Clark v. Dreyer

9 Colo. App. 453
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 15, 1897
StatusPublished

This text of 9 Colo. App. 453 (Clark v. Dreyer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Clark v. Dreyer, 9 Colo. App. 453 (Colo. Ct. App. 1897).

Opinion

Bissell, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

This is probably the final chapter in the history of a litigation which commenced in 1891. Wolaver, the sheriff of Weld county, seized some property belonging to one Schmidt. After he had taken possession, Eliza Schmidt, the judgment debtor’s wife, brought suit in replevin for the property against Wolaver, and the judgment plaintiff, Dreyer, claiming it under a chattel mortgage which had been executed to secure a debt. The property was taken under the writ and delivered to Mrs. Schmidt. At the time process was sued out, Clark and Koch executed an undertaking as provided by statute, which in the usual form recited that the defendants had possession of certain named property, consisting of cows, heifers and steers, of the value of $700. The undertaking bound the obligors to the sum of $1,400, for the prosecution of the action with effect, and for the return of the property to the defendant, if return thereof be adjudged, and likewise to pay whatever sum of money should be recovered against the plaintiff. This replevin suit was tried in the county court of Arapahoe county, and resulted in a judgment in favor of the defendants. From that judgment the plaintiff prosecuted an appeal to the district court. The appeal was subsequently dismissed, and when the cause came again to the county court Mrs. Schmidt attempted to pay the judgment as it had been entered, and avoid any further responsibility as to herself or bondsmen with reference to that judgment. This is the occasion of the present appeal. When the judgment was originally entered in the replevin suit in the county court, the record shows the entry was simply for the defendants and for their costs. After the plaintiff had thus attempted to dispose of the ease, and some years after the entry of the original judgment, the defendants filed a motion to correct the judgment entry, and have it recite a judgment substantially that the property should be returned, or its value paid, which was $700. After the decision of this motion, in which the county court ordered its judgment [455]*455amended, and suit was begun to enforce it, Mrs. Schmidt sought to restrain the county court from further proceeding in the premises. This matter came on to be heard and resulted in an adverse judgment, from which an appeal was taken to this court. The cause was reviewed, and the judgment of the district court, which held the proceedings in the other tribunal regular, was affirmed. This case is reported in this volume on page 41, to which reference can be made if parties desire to further follow up the history of this litigation. After the writ of prohibition was denied, and about a year ago, the obligees in the undertaking brought suit thereon in the county court to enforce the liability resulting from the failure to return the property or to pay its value, which, of course, was fixed b}r the bond and nunc pro tunc judgment at $700. No substantial defense was interposed other than what arose, if at all, from the amendment of the original judgment from one simply for costs to one in the alternative to return the property or pay its value. When the parties attempted to prove their case, various objections were offered to the introduction of the amended record. The original record was offered by the defendants.

The only question suggested or urged in the argument is as to the liability of the sureties to respond according to the terms of their undertaking, when the only evidence of the breach rests on proof of the amended judgment, the demand for the delivery of the property, and the failure to surrender it. The theory of the appellants is that the sureties cannot be made liable because the original judgment did not provide for the return of the property nor award any money judgment against the plaintiff, and the court, in amending its judgment, did that which would release the sureties from their responsibility, or did that from which no liability against them would arise, and that they were entitled to notice of what was to be done, that they might resist it if the obligees would make them respond according to the terms of their obligation. We are unable to appreciate the force of these objections. According to the terms of the undertaking, the [456]*456sureties bound themselves to return the property which was seized on the writ, if its return should be awarded, or pay whatever money judgment should be entered if the return was not had. This was their promise, and nothing whatever is sought to be enforced against them except the contract into which they voluntarily entered. The force and effect of the nunc pro tunc judgment as against the sureties seems to us precisely the same as would have been the force and effect of the judgment had the record entry originally recited that it was for the return of the property or the payment of its value. Their liability has in no way been enlarged or increased, varied or altered, but they are now simply called on to do that which they agreed to perform, to wit, return the property or pay its value, if the plaintiff in the replevin suit should fail to prosecute it with effect, or, the return being adjudged, should fail to redeliver the property. The judgment against them simply compels the performance of their agreement. The judgment is in no wise changed, because, as we held in the case of Schmidt v. Dreyer and Wolaver, and as the court below found, the original judgment did provide for the return of the property or the payment of its ascertained value. We have been referred to no case which directly determines this question. A case is cited from Missouri (Koch v. The Atlantic Pacific R. R. Co., 77 Mo. 354), which undoubtedly holds the obligee on an appeal bond may not recover against the obligors for the amount of the judgment as it was fixed by a nunc pro tune entry. In that ease a judgment was rendered against a party for the value of property killed by the railroad company, and the judgment was entered for $50.00. According to the statute the plaintiff was entitled to recover double that amount, the additional sum being in the nature of a penalty for the act. After the judgment was entered for $50.00, an appeal was taken to the supreme court, and a bond given to stay the execution. Subsequently the judgment was corrected, so that it was for $100 in place of $50.00. We do not regard this case as at all similar to the present, or con-[457]*457elusive on this hearing. The sureties on the appeal bond simply promised and agreed that the railroad company should pay the judgment of 150.00 in case it should be affirmed. There was a specific promise and undertaking as to a definite judgment. In the present case the undertaking which the sureties executed fixed their liability, and their promise was to either return the property or pay its value. The property was named in the undertaking, and that specific property was to be returned. The amended judgment in no manner enlarges or changes the liability assumed by the obligors; it simply puts in definite form the judgment which the court entered, whereby the obligees are entitled to enforce the undertaking. It has often been held that sureties are liable for whatever is done in court in the natural and regular proceedings in the tribunal where the case may be pending, and that they are liable on their promise regardless of the orders which the court may make in the premises.

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Koch v. Atlantic & Pacific Railroad
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
9 Colo. App. 453, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/clark-v-dreyer-coloctapp-1897.