Coopers & Clark v. Wolf

15 Ohio St. (N.S.) 523
Ohio Supreme Court·Decided December 15, 1864·Published

Opinions

Welch, J.

The original case was an action brought in the court of common pleas of Muskingum county, by the plaintiffs, upon the official bond of Wolf, given by him as sheriff of said county, to recover the amount of two judgments, which they had recovered against the Central Ohio Railroad Company, executions upon which, had been placed in his hands as such sheriff. The plaintiffs requested the sheriff to levy upon and sell certain articles of-personal property which they pointed out, and which they claimed was1 the property of the railroad company,,and liable to seizure and' sale; but the sheriff refused so to do, and made return of no property.

The property so pointed out was of two descriptions: 1. New articles, such as castings, tires, oil and wood, procured for the running and use of the road, but which had not yet been actually attached thereto, or used; and, 2. Old or castoff articles, such as broken wheels, broken rails, broken tires, and other scrap and refuse iron, which had been used, but which had ceased to be of any value to the company, except for sale, or for the manufacturing of new articles, or in exchange therefor.

[525]*525The property was in the actual possession of the company, and the value of the old articles alone exceeded the amount of the executions.

The defense set up was, that this property belonged to the mortgagees of the railroad company, and was not liable to be seized on executions against the company.

The cause was submitted to a jury, who, under the instruction of the court, found a verdict of nominal damages for the plaintiffs.

On the trial, it was shown that six several mortgages had been executed by the company, long before the date of the executions, for an aggregate amount, far exceeding the value of the mortgaged property; that the mortgages had become absolute by the non-payment of interest due thereon, and, that the company were still in possession of the mortgaged property, and operating the road.

The mortgages were executed under a provision of the company’s charter, which authorizes it to pledge, by mortgage or otherwise, its “ entire road, franchises, fixtures and equipments, with the income and resources thereof, together with the capital stoeh.”

All of the mortgages, but one, were executed after the passage of the act of February 9,1853 (S. Stat. 242), which provides that such mortgages, when recorded — as these were— “ shall be a good and substantial lien, as well upon the personal as real property of the company.”

The language of the mortgages, so far as regards the description of personal property pledged, is: “All the following present and future to be acquired property ” of the company, . . . “ its engines, tenders, cars, tools, materials, machinery, contracts, and all other personal propeiiy, right thereto, or interest therein.”

Each of the mortgages, with one exception, contained a provision that the company might dispose of, or pledge property not used or necessary to the use or running of the road, provided they should apply all the proceeds to the use and benefit of the road; and the proof showed that the company [526]*526had exercised this power from time to time, without objection by the mortgagees.

It was claimed on the part of the plaintiffs, that this property, especially the cast-off and refuse articles and iron, were not embraced, or had ceased to be embraced, in the mortgages, and that they were, therefore, entitled to recover its full value, not exceeding the amount of their judgments; while, for the defendants, it was contended that it was covered by the mortgages, and that there should be a verdict for nominal damages, only.

The court charged the -jury, as to the second class of articles, which the court denominated the “ fragments-, clippings and scraps,” that, “ if in the judicious and proper management of the road, it was necessary that these should be worked up in necessary construction and repairs, then such fragments, clippings and scraps are not the subject of sale under plaintiffs’ executions,” and that, in that case, only nominal damages should be assessed, if the amount of the mortgages exceeded the value of the mortgaged property.

The plaintiffs excepted to this charge, and thereupon requested the court to charge the jury as follows:

1. If the fragments, clippings and scraps of iron, etc., described in the testimony, were of such character, that they could not be used or employed by the company upon the road, or in repairs upon the road or its machinery, and were of no service to the company, except to sell, they were subject to sale on plaintiffs’ execution, notwithstanding the fact, that if the company had had a foundry and forge, it might have reworked the fragments into materials for use.

Which charge the court refused to give, and, on the contrary, charged the jury, that in the case above named, such property was not subject to sale, if an economical and proper management of the road required such materials to be worked up, though the company had not sufficient machinery for such purpose.

To which refusal to charge as requested, and the charge as given, the plaintiffs excepted.

[527]*527They also requested the court to charge:

2. That the selling the scrap iron which the railroad company had not the means of working, within themselves, to another company or person, though coupled with an agreement to receive the pay therefor, in machinery or materials for the road, was not an application of such scrap and other fragments to the uses of the road, within the meaning of the charge of the court previously given to the jury.

The court refused to so charge the jury, but charged, that if the scrap and fragments admitted of being worked over into materials, which could be used by the company, the company might so work it; or, if they had not appliances with which to so work it, they might sell it to others, who had such appliances, in exchange for necessary materials, or get it worked over by others.

To this, also, the counsel excepted.

A motion for a new trial was overruled, and judgment was entered on the verdict for nominal damages, and requiring each party to pay his own costs.

The errors assigned, are: that the court misdirected the jury; that the motion for a new trial, was overruled; and that plaintiffs had no judgment for costs.

It is conceded that the judgment, as to costs, is erroneous, and should so far be reversed, and that the plaintiffs should have a judgment for their costs below.

No error can be well predicated upon the refusal of the motion for a new trial, except for misdirection of the court, because the record does not show what the evidence proved, but only what it tended to prove.

As to the right of the plaintiffs to levy upon the new or after-acquired articles of property, no question seems now to be raised. The case of Coe v. The C. P. I. R. R. Co. (10 Ohio St. Rep. 372), settles any such question in favor of the mortgagees.

That there should be a verdict for nominal damages only, in case the property was all covered by the mortgages, they being far more than its value, is established by the decision [528]*528of this court, in Coe v.

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Coopers & Clark v. Wolf, 15 Ohio St. (N.S.) 523 (Ohio 1864).

15 Ohio St. (N.S.) 523 (Coopers & Clark v. Wolf) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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