Moss v. Moss's Administrator

4 Va. 293
CourtSupreme Court of Virginia
DecidedNovember 30, 1809
StatusPublished

This text of 4 Va. 293 (Moss v. Moss's Administrator) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Moss v. Moss's Administrator, 4 Va. 293 (Va. 1809).

Opinion

Judge Tucker.

The appellee, James Moss, brought an action of debt in the District Court of Prince Edward., against the appellants, upon an obligation to himself as administrator of James Moss, deceased ; the writ was returned executed on Peter Guerrant and V/ilUar,i Moss, two only, of six defendants named in the writ; a copy left for Francis Moss, another of the defendants, he being not found ; and the three other defendants were returned no inhabitants of Buckingham County, to which the writ appears to have been directed.

At rules held in the office on the appearance day, a conditional judgment was entered against Peter Guerrant and William Moss, on whom the first writ had been served ; no separate order seems to have been made as to Francis Moss, for whom the sheriff had left a copy ; but an alias capias was awarded generally, as well against those defendants who were returned no inhabitants of the county, as against HIM.

The record mentions that no return is endorsed upon it; whether it v/as ever issued does not appear.

By the 33d sect, of the District Court Law, Rev. Code, vol. 1. c. 66. p. 79. where the sheriff shall return that tne’defendant is not found within his bailiwick, (which return the law prohibits him from making, unless he shall have actually been at the dwelling-house, or place of abode of the defendant, and left a copy of the writ; ibid. p. 122. c. 80. s. 15.) [300]*300the plaintiff may either sue out an- alias or &pluncs capiúí, until the defendant shall be arrested ; or a testatum capias where he shall have removed into another County; or may, at his election, sue out an attachment against the estate of the defendant to force an appearance. And by c. 66. s. 41. p. 80. (District Court Law,) on the return of. thepluries, that the defendant is not to be found, the Court, instead of the process to outlawry formerly used, may order a proclamation, warning the defendant to appear; which if he fails to do, the same proceedings shall be had, and the same judgment given, as in other cases of default. But here the plaintiff proceeded in neither of those cases although so clearly pointed out by the law-" He seems to have contented himself with the service upon' two, out of six defendants, and to have proceeded to take a separate judgment against them ; unless indeed, by declaring against the whale six as in custody, (though the record shews the contrary as to four of them,) we must be enforced to understand the judgment as rendered against the whole, instead of the two only, on whom process was served.

According to the practice in England,, when the plaintiff leave's a chasm in the proceedings of his cause, as by not continuing the process regularly, from day to day, and from time to time, as he ought to do, the suit is discontinued j and the defendant is no longer bound to attend, but the plain - tiff must begin again by suing put a new original, usually paying cosis to his antagonist, 3 Black. Com. 296. We are told by the same author, that the several wiits issued in succession to compel an appearance, being grounded on the sheriff’s return, must respectively hear date the same day, pn which the writ immediately preceding was returnable» Ibid. 282.

According to those authorities the omission to sue out the succeeding process prescribed by the act, to compel the appearance of the four defendants who were not arrested upon the first or second capias, was unquestionably a discontinuance of the suit, as to those defendants® Consequently [301]*301they were not liable to any further proceedings or judgment against them; unless they had voluntarily appeared, and made themselves parties to the suit, as in the case of Barnett & Woolfolk v. Watson Urquhart.

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Bluebook (online)
4 Va. 293, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moss-v-mosss-administrator-va-1809.