Jackson v. Bank of United States

13 F. Cas. 206, 5 D.C. 1, 5 Cranch 1
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of District of Columbia
DecidedNovember 15, 1836
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 13 F. Cas. 206 (Jackson v. Bank of United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jackson v. Bank of United States, 13 F. Cas. 206, 5 D.C. 1, 5 Cranch 1 (circtddc 1836).

Opinion

Cranch, C. J.,

said: I think the plaintiff at law, Jeremiah Bronaugh, cannot enforce his lien upon the land in the possession and seizin of Mrs. Jackson, by fieri facias, without a previous scire facias agaiqst her. The case of Arnott and Copper v. Nicholls, 1 Har. & Johns. 471, is not overruled by that of McElderry v. Smith, 2 Har. & Johns. 72, so far as the former case establishes the general rule that the plaintiff shall not charge the lands in the seizin of a bond fide alienee, without scire facias. The case of McElderry v. Smith, establishes an exception only where the alienation is made pending the scire facias against [5]*5the debtor to revive the judgment. In the case of Morton v. Croghan, 20 Johns. 120, it was held, that where the judgment creditor proceeds to enforce his lien on the realty, and for that purpose it becomes necessary to revive the judgment, he is bound to make every person, having a fee in the land, a party to the proceeding.”

The equity of the case is, that Mrs. Jackson has no remedy at law; for, not being a party to the original judgment, she cannot have an audita querela, nor a motion to quash the return.

I think, therefore, that the demurrer and motion should be overruled, and the injunction should stand until Mr. Bronaugh, or the bank, to whom it is said the judgment is assigned, shall, upon a scire facias against Mrs. Jackson, establish his or their right to levy the fieri facias on her land.

MoRSell, J., did not concur, and Thotston, J., not having heard the argument, the case was continued to this term for further argument.

The case was argued again on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 29 and 30,1836.

Mr. R. S. Coxe, for the defendant, contended that the only case in which, in England, a scire facias to terre-tenants is necessary, is where an elegit has been issued, and the debtor is returned, “ dead; ” and that no scire facias can be issued against the terre-tenants in the life of the debtor. Fitz. Nat. Bre. p. 597, fol. 267, D., also p. 595, fol. 266, C. note a; 2 Williams’s Saunders, 6, note 1; 6 Com. Dig. 519; 2 Tidd, 1030; Jackson v. Shaffer, 11 Johns. 516; Young v. Taylor, 2 Binney, 218.

Mr. Redin, contra, contended that the rule is, that where the land of a bond fide purchaser is to be charged by a judgment against the vendor, there must be a scire facias to such purchaser as terre-tenant, to come in and show cause why the plaintiff should not have execution of his lands; and he stated that such had always been his practice. In Arnott and Copper v. Nicholls, 1 Har. & Johns. 471, this rule is recognized by the court; and although the reporter has stated that it was overruled in McElderry v. Smith, 2 Har. & Johns. 72, yet in the latter case, the court only decided that a scire facias is not necessary when the alienation is made pending the scire facias to revive the judgment against the debtor. In Webster v. Saunders, Terretenant of Duley, the scire facias was against the terre-tenant, although it does not appear that either party to the original judgment was dead.

So in Ridgeley v. Gartrell, Terre-tenant of Burgess, 3 Harris & McHenry, 449.

In Hammond, v. Gaither’s Heir and Devisee, 3 Har. & McHenry, [6]*6218, the devisee had aliened the land before the suit was brought, for valuable consideration, and that fact was pleaded; to which the plaintiff demurred. A doubt was suggested, whether the plaintiff could have - execution against the land without a scire facias to the vendee; but the answer was, that the devise itself was void by the Statute of Devises, 3 & 4 W. & M. c. 14, as to creditors, so that there was no alienation of the land, but it descended to the heir.

In 2 Harris’s Entries, 763, is the form of a scire facias against the original defendant and his terre-tenants, in the lifetime of the original parties, and, in a note, he says, the scire facias ought to issue against the original defendant and terre-tenants jointly; and he cites Carthew, 107, and 3 Co. 11.

So in Tully and wife v. Marwood, Comb. 318, the Court refused to render judgment against the conusees of a fine without scire facias to the terre-tenants. So also in Pembroke’s case, Skinner, 107, 112.

In Morton v. Croghan, 20 Johns. 106, Judge Spencer, in delivering the opinion of the court, after saying that the law applicable to the case was laid down with entire precision by Sergeant Williams in his 4th note to 2 Saund. 51, a, and referring to Harbert’s case, 3 Co. 11, and several other cases, says : “ I apprehend the law to be well settled, that since'the statute of West. 2, where a judgment creditor proceeds to enforce his lien on the realty, and for that purpose it becomes necessary to revive the judgment, he is bound to make every person having a fee in the land a party to the proceeding.”

It is true that in a preceding case, Jackson v. Shaffer, 11 Johns. 516, cited by Mr. Coxe, Mr. Justice Van Ness, in delivering the opinion of the court, said, “ It is in the case of the death of the original defendant that the terre-tenants are to be made parties, and not where the original defendant is living ; ” but he is not supported by the authorities which he cited, namely, Tidd’s Prac. 1021,1023 ; 2 Saund. 7, n. 4.

The case of Young v. Taylor, cited by Mr. Coxe from 2 Bin-ney, 228, is not applicable to the present case, for the decision was upon the peculiar statute of Pennsylvania of 1705, making-lands liable to be sold under a fieri facias.

Mr. Redin, also contended that the decision of this court in Digges v. Eliason, that a revival by scire facias makes it a new judgment, cannot apply to the case of a purchaser without notice ; or if it can, the new judgment is subsequent to the purchase, and therefore cannot bind the land. That- under th.e circumstances of the case there was a strong presumption that the judgment had been satisfied ; Mayor of Hull v. Horner, Cowp. [7]*7109; Phil, on Evidence, 114; and that Mrs. Jackson ought to have a day in court, either at law or in equity, to show it.

She has a right to call upon the other terre-tenants for contribution. At the time of Jackson’s purchase in 1819, there were lots in Georgetown unincumbered, and in possession of the debtor, and equity will restrain the plaintiff to unincumbered property. Chives v. Dickenson, 5 Johns. Ch. Rep. 236; Shepard v. Shepard, 7 Johns. Ch. Rep. 62.

Mr. R. S. Coxe, in reply, contended that, if the Court should decide that a scire facias to the terre-tenant is necessary in the lifetime of the original debtor, it would disturb many titles in this county.

If the proceeding is erroneous at law, the remedy is not in equity; but the party grieved by an execution may have an audita querela, although he was no party to the judgment. Michell v. Croft, Cro. Jac. 506.

Harris, in a note to the precedent of a scire facias,

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13 F. Cas. 206, 5 D.C. 1, 5 Cranch 1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jackson-v-bank-of-united-states-circtddc-1836.