May v. Greenhill

80 Ind. 124
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1881
DocketNo. 9520
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 80 Ind. 124 (May v. Greenhill) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
May v. Greenhill, 80 Ind. 124 (Ind. 1881).

Opinion

Howk, J.

— In this case, the appellee Robert Greenhill, for [125]*125himself and forty other persons,whose names were given, and many others whose names are unknown to this plaintiff,” all of whom were creditors of Henry Thompson, complained of said Thompson and the appellant, Edwin J. May, as defendants. In his complaint, the said Greenhill alleged, in substance, that he brought this action for himself and the other persons whose names were mentioned therein, and all others •who might join in the action; that, by reason of the great number of the creditors of Henry Thompson, it would be inexpedient and impracticable to bring separate actions on their claims, and would unnecessarily encumber the records of the court; that the said Thompson was the sole proprietor of a certain hotel, commonly known as the “ Occidental Hotel,” in the city of Indianapolis ; that' the creditors’ claims, mentioned in said complaint, were made and incurred by said Thompson in managing and operating said hotel; that the claims therein mentioned amounted in the aggregate to about three thousand dollars. (And here follows a list of the creditors named in the complaint, with the amount alleged to be due from Thompson to each of them set opposite to his name.)

It is then further alleged in the complaint, that the said several claims were for labor performed and goods furnished, at the special request of said Thompson, and that the same were then due and wholly unpaid; that on or about the third day of May, 1881, the said Henry Thompson left the State of Indiana ; that at that time, and long prior thereto, the said Thompson was financially embarrassed, and left the State for the purpose of delaying and defrauding his creditors and the plaintiff, and for the purpose of avoiding the service of process on him; and that, by reason of said Thompson’s having so left the State, it was impossible to secure service' of notice upon him of the pendency of this action, and of this application for the appointment of a receiver; that, prior to and at the time of his departure from the State, the said Thompson was the sole proprietor and manager of the said hotel, and the business, rights and property appurtenant thereto, and the good-will [126]*126thereof; that, immediately after the departure of said Thompson from the State, the appellant, Edwin J. May, wholly without right or authority, took possession of said hotel and its busi-> ness, property and furniture, and was then, without right or authority, using, occupying and controlling said hotel and its property, to the exclusion of said creditors, for his own use and benefit; that the said Thompson had no other property, in this State, subject to execution, out of which the claims of said creditors could be made; that the property in said hotel, and the rights and good-will of its business, were of the value of, to wit, ten thousand dollará; that, if the said assets were properly administered, they would suffice to pay all of the debts of said Henry Thompson; that the appellant, May, had no right, title or interest in or to the said hotel property other than a pretended chattel mortgage upon the personal property of said hotel, to secure notes of about five thousand dollars; that the said May claimed to hold an assignment of the lease for the hotel building from said Thompson, which pretended transfer, if made, was wholly fraudulent and void as to the said creditors of said Thompson, and was without any consideration whatever, and, if made, was made on the night of the third day of May, 1881, and but a few minutes before he, Thompson, left the State as before stated.

And the appellee Greenhill further said that all the property in said hotel, belonging to said Thompson, was subject to' levy and sale to pay the debts due the said creditors, but that any such sale would greatly diminish the value of said property, and totally destroy the good-Avill of said hotel; that said property was in great danger of being wasted and destroyed, and might not be sufficient to pay and satisfy the demands of said creditors of said Thompson, if the same should be allowed to remain in the hands and under the control of said Edwin J. May; and that, if the said property and business were properly managed, the claims of said creditors and others, including the pretended claim of said Edwin J. May, could be saved to them and other creditors, if any, of said Thompson.

[127]*127Wherefore thé appellee Greenhill, in his own behalf and in behalf of others, for whose benefit he brought this action, prayed the court that a receiver might be appointed to take possession, control and management of said hotel and the business thereof, and of all the property belonging to the said Thompson, within the jurisdiction of the court, and to collect and receive all sums of money and claims due the said Thompson ; and that such receiver might be allowed to carry on and operate said hotel, under the order of the court, until the final hearing of this cause, and that the said receiver might be then ordered tq pay the said creditors such sums of money as should thereafter be determined to be due them, and each' of them.

This complaint was verified by the oath of the appellee Greenhill, and filed in the court below, on the 31st day of May, 1881. Afterward, on June 3d, 1881, a summons was issued on said complaint for the defendants named therein, addressed to the sheriff of Marion county, and commanding him to summon them to appear in said court on the first day of its ensuing August term, and answer said complaint. The sheriff returned this summons, as served on said Edwin J. May, on June 3d, 1881, and that the defendant Henry Thompson was not found in his bailiwick.

On the 4th day of June, 1881, the court sustained the motion of the appellee Greenhill for the appointment of a receiver, as prayed for in his verified complaint. Thereupon, the court ordered in substance, that Albert W. Wishard should be appointed a receiver to take charge of the property named in the complaint, and to perform the duties thereinafter specified; and the appellant, Edwin J. May, was ordered to deliver over to the receiver all and singular the personal property, then in his possession, belonging to, or a part of, and situate in the Occidental Hotel,” in the city of Indianapolis, which was in the hotel and belonging to the defendant Henry Thompson, in any manner, on the 1st day of May, 1881, or since, or wheresoever else the same might be, which then or since belonged to Henry Thompson in any [128]*128manner whatsoever, by virtue of his former ownership or proprietorship of said hotel, together with the possession of said hotel buildings; and that said Edwin J. May should deliver to the receiver all the books, with all the notes, bills, accounts and other rights of action, belonging in any manner to said Thompson. The order then prescribed the duties of the receiver, and gave directions as to the manner in which he should execute his trust.

The appellant Edwin J. May objected to the order of the court for the appointment of a receiver, and his objections haying been overruled by the court, he excepted to such ruling and filed his bill of exceptions. The said Edwin J. May has appealed to this court from the order for the appointment of a receiver, and perfected his appeal within ten days from the date of such order.

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Related

Hawkins v. Aldridge
7 N.E.2d 34 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1937)
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1 N.E. 188 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1885)

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Bluebook (online)
80 Ind. 124, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/may-v-greenhill-ind-1881.