Frost v. Meetz

52 Cal. 664
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 1, 1878
DocketNo. 5
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 52 Cal. 664 (Frost v. Meetz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Frost v. Meetz, 52 Cal. 664 (Cal. 1878).

Opinion

The action is ejectment for lands in Alameda County. Both parties claim under the same source of title—Gideon Aughinbaugh. Plaintiff claims under a conveyance made by Aughinbaugh to one Tinsley in October, 1855. Defendant Meetz claims under two execution sales, one had under a judgment recovered against Aughinhaugh by Drexel, Sather, and Church, and the other recovered against Aughinhaugh by Samuel Moss. These actions against Aughinbaugh were brought to foreclose mortgages, and the execution sales were made for the purpose of satisfying deficiencies.

The evidence in the case, and the facts found in Chapin v. Broder, 16 Cal. 407, show that in the Moss case the deficiency was filed on the 24th of August, A. D. 1855. The return on the order of sale showing deficiency is dated July 81st, 1855, and it is marked filed by the Clerk August 24th, 1855.

The deficiency in the Drexel, Sather, and Church case was reported on July 24th, 1855, as is stated in Chapin v. Broder, supra, where all the facts, in regard to the cases under discussion are fully set out. The transcript shows the return on the order of sale to be dated by the Sheriff on the 24th day of July, 1855; but there is no indorsement of filing by the Clerk. In Chapin v. Broder the referee found the deficiency was “ reported, ” on the 24th of July, 1855, page 407, and the Court say that the report of this deficiency was “ filed” on the same day.

Whatever title to the land in controversy passed by the Shcr[666]*666iff’s deeds issued in the two cases had been acquired by the defendant Meetz before the commencement of the action, except some undivided interests which, so far as the record shows, are still outstanding, the only title of plaintiff being that derived from the deed to Tinsley of October, 1855.

Plaintiff contended that no title had been acquired under the Moss judgment, because the Sheriff’s deed mis-recited the day of sale; and none under the Drexel, Sather, and Church judgment because the report of deficiency had never been filed.

The Court, deeming both points to be well taken, gave judgment for the plaintiff, and subsequently denied defendant’s motion for a new trial. This appeal is taken from that order and from the judgment.

Under Chapin v. Broder, supra, recently affirmed in Hibberd v. Smith, it is conceded by plaintiff that she cannot recover if defendant can show title under either the Moss judgment or the Drexel, Sather, and Church judgment.

As to the Drexel, Sather, and Church title, the circumstances of the case show that the report of deficiency was filed prior to the taking effect of the deed under which plaintiff claims. It is stated in Chapin v. Broder, supra, that the report of deficiency was filed on the 24th day of July, 1855. The facts, as developed in the case at bar, are, that the Sheriff was directed in the order of sale issued on the judgment to make and file his report of such sale within sixty days from the date of receipt of the order. The Sheriff’s report is dated July 24th, 1855, and is properly signed. The order of sale and report were found with the other papers in the case, and bore every appearance of age; and the Clerk of the Court testified that he had produced the order and report from the files, and that they were there when he first assumed office, some three years previously. Yet, in the face of all this, and simply because the Clerk, at the time he received the papers, neglected to indorse the report as filed, the Judge, in his opinion denying the motion for a new trial, stated “ that there was no report of deficiency even in fact filed.” And this, too, notwithstanding that it had been held sixteen years previously that the report was filed—and so created a lien on'all the real property of the judgment-debtor.

[667]*667Itis conceded that the balance to be recovered of the judgment-debtor was “ ascertained and fixed,” as it is said in Chapin v. Broder, supra, it must be, and indeed the report of the Sheriff shows this conclusively; but the judicial sale thereafter, had to satisfy this balance, must fall to the ground, forsooth, because of a clerical misprision—not because the Clerk did not file the paper, but because he did not say, by a writing on its back, that he had filed it. Now, it is an old rule of law, that everything done by sworn officers is presumed to have been regularly done, and that all such officers are presumed to properly discharge their duties. Hence, as in the present case it was the duty of the Sheriff to make and file his report within sixty days, the presumption is that he discharged this duty. Indeed, it was his duty to make and file the report as soon as he had ascertained the deficiency, and it is said in Chapin v. Broder, supra, that he did so, for the filing is given as of the same date with the report.

The following are some cases where the presumptions just named have been held to apply: Hilts v. Colvin, 14 Johns. 182; Hickman v. Skinner, 3 Mon. 211; Ritter v. Scannell, 11 Cal. 248; Curtis v. Herrick, 14 Ibid. 119; Webber v. Webber, 1 Met. (Ky.) 18; Anderson v. Sutton, 2 Duval, 485.

II. As to the Moss title, the mis-recital in the sheriff’s deed is immaterial. We have vet to find a single case where the misrecital has been held to be fatal, if it has been shown that the sheriff had authority to sell, and did in fact sell in pursuance of such authority. The following cases are decisive : Humphreys v. Beeson, 1 G. Greene, 199, 214; Perkins v. Dibble, 10 Ohio, 433; Armstrong v. McCoy, 8 Ham. (Ohio) 128; Huggins v. Ketchum, 4 Dev. & B. 414; Cherry v. Woodlard, 1 Ired. 438; Driver v. Spence, 1 Ala. N. S. 540; Jackson v. Jones, 9 Co wen, 182; Sneed v. Reardon, 1 A. K. Marsh. 217; Jackson v. Streeter, 5 Cowen, 529; Welsh v. Joy, 13 Pick. 477;. Craig v. Vance, 1 Over. 209; Jackson v. Pratt, 10 Johns. 381; McGuire v. Kouns, 7 Mon. 386; Philips v. Coffee, 17 Ill. 154; Harrison v. Maxwell, 2 Nott & McC. 347; Doomis v. Riley, 24 Ill. 307; Buchanan v. Tracey, 45 Mo. 437.

In Cherry v. Woodlard, and Buchanan v. Tracey, supra, the error was one of dates as in the case at bar. In Armstrong v. [668]*668McCoy, supra, it is said (p. 133) that “ a distinction must he made between those cases where a deed, not produced, is the commencement and end of title, and those where the deed, having for its foundation a train of judicial proceedings, is only the consummation of that title. In the first instance, the testimony to supply the production has no necessary connection with the deed; in the second, it may constitute the whole authority for its execution, and may be evidence of a higher nature than the deed itself.”

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Harrigan v. Lynch
52 P. 642 (Montana Supreme Court, 1898)
Randall v. Duff
79 Cal. 115 (California Supreme Court, 1888)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
52 Cal. 664, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/frost-v-meetz-cal-1878.