Circuit Court ought to have entered.
Reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- McAllister and Others v. Harman and Others
- Cited By
- 7 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Receivers—Right to Sue.—Mere authority to the receiver of a court to collect bonds given for the purchase price of real estate does not authorize him to institute suits in other courts against the obligors in said bonds and others to set aside alleged voluntary and fraudulent conveyances of other real estate made by them. 2. Chancery Practice—Suit to Enforce Liens—Surplus—Right of Judgment Debtor to Sue in His Own Name to Set Aside Deed of Purchaser.— A debtor whose land has been sold in a suit in chancery to satisfy liens thereon, but who is entitled to a part of the purchase price, may, after confirmation of the sale, maintain a suit in chancery in his own name to have set aside as voluntary and fraudulent deeds of other lands made by the obligors in the bonds given for such purchase price, although a controversy be pending in the first suit as to the liability of such obligors for the purchase price. 3. Two Suits eor Same Cause—When First Suit Bar to Second.—In order that the pendency of one suit may be pleaded in bar of another for the same matter, it is necessary, amongst other' things, that the parties should be the same, or at least represent the same interests; that the first suit shall be for the same matter as the second (though the second suit need not be for the whole matter embraced by the first); and that the whole effect of the second suit shall be attainable in the first.