Benj. Harris & Co. v. Western Smelting & Refining Co.

54 N.E.2d 900, 322 Ill. App. 609, 1944 Ill. App. LEXIS 772
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedApril 26, 1944
DocketGen. No. 42,828
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 54 N.E.2d 900 (Benj. Harris & Co. v. Western Smelting & Refining Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Benj. Harris & Co. v. Western Smelting & Refining Co., 54 N.E.2d 900, 322 Ill. App. 609, 1944 Ill. App. LEXIS 772 (Ill. Ct. App. 1944).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Burke

delivered the opinion of the court.

On January 8,1937, Benj. Harris & Company, a corporation of Chicago Heights, Illinois, filed an attachment suit in the municipal court of Chicago against Western Smelting & Refining Company, a corporation of Omaha, Nebraska. Mitchell-Jackson, Inc., a corporation, which operates a storage warehouse at 1107 South Washtenaw avenue, Chicago, was named as garnishee. On January 9, 1937 an attachment writ was served on Mitchell-Jackson, Inc., as garnishee. On February 10, 1937 the garnishee filed its answer, stating that it had in its possession “one carload of copper, ’ ’ which it received on May 5, 1934; that it had no knowledge of any interest of the defendant in the merchandise; that the shipment was placed in its warehouse for storage by the Bekins Van & Storage Company, a corporation of Omaha, Nebraska, and that it was advised that the latter was in possession of the warehouse receipt. Melvin Bekins filed an intervening petition on behalf of Bekins Van & Storage Company. A trial resulted in a judgment for the plaintiff and against defendant and the garnishee was ordered to deliver the carload of brass forthwith to the bailiff on special execution. Upon an appeal to this court the judgment was affirmed. The opinion was reported in abstract form. (294 Ill. App. 610.) A petition for leave to appeal from the judgment of this court was denied. On July 19, 1938 defendant and intervenor filed a petition in the municipal court of Chicago under section 21 of the act governing that court, seeking to vacate the judgment on the ground that the plaintiff had amended its statement of claim, increasing its damages without notice to defendant, which had been served by publication. The trial court entered an order denying the petition. Upon appeal we reversed the order and remanded the cause with directions to allow the prayer of the petition. (302 Ill. App. 535.) The case was redocketed in the municipal court of Chicago and plaintiff republished against the defendant in the attachment proceeding. After the second publication the defendant filed its answer and the case was again tried. The attachment was sustained and judgment entered against defendant for $3,960.89 and costs, and it was ordered that a general and special execution issue against the carload of brass in the possession of the garnishee. The judgment order specifically directed the garnishee to deliver the carload of brass forthwith to the bailiff on special execution. On appeal we modified the judgment by deducting the sum of $660 allowed as interest, making the judgment $3,300.89, and affirmed the judgment as modified. (313 Ill. App. 455.) The Supreme Court granted leave to appeal and affirmed the judgment of this court. ,(381 Ill. 443.) After the case was redocketed in the trial court a judgment was entered in accordance with the mandate of this court, reducing the judgment to $3,300.89 and costs, with interest thereon from January 29, 1941. Special execution was placed with the bailiff. A bailiff’s sale was held on February 16, 1943. Plaintiff was the successful bidder in the sum of $5,500 for “one carload of mixed brass.” Thereby, plaintiff purchased from the bailiff “one carload of mixed brass.” It paid the sum of $2,125.46 to the bailiff to cover garnishee’s unpaid charges and $121 to cover bailiff’s fees and expenses. The balance of the bid in the sum of $3,253.54 was credited by the bailiff in partial satisfaction of plaintiff’s judgment against defendant, leaving a deficiency of $47.35, plus interest at 5 per cent per annum of $3,300.89 from January 29, 1941 to the date of the sale. The sale was conducted at the warehouse. There was no request that the brass be weighed at the warehouse at any time prior to the bailiff’s sale. A day or two after the sale plaintiff caused the brass to be weighed at the warehouse and it weighed 47,055 pounds. The brass was shipped from the warehouse in Chicago to plaintiff’s plant at Chicago Heights on February 20,1943. When weighed on arrival at the plaintiff’s plant, the brass weighed 46.732 pounds.

On March 4, 1943 plaintiff filed a petition in the municipal court of Chicago, setting forth the facts substantially as recited above, and also alleging that after the sale plaintiff took possession of,the brass delivered to it by the bailiff and caused the same to be weighed and found for the first time that 53,293 pounds of brass were missing; that it immediately notified the bailiff and the garnishee of the shortage; that since it has been negotiating with the garnishee in an attempt to effect an adjustment; that plaintiff’s bid was based “on the fact that this court had adjudicated that said carload of brass consisted of 100,025 pounds of brass,” whereas in truth and in fact plaintiff received only 46.732 pounds of brass; that plaintiff was holding the brass so delivered and offered to return the brass to the bailiff. Plaintiff in its petition prayed (a) that the bailiff’s sale be vacated, set aside and held for naught, and that the partial satisfaction on account of the judgment by the credit of a portion of the proceeds of the sale be vacated and set aside and held for naught, and that the bailiff and garnishee be directed to return to plaintiff all sums of money received by either of them in connection with or as a result of the sale: (b) that judgment be entered in favor of plaintiff and against the garnishee for the value of the brass representing the shortage; (c) that a new sale be held by the bailiff of the brass which petitioner is holding for the bailiff; (d) that the garnishee show cause why it should not be held for contempt of court for failure or refusal to deliver to the bailiff all of the brass which it had in its possession at the time it was served with the attachment writ; (e) that the court authorize and direct such proceedings or steps as may be proper or necessary to recover for the use and benefit of plaintiff, the value of the brass represented by the shortage; and (f) that plaintiff have such other and further relief in the premises as to the court may seem meet. Answers were filed by the garnishee, the defendant and the bailiff. After a trial before the court on May 5, 1943 an order was entered finding that the facts were substantially as contended by plaintiff; that the fair cash market value of the brass at the time of the sale was $6.10 per 100 pounds; and that the fair cash market value of the 53,293 pounds of brass was $3,250.87. The court found in favor of plaintiff and against garnishee and entered judgment for $3,250.87, and further ordered that the petition be dismissed as to the defendant and bailiff. Garnishee appeals.

The trial court heard the testimony of numerous witnesses and read many exhibits and found that on April 5, 1934 the Santa Fe railroad delivered one carload containing 100,025 pounds of brass to defendant at garnishee’s warehouse; that the garnishee issued its warehouse receipt No. 587 covering the carload of brass; that on January 9, 1937, while this carload of brass was in possession of the garnishee, the latter was served with an attachment writ and garnishee summons; that special execution having been issued in favor of defendant for use of plaintiff and against the garnishee, the bailiff held a sale on February 16,1943; that plaintiff appeared at the sale and bid $5,500 for all right, title and interest of the defendant in and to the carload of brass covered by warehouse receipt No.

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Bluebook (online)
54 N.E.2d 900, 322 Ill. App. 609, 1944 Ill. App. LEXIS 772, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/benj-harris-co-v-western-smelting-refining-co-illappct-1944.