State ex rel. Zell Guano Co. v. Chrislip
State ex rel. Zell Guano Co. v. Chrislip
Opinion of the Court
This is an action of debt brought by the Zell Guano Company, a corporation, in the circuit court of Barbour county at February rules, 1892, against E. G. Chrislip and J. N. B.
The bond in question is as follows:
“Know all men by these presents: That we, Ervin G. Chrislip and Fannie J. Chrislip, principals, and Joseph ST. B. Crim, security, are held and firmly bound to the State of West Virginia, in the sum of five hundred dollars, the payment of which to the said State we bind ourselves, jointly and severally, and each of us binds his heirs, executors and administrators.
Witness our hands and seals this 25th day of February, 1889.
The condition of the above obligation is such, that whereas, the above bound E. G. and F. J. Chrislip have obtained from J. M. Hagans, Judge of the 2d Judicial Circuit of West Virginia, an injunction against the Zell Guano Company and others, enjoining and restraining the defendants in said injunction and every other person under them from selling the goods in said bill mentioned, and compelling said defendant Simpson to turn over to said plaintiff, the key, store house and personal property in said bill mentioned, until further order of court. Now if the said E. G. and Fannie J. Chrislip shall pay all such costs as may be awarded against them, and also such damages as shall be incurred or sustained by the persons enjoined in case the injunction be dissolved, then this obligation shall be void, otherwise to remain in full force and effect.” Which bond was duly signed, sealed and acknowledged.
The defendants appearing on the 3rd day of June, 1893, and demurred to the declaration, which demurrer was overruled by the court. After the overruling of the demurrer the pleadings were made up and a jury empaneled, and after all the evidence was in the plaintiff demurred to the evidence of the defendants, in which the defendants joined and the jury returned a conditional verdict in favor of the plaintiffs against the defendants, E. G. Chrislip and J. N. B. Crim for the sum of $975.28, the amount ascertained as damages by the said conditional verdict. The defendants moved to set aside the verdict of the jury and the judgment of the court ren
The first question to be disposed of is, that of the demurrer to the declaration, and if the declaration is insufficient it will not be necessary to look into the further assignments of error. The pleader in preparing his declaration seems to have-misconceived the scope of the conditions of the bond sued upon. Section 10, chapter 133, Code, provides that: “An injunction (except * * * * ) shall not take effect until bond be given in such penalty as the court or judge awarding it may direct, with condition to pay the judgment or decree (proceedings on which are enjoined) and all such costs as may be awarded against the party obtaining the injunction and also such damages as shall be incurred or sustained by the person enjoined in case the injunction be dissolved,” etc. It will be observed from the language of the bond itself that the purpose of the injunction was not to stay proceedings on the judgments set forth in the declaration but was for the purpose of restraining the Zell Guano Company and others from.selling the goods in the bill of injunction mentioned, and compelling the defendant Simpson, who was constable and had the goods in charge under executions “to turn over to said plaintiffs the key, store house and personal property in said bill mentioned until the further order of court.” The condition of the bond was not that the obligors therein should pay the judgments alleged in the declaration to have been lost by reason of the injunction awarded to prevent the selling of the goods mentioned in the bill. It is not made to appear from the declaration what goods were inhibited by said injunction from being sold, or the value thereof, and no bill of particulars describing the property and its value is filed with the declaration; nor does it appear how the judgments were lost by reason of the injunction, the judgments were not destroyed thereby; nor any liens on. real estate
The declaration of the plaintiffs being fatally defective, the demurrer should have been sustained; therefore, the verdict is set aside, the judgment reversed and the case remanded to the circuit court of Barbour county, with leave to plaintiffs to amend their declaration, if they be so advised, and for a new trial of the case.
Reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- State for the Use of the Zell Guano Co. v. Chrislip
- Status
- Published