Koehring v. Aultman, Miller & Co.

34 N.E. 30, 7 Ind. App. 475, 1893 Ind. App. LEXIS 279
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 12, 1893
DocketNo. 759
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 34 N.E. 30 (Koehring v. Aultman, Miller & Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Koehring v. Aultman, Miller & Co., 34 N.E. 30, 7 Ind. App. 475, 1893 Ind. App. LEXIS 279 (Ind. Ct. App. 1893).

Opinions

Reinhard, C. J.

The appellee, a foreign corporation, instituted this action for the recovery of the value of certain personal property upon which, it was alleged in the complaint, the appellee held a chattel mortgage, but which was converted by the appellants to their own use, and placed beyond the appellee’s reach.

In the trial court, the appellee recovered judgment for $70, the appellants having previously offered to allow judgment for $50.

The first ruling complained of is the refusal of the [477]*477trial court to strike out certain portions of the complaint.

Such a ruling does not constitute reversible error. Lewis v. Godman, 129 Ind. 359; Sprague v. Pritchard, 108 Ind. 491; Walker v. Larkin, 127 Ind. 100; Jussen v. Board, etc., 95 Ind. 567; Gwynne v. Ramsey, 92 Ind. 414; Rowe, Assignee, v. Major, 92 Ind. 206; Lake Erie, etc., R. W. Co. v. Kinsey, 87 Ind. 514; Morris, Admr., v. Stern, 80 Ind. 227.

The overruling of the demurrer to the complaint is another alleged error. It is insisted that the complaint is defective for two reasons:

1. Because of the insufficiency of the description of the property in the chattel mortgage.

2. Because no demand for the property before the commencement of the action is alleged.

The complaint undertakes to state the facts at length, upon which a recovery is sought, and in doing so sets out the substance of the mortgage which forms the basis of the claim, and also a verbatim copy of the description of the property contained in the mortgage. The description is as follows:

"One sorrel horse twelve years old, called ‘Tom,’ and one iron-gray horse four years old, called TTurk.’ ”

There was no statement as to where the property was situated when the mortgage was executed.

It is contended that the description is insufficient as far as it affects an innocent purchaser of the property, such as the appellant is claimed to be. We do not think this position can be maintained. Reasonable certainty in the description of mortgaged chattels is required, but under the rulings of our Supreme Court parol evidence is admissible for the purpose of identification, and when, by the aid of such parol evidence, the property is reason[478]*478ably susceptible of identification, the description will be held sufficient.

The case of Tindall, A'dmr., v. Wasson, 74 Ind. 495, upon which the appellants largely rely, does not sustain them. That was an action in replevin, much like the present-case, to recover possession of the mortgaged property. The vendee of the mortgagor, who was the defendant in the action, answered that the only description of the property contained in the mortgage was “two mule colts one year old next spring.”

There was a demurrer to this answer, and it was overruled, which ruling was affirmed on appeal, the court holding that in the absence of any showing which would make the description more certain the answer was insufficient. The question was one purely as to the sufficiency of the answer, and it was expressly declared, in the opinion, that the court confined itself to the precise question presented by the answer, without attempting to lay down any general rule.

In the course of the opinion the court say: “There are no circumstances of identity stated, neither locality, ownership, nor anything else affording means of identification. The description we have given stands alone and unaided. * * * If it were aided by any;' circumstances or matter of identification which would enable the description to be made certain by parol evidence, it would be otherwise.”

In the case at bar, the description is contained in the complaint, and it is aided by circumstances of identification. True, it is not stated where the property was when the mortgage was executed, but it is described as “one sorrel horse twelve years old, called ‘Tom,’ and one iron-gray horse four years old, called ‘Hurk.’” Here we have the color, the age and the names of the horses, — all marks of identity. Nor will the fact that [479]*479there may be other horses of the same age, or color, or names, add strength to the appellant’s position. The marks stated are sufficient, by the aid of parol evidence, to identify the property, and the description is such as to put a third person upon his inquiry.

In Burns v. Harris, 66 Ind. 536, the description a "dark bay mare” was held not a void description, and such an one as might be rendered sufficiently certain by the aid of parol testimony. It was there held that the description given in the mortgage is not the only means of identifying the property, but that parol evidence may be employed to make it certain of identity if it can he done. As in the case cited, so in the case at bar, there can be no room for doubt as to the identity, as it might very properly be rendered certain by parol testimony.

This being so the description must be held sufficient, and the case of Tindall v. Wasson, supra, does not stand in the way.

In further support of the sufficiency of the description see Buck v. Young, 1 Ind. App. 558; Duke v. Strickland, 43 Ind. 494; Ebberle v. Mayer, 51 Ind. 235; Muncie Nat’l Bank v. Brown, 112 Ind. 474.

We are of the opinion that the description was sufficient, and the fact that the appellants stand in the position of vendees to the mortgagor adds no force to their contention that they are not bound by it.

The mortgage was duly recorded, and was notice to the world. It contained enough of description of the property to put them upon their inquiry, and they are bound by it whether they had actual notice of the mortgage or not. Ross v. Menefee, 125 Ind. 432.

This brings us to the consideration of the other objection urged against the sufficiency of the complaint, that a demand for the property is not averred as having been made before the bringing of this action.

[480]*480It is shown by the averments of the complaint that both the appellants and appellee held mortgages on the property in controversy, — the appellee as senior and the appellants as junior mortgagee.

It is further averred that the appellants obtained possession of the property by virtue of a replevin suit against the owner thereof, before a justice of the peace, based upon their said junior mortgage, and that while said suit was pending before said justice, and during the trial thereof, appellee notified appellants of its senior mortgage and exhibited it to them and their attorneys, as also the note it was made to secure, thereby giving the appellants actual notice of the appellee.’s mortgage; and that, after the appellants had been awarded judgment for the possession of the said property, they took the same, converted it to their own use and sold it, and have put said property beyond the reach of appellee, and that said appellee has been, and still is, unable to secure possession of the same. All this is alleged to have occurred before the beginning of this action, and the appellee asks judgment for damages on account of such conversion.

These allegations, we are convinced, are sufficient to excuse a demand, if one was necessary.

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

Related

First National Bank v. Ransford
104 N.E. 604 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1914)
Hallagan v. Johnston
104 N.E. 91 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1914)
Bimel v. Boyd
101 N.E. 657 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1913)
McKinney v. Cabell
57 N.E. 598 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1900)
Reinstein v. Roberts
55 P. 90 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1898)
Baldwin v. Boyce
51 N.E. 334 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1898)
Aetna Insurance v. Strout
44 N.E. 934 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1896)
Stewart v. Long
44 N.E. 63 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1896)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
34 N.E. 30, 7 Ind. App. 475, 1893 Ind. App. LEXIS 279, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/koehring-v-aultman-miller-co-indctapp-1893.