Citizens' National Bank v. Loomis

69 N.W. 443, 100 Iowa 266
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedDecember 11, 1896
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 69 N.W. 443 (Citizens' National Bank v. Loomis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Citizens' National Bank v. Loomis, 69 N.W. 443, 100 Iowa 266 (iowa 1896).

Opinion

Kinne, J.

2 I. Appellee insists that, even if there was error in the ruling of the court in the respects hereafter spoken of, the same was without prejudice, for the reason that plaintiff has no right to prosecute this suit. The claim is that the assignment of the judgment alone did not carry with it to plaintiff the right to sue the sheriff for damages arising by reason of his alleged negligence in permitting the property levied upon to be disposed of. Just what rights will pass by the assignment of a judgment to an assignee, other than the right to enforce the judgment in the usual way, has never been determined by this court. In this case, the assignment, in terms, related to the judgment only. If, therefore, plaintiff has a right to sue -the sheriff for [269]*269negligence, it is because sucb right passed by the assignment of the judgment, as an incident to it. If appellee’s claim is sound, then no right of action, as against the sheriff, for damages, passed to the plaintiff bank, by the assignment. Now, the right, if any, to recover damages, existed and was vested in Smith, the possessor of the judgment, prior to the time the assignment was made. If it did not pass by the assignment of the judgment, it must still remain in Smith. It can hardly be successfully contended that Smith might part with all his interest in the judgment, and still reserve to himself the right to sue the sheriff for damages arising out of failure to do his duty in relation to the disposition of the property which had been taken on a writ issued by virtue of the very claim upon which the j udgment itself was based. Nor can it be said-that the assignment of the judgment had the effect of absolving the sheriff from liability for negligence in caring for the attached property. Hence we think, if a cause of action existed against the sheriff for damages for such negligence, prior to the assignment of the judgment, it must be held to still exist in favor of some one, inasmuch as there is no claim that it has been satisfied, or-been barred by the statute of limitations. As we have indicated, "Smith, having parted with his interest in the judgment, could not maintain an action against the sheriff, because it was the interest in the judgment, alone, which entitled him to claim damages for the negligent loss of the property upon which he relied for the satisfaction of the same. Now, the original case was by the defendant appealed to this court, where the judgment was affirmed. A special execution properly issued for the sale of the attached'property. That the right to this execution passed by the assignment of the judgment cannot be doubted. So, also, the assignee would have the right to have the property [270]*270sold, and the proceeds applied in payment of the judgment. Now, if the sheriff, has, by negligence, permitted the property to be lost, destroyed, or disposed of, so that it cannot be reached by this special execution, he has thereby deprived the present holder of the judgment of a substantial right, for which, in a proper case, he should be held liable to make restitution, It is the general rule that the “assignment of a judgment necessarily carries with it the' cause of action on which it is based, together with all the beneficial interest of the assignor in the judgment and all its incidents.” 2 Freeman, Judgm. section 431; Ullman v. Kline, 87 Ill; 268; Ryall v. Rowles, 2 White & T. Lead. Cas. Eq. p. 1667; Schlieman v. Bowlin, 36 Minn. 198 (30 N. W. Rep. 879). In the Minnesota case above cited, which was an action upon a replevin bond by the assignee of the judgment, the- court said: “It is a familiar rule in equity, of universal application, that the assignment of a demand entitled the assignee to every assignable remedy, lien, or security available by the assignor as a means of indemnity or payment, unless expressly excepted or reserved in the transfer of the demand. The assignment of the demand, which is the principal thing, operates as an assignment of all securities for its recovery or collection, and upon such securities the assignee, as the real party in interest, may maintain an action in his own name.” 2 Jones, Mortg. sections 829, 1316, 1377. In the Illinois case it was held that an appeal bond was but an incident of the debt, and a right to sue thereon was vested in the assignee of the judgment. As supporting the general rule above stated, see 1 Am. & Eng. Enc., Law, p. 884; 2 Black, Judgm. sections 948, 952. So, it has been held that the assignee of a judgment takes the assignor’s right to enforce the judgment by supplemental proceedings. Burns v. Bangert, 16 Mo. App. 22. We are aware of the fact that there are some authorities which [271]*271fio not go to the extent of those above cited. Thus, in Michigan it has been held that where an attachment was issued and levied upon property, and a statutory bond given to the sheriff by the defendant, who retained possession of the property, and the judgment was afterwards assigned by an instrument that did not mention the bond, such assignment did not authorize the .assignee to sue upon the bond in his own name. Forrest v. O’Donnell, 42 Mich. 556 (4 N. W. Rep. 259). And see Timberlake v. Powell, 99 N. C. 233 (5 S. E. Rep. 410). We think that the assignment of the judgment in the case at bar carried with it the right to the assignee to avail himself of any remedy or means of indemnity, security, or payment possessed by, or which could have been made available tq, the assignor, as against the sheriff.

8 IE. On the trial, the defendant introduced evidence tending to show that, at the time the property was levied upon, the attorney for the plaintiff in that action, directed the deputy sheriff, who made the levy, to place the goods in the custody of one Griffith, as receiptor, and that it was done. The receipt of Griffith for the goods appears on the writ, but not in the return. This evidence, and more of a similar character, was objected to, on the ground that it tended to contradict the return of the officer. The court held, that the return could not be contradicted by parol, but said: “The fact that, by direction of plaintiff, it [the property] was turned over to the receiptor, if it was, does not contradict the levy.” It may be conceded to be the general rule, that a sheriff's return cannot be contradicted by parol evidence; that in a suit by the creditor against the sheriff, his return is prima facie, if not conclusive evidence against the officer. Tillman v. Davis, 28 Ga. 494; Crocker Sher. section 46; Murfree, Sher. section 866; Macomber v. Wright (Mich.) (65 N. W. Rep. 610); [272]*272Drake, Attachm. sections 204, 206; 1 Shinn, Attachm. sections 226, 227; 22 Am. & Eng. Enc. Law, pages, 688, 684. By an examination of the foregoing authorities, and the cases therein referred to, it will be seen that there are many exceptions to this .rule. Our statute provides: “The sheriff shall return upon every attachment what he has done under it. The return must show the property attached, the time it was attached, and the disposition made of it. * * *” Code, section 3010. It is also well settled, that return upon a writ of attachment is evidence only, of what can properly be embraced in the return. In Aultman v. McGrady, 58 Iowa, 118 (12 N. W. Rep. 233), it is said: “There is no provision for a return showing the acts of any one but the officer.

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Bluebook (online)
69 N.W. 443, 100 Iowa 266, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/citizens-national-bank-v-loomis-iowa-1896.