Blyth v. People

16 Colo. App. 526
Colorado Court of Appeals·Decided September 15, 1901·No. No. 2033·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

Thomson, J.

The defendant, Michael Blyth, was the sheriff of Fremont county, and the other defendants were the sureties on his official bond. The bond was payable to the people of the state of Colorado, and was conditioned that Blyth should well and faithfully execute the duties of his office, perform all and every act enjoined on him by virtue of his office without fraud, deceit or oppression, and pay over all moneys that might come into his hands by virtue of his office, to the person or persons entitled to receive the same. The complaint alleged that on the 5th day of May, 1896, in the district court of Arapahoe county, The Geyserite Soap Company recovered judgment against The Florence Canning Company for $540 and costs; that on the 6th day of May, 1896, an execution on the judgment was issued and delivered to Blyth, as sheriff, commanding him of the goods and chattels of the defendant company, to make the amount of the judgment and costs; that on the 16th day of May, 1896, he levied the execution on property of the judgment defendant’ and on the 4th day of August, 1896, pursuant to the execution, sold the property so levied on, for the sum of $450.30 ; that the taxable costs amounted to $208.30; that after the payment of the costs, there was left in Blyth’s hands, applicable to the payment of the judgment, the sum of $242 ; that about the 1st of October, 1896, and at different times afterwards, the execution plaintiff made demand upon Blyth that he pay the $242 into court, or to the plaintiff, to be applied upon the judgment, but that no part of the money was paid ; that on the 15th day of February, 1897, on motion of the judgment plaintiff, the district court of Arapahoe county entered the [528] following order in the cause: “ It is ordered, adjudged and decreed that said Michael Blyth, sheriff of Fremont county, within twenty days from the entry of this decree, pay to said plaintiff said sum of $242, to be credited upon the judgment of said plaintiff, rendered in this action, and that he further pay the costs of this hearing; ” but that Blyth did not, within twenty days, or ever, pay any part of the money to the plaintiff, or to anyone in its behalf.

The defendants answered admitting the execution of the bond; the recovery of the judgment by the relator against The Florence Canning Company; the issuance of the execution on the judgment; the levy of the execution ; the sale of the property for $450.30; and the nonpayment of any portion of the money on the relator’s judgment. The answer also admitted, by not denying, the order upon Blyth to pay the relator $242, to be credited upon its judgment and its demand for the money before the entry of the order. The answer also alleged, by way of affirmative defense, that a large part of the property levied upon was perishable, and for its preservation required the care of a custodian; that for the purpose of such preservation, Blyth appointed a custodian, who took charge of the property, and retained it in his possession eighty-one days, until its sale; that the amount owing to the custodian, for his services, was $405; that the legal fees and charges of Blyth, as sheriff, for levying the execution and making the sale, was $46.30, and that the aggregate amount of the fees and charges of the sheriff and custodian was $450.30 ; that the purchaser of the property was F. M. Peters, the custodian, who, being the only bidder at the sale, offered a sum exactly equal to his own charges, plus the fees of Blyth; and that by the sale, all moneys due the custodian and Blyth were paid, and nothing more.

The following is the only part of the replication which we regard as of any importance: “ Plaintiffs allege that the said Michael Blyth returned on said execution his bill of costs, and that as one item, the costs which he sought to have taxed upon and allowed in his behalf on said execution, he [529] returned the sum of $405 as custodian’s fee. And that on the 31st day of August, 1896, The Geyserite Soap Company, plaintiff in said action, filed its motion in said district court asking said court to retax the costs as returned by said Michael Blyth as sheriff upon said Writ of execution. That on the 21st day of October, 1896, said motion duly came on for hearing before the district court of Arapahoe county, Colorado, in which said action was pending, and from which said execution issued. That upon said hearing the said district court of Arapahoe county entered the following order:

“ ‘ Now come the parties by their attorneys, and this cause coming on to be heard upon the. motion of the plaintiff for a retaxation of the costs of the sheriff in the above cause, and the court being fully advised in the premises, finds that the charge of said sheriff for custodian’s fees is excessive. It is, therefore, ordered, adjudged and decreed that the said bill of said sheriff for $5 per day for 81 days for custodian’s fees is hereby disallowed; and the court being satisfied that $2 per day is a fair and reasonable compensation for the services rendered by the custodian in this case, the said sheriff is allowed to charge as part of his costs herein the sum of $2 per day for 81 days for the custodian of said property while the same remained in his possession. It is further ordered that the return of sheriff be amended in accordance with the above order.’ ” •

At the trial, counsel for the people offered in evidence the record in the case of The Geyserite Soap Co. v. The Florence Canning Co. The return upon the sheriff’s execution, which was received in evidence without objection, was that he had ’executed the writ by levying upon certain property, personal and real, of the execution defendant, describing the same, and, after due advertisement, by selling the same to the highest and best bidder for $450.30, such bidder being F. M. Peters, who bought the property to protect the fees of the custodian and sheriff, and the expenses of printing. The introduction of the order on the motion [530] to retax the costs was resisted for two reasons: First, that the complaint did not show notice of the motion to have been given; and, second, that the order was pleaded in the replication, and not in the complaint. Both objections were overruled.

1. The order recites the appearance of the parties by counsel, and it was proved that Blyth was present at the hearing of the motion, in person and by attorney, and that his attorney was heard in his behalf. The only purpose of notice is to bring parties into court, and if they come without it, it is unnecessary. Bjr his appearance at the hearing, Blyth waived service of notice, so that there is nothing in the first objection.

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Blyth v. People, 16 Colo. App. 526 (Colo. Ct. App. 1901).

16 Colo. App. 526 (Blyth v. People) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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