Cassill v. Morrow

82 N.W. 418, 13 S.D. 109, 1900 S.D. LEXIS 119
South Dakota Supreme Court·Decided April 3, 1900·Published

Opinion

Fuller, P. J.

Pursuant to leave of court first obtained, and upon due notice, an execution issued on a dormant judgment against the defendant Joseph Morrow, and was returned wholly unsatisfied prior to the commencement of this action to subject to the lien thereof certain real property to which the defendant Eliza Morrow holds the legal title, and of which it is allged her husband, the defendant Joseph Morrow, is the real owner. In his answer such ownership of the property, or any interest whatever in the defendant Joseph Morrow, is expressly denied, and as a further defense it is alleged, “That on or about the first day of April, 1893, the judgment referred to in the plaintiff’s, complaint as a basis of this action was the property of Russell & Co.; that at the time this defendant was insolvent, and unable to pay all his debts; that one D. T. Gear-[111] hart was a land agent and a collection agent residing at the town of Hawarden, and the state of Iowa, and that this defendant employed the said D. T. Gearhart to correspond for him with the said Russell & Go., and, if possible, procure from them a compromise for this defendant of the said judgment, that is, to negotiate to have them accept a sum less than the face value of the said judgment in full satisfaction of the same; that the said D. T. Gearhart did correspond with the said Russell & Co., and that the said Russell & Go. agreed with the said D. T. Gear-hart, as the agent of this defendant, that they would accept from this defendant the sum of $152 in full satisfaction of the said judgment; and that the said D. T. Gearhart violated the trusts placed in him by this defendant, and for the purpose and ■with the intent to defraud this defendant out of the settlement with this company. Russell & Co. and the said D. T. Gearhart went to George F. Watt, the party claiming to own the judgment, and informed him of the existence of the said judgment, and that the company bad agreed to accept $152 in full satisfaction thereof from this defendant, and that he, the said D. T. Gearhart, was acting for this defendant as his agent; but, in order that he might collect the whole of said judgment from this defendant, amounting to, in the aggregate, about $1,200, the said D. T. Gearhart and G. F. Watt conspired together and purchased the said judgment, and the said D. T. Gearhart, without informing this defendant in any manner, negotiated for a settlement of the said judgment, and wrote the said company, and procured from them an assignment to the said G. F. Watt, and, instead of informing this defendant of the fact that he could furnish the $152 to satisfy the judgment, which Russell & Go. agreed to take in full satisfaction of the said judg[112] ment, he procured from the said G. F. Watt the §152, and sent it to the company, and took an assignment of said judgment, fraudulently intending to compel this defendant to pay the full amount of the said judgment, knowing that the company had agreed to take $152.’’ The answer concludes with an averment that'the defendant Joseph Morrow, prior to the commencement of this suit, and after the execution mentioned in the complaint was issued, tendered to G. F. Watt and D. T. Gearhart $152, with accrued interest, which he now brings into court and demands full satisfaction and discharge of the judgment. Upon the theory that the judgment debtor had established the foregoing defense, and was entitled to the relief prayed for, the trial court omitted to find either way as to the ownership of the premises, although the evidence relative to that issue was conflicting. From a decree accordingly entered, directing the clerk of the circuit court to cancel the judgment made the basis of this action, and to pay to plaintiff, for the use of Watt and -Gearhart, the money brought into court, and awarding said plaintiff judgment against the defendant Joseph Morrow for costs, and from an order overruling a motion for a new trial, this appeal was taken.

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Cassill v. Morrow, 82 N.W. 418, 13 S.D. 109, 1900 S.D. LEXIS 119 (S.D. 1900).

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