Kent v. Bierce

6 Ohio 336
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 15, 1834
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 6 Ohio 336 (Kent v. Bierce) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kent v. Bierce, 6 Ohio 336 (Ohio 1834).

Opinion

Judge Wright

delivered the opinion of the court:

The first question discussed involves the inquiry, whether a suit upon an injunction-bond can be sustained without averring that execution bad issued against the principal debtor, for the sum claimed. By section 27 of the act regulating judgments and executions, 29 Ohio L. 108 (identical with the act in force when this bond was taken, 2 Oh. O. Stat. 1302), it is provided, that in all cases where judgment shall be rendered in the Supreme Court against the appellant, or an injunction is dissolved, the successful party shall, before he brings suit upon the appeal or injunction bond, issue execution against the principal debtor; and if it appear by the return, that he has not sufficient to satisfy the execution, he may then commence suit upon the injunction bond, and take judgment for the penalty, which maybe discharged on the payment of the original judgment or decree, with interest and costs. It is urged that the provision so changes the common law rule, that a declaration upon an injunction bond does not show a right in the plaintiff to sue, unless it contain an averment that execution has been issued and has been returned.

What class of eases was in the contemplation of the general assembly in enacting this law? Evidently those where the relation of creditor and debtor subsisted, and as to which a judgment or decree was had on which an execution might issue. The provisions requiring an execution against the principal debtor, and for 348] discharging the bond on paying the original ^judgment or decree with interest and costs, make this clear to our minds ; but they do not stand alone. The chancery act contains express provisions for three classes of injunction. 1. To stay waste. 2. To stay proceedings at law, before or after judgment, 29 Ohio L. 87. 3. In all other cases where it is usual for courts of equity to interfere by injunction, 29 Ohio L. 89.

There is no limitations in our statutes upon the issue of the first class of injunctions, and their issue is regulated by the common usage of chancery. In the second class, it is provided, that the injunction shall not operate until bond be given with security conditioned for the payment of all money and costs due or to become due in the. suit or judgment enjoined, and all moneys decreed against the complainant in case the injunction be dissolved; and if the suit enjoined was for the recovery of money only, the court on dissolving the injunction is required to decree the plaintiff at [353]*353law the amount he received, at law, with interest and costs and five per cent, penalty. The court in allowing the last class of injunctions (which embraces the one in controversy), is authorized to impose such conditions upon parties obtaining them, as shall seem equitable. Our chancery courts are authorized to enforce compliance with their decrees for the payment of money by the common process of execution issued by the courts of law. Where the injunction operates upon a money demand and delays its payment, it is without effect, except security be given for the debt, and the costs to accrue with interest, in a penalty to cover contingencies. When the party was so abundantly secured, the legislature seemed to think a slight protection to the security called for, and provided that in case the bond become forfeit, the obligee should, as he had a judgment already against the person in equity bound to pay, first take his execution against him, exhaust his property, if he had any, and only resort to the bond, by suit against the security, in case of failure to make the money. Bonds given under our laws to remove causes from the courts of common pleas, after judgment, by appeal to the Supreme Court, are required as seeuritj'- for the judgment to be recovered in the appellate court. The injunction and the appeal both operate to delay creditors, in cases where the amount has been reduced to certainty by judgment, and is capable of execution by the usual process. These two cases were, therefore, not only on the same footing in reason and the nature of things, but, in our understanding, are *the only two classes em- [349 braced in section 27 of the judgment and execution law referred to. By no other construction can we give effect to the obvious intention of the legislature. This view is strengthened by the consideration that suits on appeal and injunction bonds are coupled together in the section; that it is required, upon judgment recovered in the appeal case, on dissolution of the injunction, where judgment had been before recovered, and execution stayed, that execution shall be first issued against the principal debtor. This can not have been intended to embrace a case of injunction -to stay waste, or any other kind of injunction than one restraininga recovery at law, because, in such case, there would be no judgment upon which to issue execution. But it is urged that the legislature has expressly provided that in all cases of injunction or appeal, the execution shall issue against the principal debtor, and that it would oppose the plain and obvious meaning of the words used, [354]*354to limit them so as to except any case from the general provision. The proper answer to this is, that courts are not to presume the legislature intend to require an impossible, vain, or useless thing to be done; or impose a limitation to the remedy upon a legal obligation, that would defeat the very object for which it was exe cuted. It would be useless, „if not legally impossible, to issue execution when there was no judgment or decree; and if without execution, the obligee of an injunction bond is without remedy, the only object of the bond, security to a party from damage by the injunction, is defeated. "We, therefore, construe the act as if it read, in all cases of injunctions where there is a judgment at law, or deci’ee for a sum certain, an execution shall issue on the judgment or decree before suit is brought upon the bond.

The distinguished counsel, who has argued this cause for the defendants, seems himself pressed with the difficulties of the construction he advocates. The statute expressly provides for the-discharge of the injunction bond in the cases contemplated upon the payment of the original judgment or decree. It would seem to follow that cases, where there was no original judgment or decree, were not within the view of the law-maker. Yet the law authorizes injunctions in cases where there is no original' judgment or decree, upon such conditions as shall seem to the court equitable. It seemed to the court of common pleas equitable to allow the injunction in the case under consideration, upon bond S50] and surety, to indemnify the enjoined *party from injury to result from the interruption of his business, in case it should be adjudged by the court that he was right. The injunction is dissolved, and no other decree is rendered than simply a decree for the costs of the suit, which are paid. The injury against which the bond was intended as indemnity, is collateral to the inquiry in. the injunction suit, and remains unnoticed in the decree.

Counsel admits it possible that in such cases injury maybe sustained beyond the costs, but urges that, inasmuch as they were not included in the decree, it is too late to ascertain and recover their amount in the suit on the bond. It is, indeed, the usual method of ascertaining the extent of injury in the common law courts; but if one of the conditions of the bond sued upon, refer to an injunction allowed by a chancellor, the rule, it is urged, is to be departed from.. To avoid the palpable injustice of limiting such bonds to the mere payment of taxable costs, to the exclusion of the prin[355]

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Bluebook (online)
6 Ohio 336, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kent-v-bierce-ohio-1834.