Fletcher v. Menken

37 Ark. 206
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedMay 15, 1881
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 37 Ark. 206 (Fletcher v. Menken) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fletcher v. Menken, 37 Ark. 206 (Ark. 1881).

Opinion

English, C. J.

Menken Bros. & Co. brought this action in the Pulaski Circuit Court, against Hersh Jacobi and Amelia Jacobi, as makers of a note, and Probst & Hilb, as ■endorsers.

The note was for $375, dated, Little Bock., Sept. 15, 1876, payable six months after date, to the order of Probst ■& Hilb, at the German bank, and by them endorsed.

It appears that with the complaint, plaintiffs filed an affidavit, stating; in substance, that the claim in the action against Hersh and Amelia Jacobi was for money due upon a. promissory note; that it was a just claim ; that they ought, as they believed, to recover thereon $875, principal, interest, etc.; and ,that said defendants had made, and were-making, a fraudulent disposition of their property, with intent to cheat, hinder and delay their creditors, etc.

Upon this affidavit, etc., an attachment was issued against-the property of Hirsh and Amelia Jacobi, levied by the sheriff on merchandise belonging to them, which was appraised at $450, and a bond executed by Hersh Jacobi as principal, and M. Stern, Caroline Stern, Richard Fletcher •and John Barron, as sureties for the delivery of the property, etc.

Neither Hersh and Amelia Jacobi nor Probst & Hilb made any defense to the personam feature of the action, and judgment was rendered against them on the note for $375 debt, $50.04 damages, and for costs, and that plaintiff’shave execution thereof.

But Hersh and Amelia Jacobi traversed the truth of the affidavit upon which the writ of attachment was sued out against-their property, and on trial before the court the issue was found against them ; and the court also found the value of the property attached, and rendered judgment against the-sureties in the cross bond as provided by the Act of Nov. 10th, 1875 (Acts of 1875, p. 8). Fletcher and Barron, two of the sureties, filed a motion to set aside this judgment, which was overruled. They then filed a motion to modify the judgment, which was also overruled, and without taking-any bill of exceptions they appealed.

I. The motion of appellants to set aside the judgment against them on the cross-bond, was on the following; grounds:

1st. That the court had no jurisdiction of their person» —that they were not served with process in the action, did not appear, nor consent to the judgment, and it was rendered without their knowledge.

2nd. That they did not, nor did either of them, execute the bond on which the judgment was rendered against them, and were not liable thereon.

To this motion was attached the affidavit of Eichard Fletcher, stating “ that Fletcher and Barron never delivered the delivery bond herein to the sheriff or any other officer of the court; that they signed a certain delivery bond many weeks, after the goods attached in the suit had been returned to the defendant, Hersh Jacobi, by virtue of the delivery bond aforesaid. That said bond had been executed and delivered to the sheriff by said Hersh Jacobi, M. Stern and Caroline Stern, on November 27th, 1879, many weeks before affiants signed the same, and which was some time in February, 1878, and that said sheriff had accepted said bond, and delivered the property to said Jacobi.”

JUDC(. surelesní ment °ca-1st. The bond was taken under section 406.of Digest, and after the passage of the Act of November 10th, 1875, providing for summary judgment in the attachment suit against the sureties in such bond. By executing the bond, the sureties, became parties to the suit, and the statute provides for no process or notice to them before judgment. White v. Prigmore 29 Ark., 208; Callahan et al v. Saleski, Ib., 216.

2d. In the motion appellants stated that they did not execute the bond. In the affidavit of Fletcher in support of the motion, it was admitted that they signed the bond, but an attempt was made to show a want of consideration, by the statement, in effect, that they signed it after it had been executed by Hersh Jacobi, the principal, and two sureties, accepted by the sheriff, and the goods attached, returned to Jacobi.

What evidence was before the court, on the hearing of the motion, appellants failed to show by bill of exceptions.

The sheriff in his return upon the writ of attachment states that he executed the writ “by taking possession of the stock of goods and merchandize of defendants H. and Amelia Jacobi, found in their place of business on Main Street, etc., in Little Rock. That thereupon, on demand of said defendants I summoned three disinterested householders, etc., to appraise said stock according to law. Said appraisement and a statement in detail of said stock are herewith returned marked exhibit A. The defendants thereupon executed cross-bond with M. Stern, Caroline Stern, Richard Fletcher and John Barron, as sureties, in the sum of nine hundred dollars, which bond is herewith returned, and I thereupon released said stock to said H. and 0 Amelia Jacobi, etc.”

2. same: amount’fu iBgbonds, in attachments. II. After the court had sustained the attachment on trial of the issue made to the truth of plaintiff’s affidavit by defendants Hersh and Amelia Jacobi, it proceeded to render . ... judgment against the sureties m the cross-bond as follows :

“And it being, shown to the court that defendants have given a bond herein under section 406 of Gantt’s Digest, with M. Stern, Caroline Stern, Richard Fletcher and John Barron, as their sureties, and the court, on demand of the plaintiff's having found that the value of the property herein attached equals the amount of the debt, damages and costs, it is further considered, ordered and adj'udged that said plaintiff’s have and recover from said M. Stern, Caroline Stern, Richard Fletcher and John Barron, sureties as aforesaid for the amount of their said debt, damages and costs; and that in case of the property attached herein, and described in the return of the sheriff, etc., on the writ •of attachment, etc., be not delivered up by said d.efend.ants, or some person for them, to the said officer, to be sold, and it shall appear by the return of the said officer to a writ of execution issued against the property of said Hersh .Jacobi and Amelia Jacobi, that the same is unsatisfied in whole or in part, that then, in that case, this judgment may be enforced against said, sureties, and execution may then issue herein against the property of said sureties for so much of this judgment as shall not exceed the value of said property, and shall remain unsatisfied after a return of execution against the property of said Hersh Jacobi and Amelia, as aforesaid.”

Appellants moved to modify this judgment as follows:

“First. That their liabilities be limited to the value of ithe property, as expressed in the delivery bond herein, to-wit: The sum of $400.
“Second. That plaintiffs ' be required to exhaust their remedy by execution against Probst & Hilb, as well as against said Hersh and Amelia Jacobi before execution be issued .against them.
“'Third. That in no event should their liability exceed the value of the property attached as expressed in the sheriff’s official appraisement.

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Bluebook (online)
37 Ark. 206, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fletcher-v-menken-ark-1881.