Hain v. Newell

193 N.W. 839, 223 Mich. 20, 1923 Mich. LEXIS 750
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJune 4, 1923
DocketDocket No. 70
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 193 N.W. 839 (Hain v. Newell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hain v. Newell, 193 N.W. 839, 223 Mich. 20, 1923 Mich. LEXIS 750 (Mich. 1923).

Opinion

Steeee, J.

On October 24, 1921, plaintiffs commenced an action against defendant in assumpsit by a writ of attachment personally served and levied on certain of defendant’s property valued at about $1,500. [21]*21The action was brought to recover on two promissory notes, one given for a balance on purchase price of a Fordson tractor and the other for certain repairs and material. Plaintiffs also held a chattel mortgage on the tractor given by defendant to secure the first note. The chattel mortgage contained the usual clause authorizing plaintiffs in case of defendant’s default to take possession of and sell the property at public sale. The defense interposed by defendant was that he had surrendered to plaintiffs the tractor in consideration of their canceling and delivering back his notes. On February 6, 1922, the case was tried and judgment rendered on directed verdict in favor of plaintiffs for the sum of $604.50, being the undisputed amount due upon the two notes if still unpaid as plaintiffs claimed. In directing a verdict the court held that the agreement testified to by defendant, if true, was invalid for want of consideration.

On February 22, 1922, defendant filed a bond for stay of proceedings to move for a new trial or settle a bill of exceptions, and on March 8, 1922, entered a motion for a new trial. This motion was heard on March 13, 1922. The court then expressed doubts as to the former order directing a verdict being well founded and intimated that a new trial would be granted upon defendant giving a bond to protect plaintiffs’ claim. Plaintiffs’ counsel then advised the court that after seizing the property under his writ of attachment the sheriff left it in possession of defendant, taking his receipt therefor and arranging with him to care for the same, and render to the sheriff his bill for so doing; that the expense of caring for the property, consisting partly of live stock, was considerable and urged something should be done to relieve that situation. Defendant’s counsel stated in answer to an inquiry from the court that his client could give a bond, but he desired to move for dissolu[22]*22tion of the attachment and feared the giving of an unconditional bond might deprive him of that right. It was then proposed that under the circumstances the bond required of defendant should contain a proviso reserving his right to move for dissolution of the attachment and suggested that they agree upon the wording of the reservation. Copy of a proposed reservation was prepared by defendant’s counsel and submitted to plaintiffs’ counsel, which after some changes was agreed to. The court then, on March 13, 1922, made and entered an order granting defendant a new trial, requiring as a condition to granting the same that defendant give a bond in the sum of $1,209 “for the purpose of releasing certain property held by the' sheriff” under his writ of attachment, saying further:

“This condition is imposed for the purpose of saving and avoiding all further expense in the keeping and feeding and caring for the property held under said writ of attachment, and said bond shall contain the following condition and. reservation:
“ ‘All rights which the defendant had to attack the validity of said attachment proceedings including the right to move to dissolve said attachment are hereby reserved to him and not waived notwithstanding the giving of said bond, but in the' event that defendant should commence proceedings against said plaintiffs for damages growing out of said attachment proceedings he shall be limited' to the period between October 24, 1921, and February 6, 1922.’”

A bond was thereafter filed by defendant, followed by a petition for dissolution of the attachment, and asking the court to set aside that portion of the order granting a new trial which required the giving of a bond, and to declare the bond of no effect, because the attachment proceedings were invalid and there was. no reason for giving the same.

The bond, dated March 13, 1922, contains the following recitals and conditions:

[23]*23“Bond On Appeal.
(Customary form of introduction and recitals.)
* * * “and whereas Melvin Newell, the. defendant in said writ, desires to release said property from said attachment and have the same delivered to him, pursuant to statute.
“Now, therefore, the condition of this obligation is such that if the above bounden principal- and sureties shall well and truly ‘pay any judgment which may be recovered in the suit commenced by said writ of attachment, in favor of said plaintiffs and against said defendant, within 60 days after such judgment shall be rendered’ then this obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue.
“All rights which the defendant had to attack the validity of said attachment proceedings including the right to move to dissolve said attachment are hereby reserved to him and are not waived notwithstanding the giving of said bond, but in the event that defendant should commence proceedings against said plaintiffs for damages growing out of said attachment proceedings he shall be limited to the period between October 24, 1921, and February 6, 1922.”

On June 7, 1922, when defendant’s petition came on for hearing, plaintiffs’ counsel orally moved for dismissal of the same for the reason that the court had no jurisdiction to entertain it. After some discussion the court held that an order would be made granting said oral motion to dismiss. Defendant’s counsel then urged that in such case “this thing be put back where it was on the 13th of March when this motion for a new trial was presented,” and inquired, “Does your honor hold that the condition in that bond is of no avail to us?” To which the court replied, “Technically, I think I must do that.” Counsel then said:

“I presume it must be by formal motion. But at this time I want to make formal application to the court to put this thing back in status quo, because we would never have given that bond if we had known we could never have presented our petition for the [24]*24dissolution of the attachment. We feel our rights have been jeopardized.”

In reply to the court’s inquiry, counsel said a week would be sufficient time to present a formal motion. In a further discussion the court said counsel might fix the time, which would be granted if reasonable, but announced in that connection:

“The court admits he might have made a technical mistake in the manner in which he required the thing to be done, but as I see it now, I can’t cure that mistake by making another one.”

The court then, upon June 7,1922, made and entered a formal order granting plaintiffs’ oral motion to dismiss defendant’s petition to dissolve the attachment on the ground—

“that a bond having been filed by the defendant for the release of the property attached, and said property having been released to said defendant from the attachment, this court is without jurisdiction to hear a petition for dissolution of the attachment in the above entitled cause.”

Defendant’s counsel then obtained from this court a writ of certiorari to test the validity of said order.

This litigation appears to have developed into a technical contest between the parties in avoidance of the merits of the case.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
193 N.W. 839, 223 Mich. 20, 1923 Mich. LEXIS 750, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hain-v-newell-mich-1923.