Covert v. Bray

60 N.E. 709, 26 Ind. App. 671, 1901 Ind. App. LEXIS 328
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 28, 1901
DocketNo. 3,745
StatusPublished

This text of 60 N.E. 709 (Covert v. Bray) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Covert v. Bray, 60 N.E. 709, 26 Ind. App. 671, 1901 Ind. App. LEXIS 328 (Ind. Ct. App. 1901).

Opinion

Comstock, J.

The appellee in this case obtained a judgment in the superior court of Vanderburgh county against Thomas 1ST. Beidleman, foreclosing a mortgage for $896.33. The appellant, Wedding, one of the defendants in the same proceeding, obtained a judgment upon his cross-complaint' against John Houghland, the then owner of the property, for $1,256.80. The court ordered the property described therein to be sold by the sheriff to satisfy the said judgments, and the proceeds to be applied, first, to the payment of the judgment, interest, and costs due the appellee Bray [672]*672from Beidleman, his claim being a prior lien, the balance to be applied on the claim of appellant Wedding against Lloughland. The sheriff thereupon advertised the real estate as required by the decree, and upon the day before the day set for the sale by the sheriff, appellant Wedding entered himself replevin bail for the judgment of the appellee Bray, and thereupon the order of sale was returned. ' Wedding, upon the day following, caused another copy of the order to1 be issued to the sheriff, and said property was advertised for sale on the 4th day of August, 1898. The notice of sale as the same was published by appellant is as follows: “Sheriff’s sale Eo. 273 (re-advertised.) By virtue of an order of sale issued out of the office of the clerk of tire superior court of Vanderburgh county, in the case of Madison J. Bray, Jr., and against Thomas E. Beidleman, et ah,” etc., and is in form exactly like the first advertisement of sale except the word “re-advertised.” At the time of the second advertisement the stay was entered upon the decree as follows: “I hereby acknowledge myself replevin bail for the within judgment in favor of Madison J. Bray, Jr., with costs and accruing costs. Charles L. Wedding.” Five days before the sale was advertised to take place appellee brought suit to restrain the appellants Wedding .and Covert, sheriff, from selling the property upon the judgment and decree in favor of Wedding, upon the ground “that the sale or offer for sale of said real estate under said order of sale now in the hands of the sheriff prior to the expiration of said stay will be irregular and illegal and will cast a cloud upon the plaintiff’s rights under said decree and will cause him irreparable damage and injury for which he will have no adequate remedy at law.” Wedding filed a sworn answer to said application and asked that no> injunction be granted and that the proceedings be dismissed for want of equity. The answer alleges that “the said defendant holds a second claim on said real estate which is wholly inadequate and insufficient to pay both of said judgments and decrees against it, it not being [673]*673worth exceeding $1,300, while the two judgments and decrees are about $2,200, and, as. shown in said records copied into plaintiff’s complaint, said plaintiff’s claim is first and prior upon said real estate, and the defendant is now seeking a sale upon his judgment and decree in all respects subject to the prior claim of said plaintiff; that this defendant, being duly qualified to do so, stayed said plaintiff’s judgment, because it was not convenient for him to pay off said claim at the time of said sale in the event that he became the purchaser, which he is likely to be, or there will be no sale; that he stayed said plaintiff’s judgment as set out, and that his own judgment and decree were not stayed, or in any way postponed or delayed, and that he is entitled to sell said real estate subject to said plaintiff’s claim. That the charge and claim by said plaintiff that said sale by said defendant on his judgment will cause said plaintiff irreparable damage for which he will have no- remedy is groundless, not only for the facts recited, but. for the further reason that said defendant Charles L. Wedding is in all respects and unconditionally liable for the judgment of the said plaintiff, interest, and costs, as replevin bail, and said judgment is a valid, subsisting, and undisputed lien upon all the defendant’s real estate in Vanderburgh county, Indiana, and that said defendant owns by absolute deed in his own right unencumbered real estate in said county of the value of more than $10,000, or more than ten times the amount of said plaintiff’s judgment, interest, and cost, and hence by said stay said plaintiff not only holds his priority upon said mortgaged lot, but has a prior and first lien on more than $10,000 worth of unencumbered real estate, hence defendant says that no possible harimcan come to- the said plaintiff by said defendant’s sale, but, on the other hand, if the sale is delayed and enjoined by this court, this defendant will be seriously and probably irreparably injured for three reasons. As shown, said property is wholly insuffi[674]*674dent to pay the defendant’s claim; that the defendant John IToughland is probably insolvent, but defendant hopes, if he can get execution issued promptly after said sale August 4, 1898, that he can find personal property out of which he can make the balance on part of his judgment, which will be at least $1,000, after said mortgaged property is exhausted, and that his judgment is not stayed or secured, yet he is not able to proceed upon it till he has sold said real estate, as no execution can be issued, in his opinion, till such sale, and that delaying his sale till the stay on said Bray’s judgment expires would not only embarrass Mm by the delay, and occasion Mm loss, but would render less effective and probably useless any efforts on his part to collect by execution the balance of his said judgment.

Upon the complaint and this answer and motion a temporary restraining order was issued and exception duly taken. Afterwards, to wit, on the 6th of September, the sheriff, Covert, filed his separate answer stating that a decree and order of sale was in his hands showing that the judgment in favor of Bray was duly stayed before the serving of said decree, and that the judgment and decree in favor of Wedding were not stayed; that he was proceeding to sell said real estate as Bray was informed upon the judgment and decree in favor of Wedding in all respects subject to the prior judgment and lien of Bray, and that as a part of his official duty in said sale he would show by proper return on said order of sale that the sale was upon the judgment and decree in favor of Wedding only, and in all respects subject to the prior judgment and lien of Bray. Upon the same day appellant Wedding filed another answer and motion to dissolve the temporary injunction granted and to dismiss the appellee’s suit, reciting virtually the same facts set out in the prior answer, and in addition showing that the sheriff -was instructed and informed that the sale was upon the decree in favor of Wedding, and that said facts should be shown by proper announcement and return of the sheriff. [675]*675Demurrers were sustained to these answers, exceptions taken, and appellants failing to plead further a perpetual injunction was granted Bray as prayed in his complaint.

The errors assigned are that the court erred in granting the temporary restraining order. In sustaining the demurrer to the separate answer of Covert. In sustaining the demurrer to the separate answer of Wedding. In overruling the motion to dissolve the temporary injunction and to dismiss plaintiffs’ suit. In granting the injunction. In overruling the motion for a new trial.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
60 N.E. 709, 26 Ind. App. 671, 1901 Ind. App. LEXIS 328, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/covert-v-bray-indctapp-1901.