High v. Emerson
High v. Emerson
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
Action to set aside and vacate the satisfaction of a judgment.
In May, 1897, upon a general and special verdict of a jury, a judgment was entered in favor of the respondent and against appellant in an action in replevin for the return to respondent of certain personal property, or its value, in the sum of $500, together with damages in the sum of $150. On the 13th of September, 1897, there was entered on the execution docket upon the record of the judgment the following entry:
“Full payment and satisfaction of the within judgment by delivery of the articles described in the judgment herein, and payment of the damages and. costs, is hereby received and acknowledged this 15th day of September, A. D. 1897. Ellen High, plaintiff. By H. Julius Miller, her attorney.”
The suit here is to set aside the satisfaction.
The complaint alleges, in substance, that the attorney had no authority, except the general authority of an attorney, to collect the judgment or receive satisfaction thereof; that the satisfaction was executed, without the
It will ie observed tiat tie cause must be beard here upon tie facts as stated by tie superior court. No finding of collusion or fraud between Miller, tie attorney of tie respondent, and tie appellant is made. No specific finding of failure of delivery of tie property involved in tie replevin suit is made. There is an inferential statement tiat Miller, respondent’s attorney, at no time iad tie manual or actual possession of tie property, but this is qualified by tie words, “other than as above set out.” Tie attorney waá authorized to compromise and settle tie replevin suit. Thus tie contention of counsel tiat tie general autiority of an attorney did not authorize Miller to settle tie suit becomes immaterial. Tie finding is tiat special autiority existed. In tie settlement tie attorney Miller seems to-have made small concessions to defendant; tiat is, $10 on tie amount of damages was remitted, and articles of tie personal property of tie value of $25 were not returned, making a diminution of $35 in tie value of tie whole judgment. Tie agreement between respondent and ier counsel Miller upon tie attorney fee was $100 and half tie damages recovered, which entitled ier attorney, upon tie full settlement of tie judgment, to $175. It is apparent tiat, iad ie collected tie entire judgment in money ie could iave retained iis fee, and iis client should iave rightfully received tie remainder. Tie cancellation of tie personal claim of $55 due from tie attorney to tie defendant may be, then, regarded as tie payment of tie $55 to tie attorney. We think a fair construction of tie autiority found, of tie attorney to compromise and settle tie action, sustains tie agreement of settlement made between tie attorney and the appellant.
If tie personal property, tie subject matter of tie judgment in replevin, was delivered to tie attorney for tie respondent under tie terms of tie compromise and settlement, tlen tie judgment was in .fact satisfied and tie entry of sucl satisfaction was authorized. Tie subsequent failure of respondent to receive tie property, or tie seizure by legal process and sale of sucl property in an action against ler, would not alter' tie effect of tie satisfaction. Tie .argument of counsel for tie respondent, founded upon tie fraudulent collusion of tie attorney for respondent and tie appellant, las not been unobserved; but, as las been mentioned, tie findings of fact, wlicl alone can be considered lere, are silent upon tlose allegations of tie complaint, and, from tie facts found, we cannot sustain tie conclusions of law of tie superior court.
Tie judgment must be reversed and judgment given in ■favor of appellant.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Ellen High v. J. S. Emerson
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- ATTORNEY AND CLIENT-SATISFACTION OF JUDSMENT — AUTHORITY OF ATTORNEY. Where an attorney has been authorized to compromise and settle an action after the rendition of judgment in replevin in favor of his client for the return of $500 worth of personal property, or its value, together with an award of damages in the sum of $150, his action in accepting the property, with the exception of about $25 worth thereof, and his settlement of the claim for $150 damages by receiving $85 in cash and procuring the cancellation by defendant of a claim against himself for $55, must be held to constitute a valid settlement, when, in addition to the regular attorney fee charged by him, there was an agreement on the part of his client that he should have half of the damages recovered, and no part of his fee had been paid. REPLEVIN-RETURN OF PERSONAL PROPERTY — WHAT CONSTITUTES DELIVERY. Where property whose return has been awarded to plaintiff in an action of replevin is in the hands of a tenant of defendant, and defendant agrees with plaintiff’s attorney to surrender possession and so informs his tenant, who thereupon enters into a written agreement with plaintiff’s attorney to retain the goods for a stated period and then box and ship them to plaintiff, there is such a delivery of the property to plaintiff, although she fails to receive them by reason of seizure under legal process, as to authorize her attorney to enter a satisfaction of the judgment in replevin against defendant.