Dorrington v. Minnick

15 Neb. 397
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 15, 1884
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 15 Neb. 397 (Dorrington v. Minnick) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dorrington v. Minnick, 15 Neb. 397 (Neb. 1884).

Opinion

Reese, J.

This is an equity case, brought to this court by the defendants on an appeal from the district court of Richardson county. The uncontroverted facts of the case are as follows :

On and prior to the sixth day of March, 1882, the plaintiffs, George E. Dorrington and William E. Dorrington, were engaged in the merchandising business in Falls City, under the firm name of Dorrington Brothers, with a stock of goods claimed by them to be of the value of $6,143.61, and on which there was an indebtedness of $4,767.90.

On that day, W. E. Dorrington sold his interest in the [399]*399business to the defendant John W. Minnick for $3,071.80, said Minnick assuming the payment of one-half the indebtedness of the firm and paying to W. E. Dorrington the remainder of the purchase price, to-wit, $687. The plaintiff George E. Dorrington and the defendant Minnick then formed a copartnership under the firm name of Dorrington & Minnick, and continued the business under that name until about the twenty-second day of April, 1882, when George E. Dorrington sold his interest in the business to Minnick, Minnick assuming the payment of all the debts of the old firm of Dorrington Brothers and of the firm of Dorrington & Minnick. Minnick continued in business until about the eighth day of May, 1882, when he sold the stock of goods to the defendants Collins & Brannin for the sum of $4,000,- $1,000 of which was paid in cash, and $3,000 in three notes of $1,000 each, payable to the wife of Minnick. Thereupon Collins & Brannin took possession of the store and goods. On the tenth day of May, 1882, the plaintiffs commenced this action, and in then petition alleged the foregoing facts, setting out the names of the creditors, alleging that Minnick undertook and agreed to pay all of said indebtedness, that Minnick thereby became the principal debtor, that by operation of law the plaintiffs became his surety lor the payment thereof. That a part of said indebtedness had been paid by Minnick, and Dorrington & Minnick, but that $2,425.50 of said indebtedness remained unpaid, that Minnick had received the possession of said goods charged with the payment of said indebtedness, the goods to be sold by Minnick in the usual course of trade, and the proceeds to be applied as fast as received, first, to the payment of the debts of Dorrington Brothers, and secondly, to the debts of Dorrington & Min-nick. That the defendants, Minnick and Collins & Brannin, on the eighth day of May, 1882, did confederate and combine together to hinder, delay, and defraud said creditors and the plaintiffs, and that the pretended sale and [400]*400transfer of the stock of goods to Collins & Brannin was fraudulent and void as against said creditors and the plaintiffs. The creditors were all made parties defendant, and the plaintiffs pray that an accounting may be had, the sale to Collins <fc Brannin be declared void, the amount due the creditors ascertained, judgment rendered for plaintiffs for the amount thus found due, and that all parties be restored to their original rights. At the same time the plaintiffs filed an affidavit for an order of attachment, as against Minnick, alleging as ground therefor the fraudulent disposal of his property. An order of attachment was issued and the stock of goods levied upon.

The defendants, Minnick and Collins & Brannin, appeared, and each demurred to the petition. The demurrers were overruled, and the ruling of the court on these demurrers is now assigned for error. The defendants, after the overruling of the demurrers, answered to the merits, and thereby waived this exception. Mills v. Miller, 2 Neb., 308. Pottinger v. Garrison, 3 Neb., 223. Harral v. Gray. 10 Neb., 188.

The defendant, Minnick, also filed his motion to discharge the attachment, alleging two reasons therefor — 1st, “Because the facts stated in said plaintiff’s affidavit arc; not sufficient toj ustify the issuance of the writ:” and 2d, “Because the statements of fact in said affidavit are not true but are wholly false.” Defendant insists that the nature of the plaintiffs’ claim is not sufficiently stated in the affidavit for attachment-, that it is ambiguous and uncertain. Before an order of attachment can be issued the statute (civil code, § 191) requires an affidavit to be filed showing, among other things, “the nature of the plaintiff’s claim.” The affidavit in this case states the nature of plaintiffs’ claim to be for “the sum of $2,425.68, now due and payable to the plaintiffs from the said defendant for breach of contract to pay indebtedness of the partnership firm of Dorrington Brothers, plaintiffs herein, which in[401]*401debtedness said Minnick had assumed and promised to pay.” This is a sufficient compliance with the statute.

The second reason alleged in the motion we cannot consider, for the reason that none of the proofs taken by affidavits in support of or against the motion are preserved in the record. There are copies of affidavits attached to the record, which we presume were filed by the defendant in support of his motion, but none purporting to have been filed by the plaintiff. There is no bill of exceptions showing for what purpose those affidavits were filed, nor whether any others were filed. It is well settled by this court that such affidavits can only be made a part of the record by being embodied in a bill of exceptions. Oliver v. Sheeley, 11 Neb., 522. Aultman v. Howe, 10 Neb., 10.

The defendants Collins & Brennin answered denying each and "very allegation contained in the petition. The defendant Minnick answered, admitting the purchase of the goods from the plaintiffs, but denying any lien or reservation of title in their favor, or that the proceeds coming from the sale of the goods were to be applied .to the payment of their indebtedness, and alleging that in the sale of the goods by the plaintiffs to him the plaintiffs fraudulently represented the property to be worth about $2,000 more than it was in fact worth. The plaintiffs knew him to be without experience or knowledge with reference to the value or marketable quality of the goods; that he bought them of the plaintiffs at the original cost, the price to be taken from the cost mark on the goods; that the plaintiffs represented the goods to be of good merchantable quality; that they were of the cash value of $6,143.60, when in fact they were not worth over $4,000, and were not of such quality as to be adapted to the market; that the defendant relied upon the representations so made by the plaintiffs, and, so relying, purchased the goods.

It will be observed that the defendant does not seek to rescind the contract, nor does he present any counter-claim [402]*402or set-off. He asks no relief from the contract, and alleges no damages.

The plaintiffs, for reply to Minnick’s answer, deny the facts alleged, and say the answer states no facts which constitute a defense.

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Bluebook (online)
15 Neb. 397, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dorrington-v-minnick-neb-1884.