Lipsitt v. Walmsley

289 Mass. 43
CourtMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
DecidedJanuary 2, 1935
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 289 Mass. 43 (Lipsitt v. Walmsley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lipsitt v. Walmsley, 289 Mass. 43 (Mass. 1935).

Opinion

Pierce, J.

This is an action of contract or tort. It comes before this court on an appeal by the plaintiff from the findings, decision and order of the Appellate Division dismissing the report of the trial judge.

The plaintiff’s declaration is in two counts, (1) for money had and received to the plaintiff’s use; and (2) alleging that the defendant in his capacity of deputy sheriff made attachments of the personal property of the Blackmer Pharmacy, Inc., and the plaintiff, in lieu of bonds, in order to dissolve the attachments deposited $700 in cash; that judgments were recovered against the corporation in the sum of $386.02 which included costs; and that the plaintiff has demanded of the defendant the difference of $313.98 which the defendant refuses to pay. The defendant answers general denial; and further answering says that acting as deputy sheriff he attached by two writs the property of the Blackmer Pharmacy, Inc., and received cash to be held in lieu of the property attached; that thereafter another writ was given to him against the same defendant; that from the money held by him he satisfied two executions and is holding the balance on the third attachment.

[45]*45The judge of the District Court found the following facts: On a writ dated April 21, 1933, the defendant as deputy-sheriff attached personal property of the Blackmer Pharmacy, Inc., and made return that on April 22, 1933, the corporation gave the plaintiffs in that action (Johnson v. Blackmer, Inc.) “a bond in the sum of $400 cash”; that the attachment was thereupon dissolved, the defendant delivered the attached property to the corporation and holds the “$400 bond subject to the order of the court.” The plaintiff in the present action was the attorney for the corporation, and the defendant gave him a receipt for the $400 in lieu of bond to dissolve the attachment. This amount was drawn from a national bank on a counter receipt (check) signed “Joseph Lipsitt, Agt.” On May 3, 1933, another writ issued against the corporation. The defendant, as deputy sheriff, attached its personal property and on the same day made return on the writ that the corporation gave to the plaintiffs “a $300 cash bond”; that thereupon he delivered the attached property to the corporation and “holds the cash bond subject to the orders of the court.” The amount of $300 is evidenced by a check on the Fair-haven National Bank to the order of the defendant, and signed by “Joseph Lipsitt, Agt.” The check was indorsed by the defendant: “in lieu of bond to dissolve attachment Johnson vs. Blackmer, Inc.,” and was collected and held by the defendant. “This money was the plaintiff’s.” The two actions went to judgment in favor of the plaintiffs . therein on June 9, 1933; executions duly issued on June 17, 1933, and both were-returned June 19, 1933, satisfied in full, the first by levy upon the $400 in the defendant’s possession, leaving a balance in his hands of $170.60. In both these executions the defendant made return thereon, “I am holding the balance subject to attachment against the defendant.” On June 17, 1933, the day executions issued in the two actions, another writ issued against the corporation and the defendant made return thereon dated June 19, 1933, that he had attached as the property of the defendant the cash held by him in lieu of bonds on the two previous actions, being his second attachment as to each. This action [46]*46went to judgment by default in favor of the plaintiffs on July 14, 1933, for $229.51 with costs of $8.51. Execution issued thereon on July 15,1933, but does not appear to have been served.

G. L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 223, § 120, et seq., makes provision by which a defendant may dissolve an attachment of his property by giving bonds as therein provided. Section 133 provides that “A bond which is required to be given by a party to a civil action or proceeding may be executed by any person other than the party to the action or proceeding, and may be approved in the same manner as if executed by such party, if it appears to the magistrate who approves it that there is good reason why it is not executed by him.” Section 128 provides that “A defendant may dissolve an attachment by depositing with the attaching officer an amount of money equal at least to the amount of the ad damnum in the writ, which the officer shall hold in place of the property attached and which shall be subject to be disposed of in the same manner.” The trial judge found no statute, and our attention has not been directed to any, which authorizes a third person to make a deposit of money with an attaching officer, as in the case of a bond under G. L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 223, § 133, and found that at the time of the commencement of the plaintiff’s action (June 24, 1933) the defendant (in his said capacity) had a valid attachment upon the money held by him in the same manner and in place of the property (originally) attached; and he found for the defendant.

At the trial in the District Court the plaintiff duly made seven requests for rulings.

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Bluebook (online)
289 Mass. 43, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lipsitt-v-walmsley-mass-1935.