Lumaghi v. Abt

103 S.W. 104, 126 Mo. App. 221, 1907 Mo. App. LEXIS 395
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 28, 1907
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 103 S.W. 104 (Lumaghi v. Abt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lumaghi v. Abt, 103 S.W. 104, 126 Mo. App. 221, 1907 Mo. App. LEXIS 395 (Mo. Ct. App. 1907).

Opinion

GOODE, J.

(after stating the facts)'. — r(l) The payment of the judgment was not voluntary, but coerced by the posture of Richardson’s affairs. There is nothing to show it was done pursuant to an agreement substituting a new liability for the judgment. Nor was it a compromise, for respondent made no concession, [228]*228but was paid all he claimed. The entry of satisfaction on the record was no more than the law required of him in any event (R. S. 1899, secs. 3730 et seq.) and constituted no consideration for a release of errors. [Beardsley v. Smith, 139 Ill. 290, 295.] And the judgment was in no degree in appellants’ favor, so as to bring them within the rule that a party cannot accept the fruits of a judgment, or so much of it as is favorable to him, and afterwards have it reviewed by an appellate court. [RoBards v. Lamb, 76 Mo. 192; Noah v. Ins. Co., 78 Mo. App. 370.] This judgment was altogether in favor of respondent and the settlement of it was involuntary. In Joannin v. Ogilvie, 49 Minn. 564, the question was whether a party on whose property a lien had been filed, which he was forced to satisfy in order to obtain money by mortgaging the property, could recover back the amount of the lien, it having been filed without right. The court went into the question of what constitutes payment under duress, so as to justify a recovery back of the money paid, and held the discharge of the lien was coerced. In Peyser v. Mayor, 70 N. H. 497, it was said, in substance, that coercion in law exists where a court having jurisdiction of the person and subject-matter renders a judgment which is collectible in due course; for in such case the party cast in judgment cannot resist its execution and his only remedy is an appeal and reversal for error; that if he cannot resist it when execution is attempted, he may as well pay it without execution to save expense and delay; and will not,, in such case, be held to have paid voluntarily. The discharge of the judgment in controversy for the purpose of relieving Richardson of his embarrassment did not preclude appellants from suing out a writ of error. We have looked into many decisions on this subject and find them practically unanimous in holding that payment of a judgment by a party who got no benefit from it, is no obstacle to an appeal or the prose[229]*229cution of a writ of error. In Cassell v. Fagin, 11 Mo. 207, the Supreme Court, in holding that a party who had recovered a judgment, could not have it reversed on error after receiving satisfaction, pointed out the difference between the situation of such a party and one against whom the judgment had been given; the latter being subject to execution, might be forced to pay the judgment before he could have it reviewed on appeal; whereas the party obtaining the judgment was not exposed to execution. Because of these different situations, the court said a judgment creditor could not accept payment and then reverse the judgment; whereas a judgment debtor might. The same doctrine was applied in Brinkerhoff v. Elliott, 43 Mo. App. 185. In Dakota County v. Glidden, 113 U. S. 222, the Supreme Court of the United States said there could be no question that a debtor against whom a judgment for money is obtained, might pay the judgment and bring a writ of error to reverse it, and if reversed might recover back the money. And also that a defendant in ejectment might bring a writ of error and, failing to give a supersedeas bond, submit to judgment by turning over possession of the land and afterwards recover the land by Writ of restitution, if the judgment was reversed. In both those cases, said the opinion, the defendant would merely have performed the judgment of the court without losing his right to seek a reversal by writ of error or appeal. In Richeson v. Ryan, 14 Ill. 74, it appeared that Ryan had recovered a judgment against Richeson, which the latter had paid before execution issued, and then sued out a writ of error. It was held the payment did not operate as a release of errors because it was compulsory. The same rule was declared in Hatch v. Jacobson, 94 Ill. 584, wherein it appeared that a decree had been rendered against Hatch which he had moved to amend by extending time for payment of the sum found due, from ten to thirty days, agreeing to pay the [230]*230amount of the decree within thirty days if the amendment was allowed. Thereupon the amendment was made by the court. It was held Hatch had not agreed to waive any errors which might have intervened in the proceedings leading up to the decree, and that the agreement should not be regarded as so far voluntary as to release errors. In a standard treatise we find this text, supported by cited cases:

“It is obvious that there is an essential difference between one who pays a judgment against him and one who accepts payment of a sum awarded him by a judgment. Payment by a party against whom a judgment is rendered may often be necessary to protect his property from sacrifice, and what a party does to prevent the sacrifice of his property cannot, with any tinge of justice, be held to preclude him from assailing the judgment. Our cases holding that payment by the defendant does not estop him from prosecuting an appeal rest on solid ground and are sustained by the decisions of other courts. The principle that a party may protect his property from sacrifice by a forced sale upon an execution, sustains the decision that a defendant does not preclude himself from prosecuting an appeal by securing an entry of replevin bail. If the defendant should agree not to prosecute the appeal and in consideration of such an agreement the creditor should abate part of the recovery, extend the time of payment, or do some other act of similar character, then, the right of appeal would be waived since the controversy would be terminated.” [Elliott, App. Proc., sec. 152.]

Other decisions in accord with the foregoing are: Chapman v. Sutton, 68 Wis. 657; Oneida County v. Hixon, 82 Wis. 515; Factors etc. Co. v. New Harbour Co., 37 La. Ann. 233; Thayer v. Finley, 36 Ill. 263; Belton v. Smith, 45 Ind. 291; Hayes v. Nourse, 107 N. Y. 577; Watson v. Kane, 31 Mich. 60; Burroughs v. Mukle, 22 Fla. 572; Gordon v. Gibbs, 3 Sme. & Mar. [231]*231(Miss.) 433; Shannon v. Padgett, 71 S. W. 487; Richmond. etc. Co. v. Boice, 88 Ga. 180; Ex parte Walter, 89 Ala. 237.

2. The theory of the court below that the consideration for the note was simply the exclusive right given Abt to purchase the land within three months, is unsound in view of the stipulation that if Abt elected to purchase wthin said time, the $500 paid for the option should be applied on the first installment of the purchase price, which was to be paid on the delivery of the deed. It is plain that granting Abt the option on the property for three months, was not the entire consideration for his note, but that it had this further consideration: In the event of an actual purchase by him, the amount of the note was to go in part payment for the land. Besides, the right to purchase was worthless unless Lumaghi could and would convey in case of an election to purchase. Hence if Abt offered to complete the deal and respondent refused or was unable to convey the land to him, the consideration of the note wholly failed and there could be no recovery on it by the original payee. [R. S. 1899, secs.

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Bluebook (online)
103 S.W. 104, 126 Mo. App. 221, 1907 Mo. App. LEXIS 395, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lumaghi-v-abt-moctapp-1907.