Dorrier v. Masters

2 S.E. 927, 83 Va. 459, 1887 Va. LEXIS 92
CourtSupreme Court of Virginia
DecidedJune 16, 1887
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 2 S.E. 927 (Dorrier v. Masters) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dorrier v. Masters, 2 S.E. 927, 83 Va. 459, 1887 Va. LEXIS 92 (Va. 1887).

Opinion

Eichardson, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

This action was brought on the twentieth day of September, 1884. On the same day the plaintiffs in the action sued out an attachment, under the first section of chapter 148 of the Code of 1873, against the estate of the said -Josiah Harris, which went into the hands of the sheriff of the city of Eichmond, at 11 o’clock A. M. on said twentieth day of September, 1884. The plaintiffs did not give the bond provided for by the eighth section of said chapter, so as to authorize the seizure of any estate of the defendant levied on. On said attachment the sheriff made return as follows, to-wit:

“Executed September 20th, 1884, on Norvell, Leake & Co., by delivering to - Norvell a copy of the within attachment, and on Decatur Axtell, receiver of the E. & A. o Eailroad Company, September 22d, 1884, by delivering to him a copy of the within at 10 o’clock A. M. Said Axtell is a resident of the city of Eichmond, in which this process was executed.

“ P. P. Winston, D. S., &c.”

On said attachment the sheriff made this further return:

[461]*461“Executed in the city of Eichmond, September 20th, 1884, between the hours of 11 and 12 o’clock, by delivering to E. B. Snead, treasurer of the Eichmond and Alleghany Eailroad Company, a copy of the within attachment, he being a resident of said city, and on John Garrett, cashier of the Chesapeake and Ohio Eailway, a copy of the within attachment. The principal offices of said corporations are located in the city of Eichmond. And executed, the same day at 5 o’clock P. M., by delivering to Jackson Eagland a copy of the within. I also levied this attachment, between 11 and 12 o’clock A. M. the same day, on a large lot of hoop-poles found on a slip of land between the dock and the river, near the ship locks. I did not take the property in possession, as no bond was given for that purpose. The presidents of the E. & A. Eailroad Company and the C. & O. Eailway Company are not in the city of Eichmond.

“ Lewis P. Winston, Sheriff, &c.”

On the same day, September 20th, 1884, William Dorrier instituted an action at law in the circuit court of the city of Eichmond against said Josiah Harris, to recover $1,000, with interest from June 2d, 1882, subject to a credit of $200 as of August 14th, 1883; and in said action the plaintiff also sued out an attachment against the estate of said defendant, Josiah Harris, which went into the hands of said sheriff of the city of Eichmond at 1 o’clock P. M. on the said twentieth day of September, 1884, on which return was made as follows, to-wit:

1st. “ Levied, September 20th, 1884, on a large quantity of hoop-poles found on a strip of land between the dock and river, near the ship locks, at half-past 1 o’clock P. M.

“ Lewis P. Winston, S. E. C.”

And this further return was endorsed on said attachment:

[462]*462“Executed in the city of Richmond, September 20th, 1884, on John Garrett, cashier of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company, about half-past 1 o’clock P. M., by delivering to him a copy of the within writ; and on the same day, at 5 o’clock P. M., I delivered to Jackson Rag-land a copy of the within; and on the twenty-second day ■of the same month, in the city of Richmond, at 10 o’clock A. M., I delivered to Decatur Axtell a copy of the within attachment. The president of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was absent from the city of Richmond at the time of service on Garrett, cashier.

On the 23d day ■ of September, 1884, Charles J. Johnson, D. H. Pitts and William Dorrier instituted a chancery suit in the chancery court of the city of Richmond against the said Josiah Harris, to recover of him a large balance said to be due them on settlement of a partnership account; and in said chancery suit, on the same day, issued an attachment against the estate of said Josiah Harris, on which s^id sheriff of the city of Richmond made return as follows, to-wit, first:

“Executed September 23d, 1884, in the city of Richmond, by delivering to John Garrett, cashier of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company, a copy of the within. President no inhabitant. The principal office of said company is located in the city of Richmond. And on Decatur Axtell, Norvell, Leake & Co., and Curtis & Parker, by de-. livering to each of them a copy of the within, Jackson Ragland not found. Lewis P. Winston, Sheriff, &c.”

2d. “Executed on Lewis P. Winston, sheriff city of Richmond, September 23d, 1884, by delivering to him a copy of this writ. P. P. Winston, D'. S., &c.”

The facts are substantially these: As to the hoop-poles [463]*463levied on at the wharves of the C. & O. Railway Company, the plaintiffs in error concede the prior right of the defendants in error, Masters and others, as their attachment was first served on that company, which had possession of the hoop-poles at its wharves. The controversy is as to the hoop-poles belonging to the debtor, Josiah Harris, individually, which were piled on the strip of land, between the dock and river, near the ship-locks, belonging to the Richmond and Alleghany R. R. Co., the said company, however, disclaiming the possession or control of said hoop-poles. These hoop-poles have been sold, and the proceeds thereof, amounting to §2,460.67, which is subject to the order of the court, is the subject of controversy here. In the said action at law of F. M. Masters and others, they recovered a judgment against the attachment debtor, Josiah Harris, for §5,250, with interest on §5,000, part thereof, from September 18th, 1884, subject to a credit of §1,250, as of May 1st, 1885.

In the said action at law of William Dorrier, .he recovered a judgment against said Josiah Harris for §1,000, with interest from June 2d, 1882, and costs, subject to a credit of §200, as of August 14th, 1883.

The said chancery suit of C. J. Johnson and others against Josiah Harris, being yet undetermined, it had not been ascertained what amount, if anything, was due to the plaintiffs from the defendant therein, on account of the partnership transactions between them. And attachments having issued in said two actions at law, and in said chancery suit, and the said attaching creditors, William Dorrier and others, and C. J. Johnson and others, having filed their petitions as aforesaid, contesting the validity of the lien asserted by the plaintiffs in said first named action at law of F. M. Masters and others against Josiah Harris, the said circuit court of Richmond, at the hearing, rendered judgment in favor of the validity of the attachment lien asserted [464]*464by F. M. Masters and others, and giving it priority over said other attachments, and directing the said fund to be paid accordingly. To said judgment William Dorrier and others obtained from one of the judges of this court a writ of error and supersedeas.

It is conceded on all hands that each of the attachments was regularly sued out. It is also conceded that the levy of the attachment of the defendants in error was first made; but it is insisted by the plaintiffs in error that that levy was invalid, and that no lien was acquired thereby. Hence the controversy grows out of the manner of executing the attachment, of the defendants in error, F. M. Masters and others.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2 S.E. 927, 83 Va. 459, 1887 Va. LEXIS 92, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dorrier-v-masters-va-1887.