King v. Clay

34 Ark. 291
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedNovember 15, 1879
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 34 Ark. 291 (King v. Clay) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
King v. Clay, 34 Ark. 291 (Ark. 1879).

Opinion

English, C.-J.

The material facts of this case, as disclosed by the pleadings and exhibits, are, that, on the sixth of April, 1866, Marion M. Clay, administrator of Thadeus N. Ferrell, deceased, commenced an action of replevin, in the detinet, against ’William Valliant, in the circuit court of Arkansas county, for a two-horse wagon, the declaration alleging that Valliant received the wagon of Clay, to be redelivered on request. Demand, and refusal, etc.

On the execution of a personal bond by Clay, with sureties, the sheriff seized the wagon, under the writ of replevin, and delivered it to him.

At the return term, Valliant pleaded non-detinet, and the cause was continued. At the May term, 1867 (sixteenth of May), the case was submitted to the court, sitting as a jury. The court found the issue for Valliant; fixed the value of the wagon at $125, and damages at $25, and, Valliant electing to take the value of the property, etc., the court rendered a personal judgment against Olay, in his favor, for $150, and costs of the suit.

At theMay term. 1870 (seventeenth of May), the following entry appears to have been made in the case, Hon. Henry B. Morse, presiding as circuit judge; Hon. "William M. Harrison having presided when the above judgment was rendered:

“Come the parties, and it appearing that at the May term, 1866, the said Marion J. Clay, administrator of the estate of Thadeus N. Eerrell, brought his action oí trespass on the case against "William Valliant, and that in said cause, at the May term, 1867, judgment was rendered in said cause against Marion J. Clay, in his individual character; and, it further appearing that said judgment should have been entered against Marion J. Clay as administrator of Thadeus N. Eerrell, and that the entering of the same against said Marion J. Clay, in his individual character, was through an error and misprision of the clerk, it is, on motion of the plaintiff ordered that said judgment be, and the same is hereby, corrected so as to be against the said Marion J. Clay as administrator of the estate of Thadeus N. Eerrell; and if is, on motion, further ordered that such correction take effect, and have force, from hence of the May term, 1867.”

On the twenty-second of December, 1876, a personal execution was issued against Clay, on the original judgment as entered the sixteenth of May, 1867, to the sheriff of Lonoke county, taking no notice of the entry of the seventeenth of May, 1870, modifying the judgment. Upon the execution was indorsed, by the clerk who issued it, a credit of $75, as of the third of November, 1868; and a further indorsement that William Yalliant, in whose favor the judgment upon which the execution issued was obtained, died in June, 1870; and that, on the third of January, 1871, George W. Turner was appointed by the probate court of Arkansas county, administrator of his estate, and, at the October term of said court, ordered to give a new bond as such administrator, and had failed to give such. bond.

The execution came to the hands of J. M. King, sheriff of Lonoke county, and was levied on lands situated in that county, as the property of Clay, and the lands were advertised to be sold the tenth of February, 1877.

Before the day of sale, Charlie Clay and Harry Clay, minors, by their next friend, Marion J. Clay, and the latter in his individual capacity, filed the bill in this case, on the chancery side of the circuit court of Lonoke county, against King, as sheriff, praying that the sale of the lands, under the execution, be enjoined.

The bill alleges, in substance, that complainant, Marion J. Clay, was appointed administrator of the estate of Thad-ens N. Ferrell, by the probate court of Arkansas county, on the-day of-, 1866 ; gave bond, etc., and acted as such administrator until the-day of--, 1868.

That, as such administrator, he brought the suit against Yalliant, which resulted in a personal judgment against him, as above shown ; and that the judgment was corrected by the entry of May 17, 1870, copied above.

That when the judgment was rendered, and at the time it was amended, the estate of Ferrell was solvent; that there was real property belonging to the estate, situated in Arkansas and Prairie counties, and yet property in said counties more than enough to pay the judgment, if, in fact, it could be collected by law.

The bill then sets out the personal execution issued against Clay, and the levy upon the lands, etc., as above stated; and alleges that all of the lands levied on are the property of the minor complainants, except the northwest quarter of section twenty-seven, township two south, range eight west, which is averred to be the individual property of Marion J. Clay, and claimed by him as a homestead.

That the execution was against Clay, in his individual capacity, and that the judgment was against him as administrator, etc.

That "William Yalliant, in whose favor the judgment was rendered, died in June, 1870, and the judgment had not been revived by his administrator, executor, heirs, or any one else entitled by law to revive it.

That King, as sheriff, etc., had advertised the lands, and would sell them unless restrained, etc.

Prayer for injunction, etc.

A temporary injunction was granted, in the absence of the circuit judge, by the judge of the county court of Lonoke county.

On motion of King, P. H. Wheat was made a defendant, as an interested party, and permitted to file an answer and cross bill.

The answer admits that Olay was appointed administrator of Eerrell’s estate, as alleged in the bill.

Alleges that in December, 1875, before the replevin suit, Wheat being the owner of a wagon, sold it to one Solomon Boyd, who sold and delivered it to William Yalliant; that the wagon never was the property of Eerrell, or Olay.

That Clay, without right, brought the replevin suit for tbe wagon, against Valliant, describing himself a3 administrator of Ferrell.

The auswer then proceeds to set out, and exhibit, the proceedings and judgment in the replevin suit, as above shown.

Alleges that .after the wagon was taken from Valliant and delivered to Clay, under the writ of replevin, Valliant demanded of Wheat that he should replace the wagon, or pay for it, and employ counsel and defend the suit. That Wheat delivered to Valliant another wagon, which was-satisfactory, employed counsel and defended the replevin suit at his own expense, and for his own use and benefit, and that the suit resulted in a personal judgment against Clay for the value of the wagon, etc., which was right and proper, etc., and that the judgment belonged to Wheat.

That the effort of Clay to have the judgment altered by subsequent order of court, without notice to Wheat or Valliant, and without their appearance in court, or consent,, was fraudulent, and said order void. That the entry of record that the parties appeared, was falsely made by the fraud, connivance and procurement of Clay.

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

Related

Hall v. Castleberry
161 S.W.2d 948 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1942)
Wimberly v. State
143 S.W.2d 571 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1940)
Miller Land & Lumber Co. v. Gurley
208 S.W. 426 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1918)
Wadkins v. Merchants' Bank
132 S.W. 218 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1910)
Hatch v. Johnson Loan & Trust Co.
79 F. 828 (U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Kansas, 1895)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
34 Ark. 291, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/king-v-clay-ark-1879.