Griffin v. Lacourse

31 Fla. 125
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJanuary 15, 1893
StatusPublished

This text of 31 Fla. 125 (Griffin v. Lacourse) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Griffin v. Lacourse, 31 Fla. 125 (Fla. 1893).

Opinion

Mabry, J.:

The defendant in error, as administratrix of the estate of Joseph Lacourse, deceased, obtained a judgment in the Duval Circuit Court on the 4fch day of November, A. D. 1886, against the plaintiff in error for the sum of five hundred and forty-eight dollars and fifty cents, besides costs of suit. The judgment entry is. that “plaintiff, as administratrix of the estate [126]*126of Joseph Lacourse, deceased, have and recover of and from the defendant five hundred and forty-eight dollars and fifty cents, besides her costs in this behalf expended, now here taxed at one hundred and forty-six-dollars and ninety-six cents.”

On the 8th day of July, 1887, the following written agreement was filed in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Duval county, viz :

Circuit Court, County of Duval, )

4th Circuit of Florida. j

Lucy Lacourse, as Administratrix of the estate of Joseph Lacourse, deceased, Plaintiff, i'S. Martin Griffin, Defendant.

The above named plaintiff having recovered on the 5th day of November,. A. D. 1886, by the judgment of said Circuit Court the sum of five hundred and forty-eight and 50-100 dollars of the said defendant, said judgment having been rendered in her favor as administratrix of the estate of Joseph Lacourse, deceased, and the defendant having obtained a writ of error in said cause returnable to January term, A. D. 1888, of the Supreme Court of said State, now in consideration of his abandonment of said writ of error, the said plaintiff hereby remits the sum of forty-eight and 50-100 dollars of the amount of said judgment; and in consideration of the payment of the sum of five hundred dollars by said Martin Griffin, the receipt whereof said Lucy Lacourse, as administratrix of the estate of Joseph Lacourse, deceased, hereby acknowledges, she, as said administratrix, hereby forever releases and dis[127]*127charges said Griffin, his heirs and personal representatives and assigns from all and singular all claim of law or in equity growing out of, or accounting to her in any and all capacity, and hereby authorizes the clerk of said court to enter satisfaction of said judgment on the records of said court; and said Lucy La-course hereby assumes all the costs of said suit from its commencement to date, and hereby binds herself, her heirs and assigns and personal representatives to hold said Martin Griffin harmless from any and ail garnishments served upon him since January 1, A. I). 1882, in any and all suits against said Joseph Lacourse, as administratrix as aforesaid, since his death.

Witness my hand and seal this the 6th day of July, A. D. 1887.

Lucy Lacourse, [Seal.]

Lucy Lacourse,

Administratrix of the estate of Joseph Lacourse, deceased, [Seal.]

Witnesses:

H. M. Williams.

O. J. H. Summers.

An execution in the usual form was issued on the 14th day of September, 1887, upon the judgment rendered against Griffin and placed in the hands of the sheriff of Duval county. The clerk of the Circuit Court endorsed upon the execution the following :

“The plaintiff on the 6th day of July, A. D. 1887, acknowledged the receipt of five hundred and forty-[128]*128eight dollars and fifty cents on the within judgment, as appeal's by her receipt on file of that date.

T. E. Bookman, Clerk.”

On the 20th day of December, 1887, a motion was made to quash the execution on account of illegality of its issuance for the reasons set forth in affidavit filed. The affidavit referred to is as follows : “An execution having issued out of said court against the above named defendant for one hundred and forty-six dollars and ninety-six cents, being the balance due upon the judgment in said cause, and said amount being for costs therein, George U. Walker being sworn, says that he is one of the attorneys for the defendant; that said execution was issued illegally, in this, that after the rendition of said judgment against the said defendant, he sued out a writ of error to the next term of the Supi’eme Court of the State of Florida, and having given the bond required by the court, obtained an order signed by the Hon. James M. Baker, Judge, superseding said judgment and arresting all action thereunder until after the said cause should be reversed by the said Supreme Court; that after the giving of said order by s.aid Judge, and the same had been filed in said court, the above named plaintiff agreed with the said defendant to accept in full satisfaction of said judgment five hundred dollars, the same to include all costs attending the same from the date of the commencement of the said suit to the date of said agreement, inclusive; and further, in consideration of the forbearance of the defendant to prosecute [129]*129his said writ of error, to accept said five hundred dollars in full settlement and satisfaction to not only satisfy said judgment, but to pay all costs. And affiant says that the amount above named is, as appears by said execution, the full sum of said costs. Affiant refers to said agreement, which is in writing executed by said plaintiff and filed with the clerk of said court in said cause. That no part of said execution is due by the defendant.” The foregoing was sworn to on the 15th day of September, 1887.

The motion to quash the execution coming ■ on to be heard, upon consideration, was overruled, and the decision of the court on this motion is the matter now before us.

The statute provides that ‘ ‘in all cases where an execution shall issue illegally, and the person against whom such execution is directed, his agent or attorney, shall make oath thereof, and shall state in the affidavit the cause of such illegality, the sheriff, or other officer, shall return the same to the next term of the court from which the same issued, and the court shall determine thereon at such time; Provided, That the party making the affidavit be required to state whether any part of said execution be due; and where the party so making the affidavit shall admit a part of the execution to be legally due, the amount so acknowledged shall be paid before the affidavit is received; and provided, also, that the person claiming the benefit of this section shall execute to the sheriff, or other [130]*130officer levying said execution, a bond with sufficient security, in at least double the amount of said execution, or that part thereof suspended by the affidavit.” McClellan’s Digest, page 524, Sections 19, 20; Sections 2 and 3, Act of February 15, 1834. The statute provides that upon the return of the execution the court shall determine thereon. This contemplates, of course, a hearing upon the matters set up in the affidavit as grounds of illegality in the issuance of the execution. Mathews vs. Hillyer, 17 Fla., 498.

So far as we are informed by the record before us, the court’s action was based upon the motion and affidavit to quash the execution and the record of the. proceedings in the original proceeding in'the Circuit .Court.

Counsel for plaintiff in error contend that by the written stipulation referred to in the affidavit, signed, sealed and filed of record in the court below, she satisfied and fully discharged the judgment before the execution in question emanated irom it, and as a consequence, the execution was illegally issued.

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Related

Mitchell v. Duncan
7 Fla. 13 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1857)
Mathews v. Hillyer
17 Fla. 498 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1880)
Sloan v. Sloan
21 Fla. 589 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1885)

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Bluebook (online)
31 Fla. 125, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/griffin-v-lacourse-fla-1893.