Otis v. Nelson

140 P. 211, 15 Ariz. 486, 1914 Ariz. LEXIS 169
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedApril 27, 1914
DocketCivil No. 1342
StatusPublished

This text of 140 P. 211 (Otis v. Nelson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Otis v. Nelson, 140 P. 211, 15 Ariz. 486, 1914 Ariz. LEXIS 169 (Ark. 1914).

Opinion

CUNNINGHAM, J.

The purpose of this action was to try the rights of property attached by the sheriff of Yavapai county by the command of a writ of attachment issued out of the superior court of said county in an action wherein T. W. Otis was plaintiff, and William Nelson was defendant. The writ of attachment was issued February 5, 1913, and, under the authority of said writ, on February 11, 1913, the sheriff levied upon certain personal property found at Nelson’s wood camp at or near Prairie, in Yavapai county, as the property of the defendant in the writ. The sum claimed in the complaint and recited in the writ is $1,924.15.

William I. Nelson, son of the defendant in the writ, notified the sheriff of his claim of ownership of the property attached, and on February 12, 1913, he filed with the sheriff the following claim under oath:

“State of Arizona,

County of Yavapai—ss.

“William I. Nelson, being first duly sworn, deposes and says that he is the owner of and claims as his property the following specifically described personal property levied upon and attached by Chas. C. Keeler, sheriff of Yavapai county, Arizona, on February 11th, 1913, in the case of T. W. Otis v. William Nelson: [Describing the property.] Deponent says that the above claim is made in good faith under the provisions of chapter 3, title 71, Revised Statutes of Arizona 1901.”

The sheriff returned the writ of attachment with the sworn claim, and, as his return, certified as follows:

“I hereby certify that William I. Nelson claims as his property the following heretofore, on to wit, February 11th, 1913, duly levied upon and attached by me in the case of T. W. Otis v. Wm. Nelson, by virtue of the annexed writ of attachment: [Describing the property.] And said William I. Nelson, claimant of said property above described, did on the 12th day of February, 1913, deliver to me his oath in [488]*488writing and a cash bond in the sum of four thousand ($4,000.00) dollars, being double the amount of the property so claimed, as aforesaid, was assessed by me, which said oath and bond were in due form of law, -and were given under the provisions of title 71, chapter 3, of the Revised Statutes- of Arizona 1901, and which said cash bond was substituted for the statutory form of bond in such cases as provided .in chapter 11, Session Laws of the Twenty-fifth Legislative Assembly of the territory of Arizona. I further certify that after receiving said oath and bond I did, on the 12th day of February, A. D. 1913, release from said attachment and turn over to said William I. Nelson all the property hereinbefore described. ’ ’

Upon filing of this return of the sheriff, with the annexed papers of claim, in the office of the clerk of the superior court of Yavapai county, the clerk docketed the cause in the name of T. W. Otis, as plaintiff, and William I. Nelson, the claimant, as defendant. Thereafter the court made an order fixing the date March 8, 1913, as the day for making up the issues for trial. On March 7, 1913, plaintiff filed his complaint setting forth the issuance of the writ of attachment, the levy of the attachment upon the personal property, describing the property, the fact that William I. Nelson made claim under oath that he was the owner of the property so attached, and alleges:

That the claimant “gave his bond in the sum of $4,000, the same being a cash bond, to said sheriff, conditioned that said property would be forthcoming, and be returned to said sheriff, or his successors, in as good condition as he received it, and that he would pay the reasonable value of the use, hire, increase, and fruits thereof, from the date of said bond, or, in case he fails so to return said property, and pay for the use of the same, he would pay plaintiff the value of said property, which was assessed by the sheriff at $2,000, with legal interest thereon from the date of the bond in case he fails to establish his right and title to said property herein described.

“III. That the said William I. Nelson is not the owner of said property nor any part thereof; that said property was at all times and now is the property of said William Nelson, the father of said William I. Nelson; that no transfer [489]*489of title or possession of the said property has ever passed from William Nelson to William I. Nelson; that, if any conveyance has ever been made by William Nelson to William I. Nelson, it is false, fraudulent, and without consideration, and done with the intent to hinder, delay, and defraud this plaintiff—all of which was well known to the said William I. Nelson. ’ ’

The claimant’s tender of issue, filed the same day, alleges:

“That defendant is the owner of, in the possession of, and lawfully entitled to the possession of the following described personal property, to wit: [Describing the property under attachment.]

“III. That defendant bases his title upon an actual and bona fide purchase of the said property from one William Nelson, which said purchase was made on or about the 10th day of January, 1913; that defendant has paid to said William Nelson a good and valuable consideration for said described property, and said consideration was equal to and was the reasonable value of said described property at the time of its purchase.

“IV. Denies all the allegations of paragraph III of plaintiff’s complaint or tender of issue.”

The trial of the cause, a jury sitting, was had on May 21, 1913, upon" the issues as made by.the said papers in the cause on file. The plaintiff assumed the burden of proceeding. At the close of the evidence, the court instructed the jury to return a verdict for the defendant, claimant. Upon the coming in of such verdict, the court rendered judgment for the defendant in accordance with the verdict, and established the defendant’s title to the property in question, and for costs. A motion for a new trial was made and denied. From the judgment and from the order denying a new trial, the plaintiff has appealed.

The plaintiff assigns as error the instruction of the court directing a verdict; also, “upon an appeal from a final judgment, the supreme court may review any intermediate order involving the merits and necessarily affecting the judgment.” Paragraph 1230, Ariz. Civ. Code 1913.

Before the court is authorized to entertain the statutory proceeding known as the trial of the rights of property, the claimant of the property attached must bring himself within [490]*490the terms of the statute providing such remedy. The officer must have levied ‘ ‘ a writ of execution, attachment, claim and delivery or other like writ upon . . . personal property, and such property, or any part thereof, ’ ’ must have been ‘ ‘ claimed by a person who is not a party to such writ.” “Such person, his agent or attorney, may make oath, in writing, before any officer authorized to administer oaths, that such claim is made in good faith, and present such oath in writing to the officer who made such levy.” Paragraph 4128, Ariz. Rev. Stats. 1901. “He shall also execute and deliver to the officer who made such levy his bond, with two or more good and sufficient sureties, to be approved by such officer, payable to the plaintiff in such writ, for an amount equal to double the value of the property so claimed to be assessed by such officer.” Paragraph 4129, Ariz. Rev. Stats. 1901.

The bond must be conditioned as required by paragraph 4130, Revised Statutes of Arizona of 1901.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
140 P. 211, 15 Ariz. 486, 1914 Ariz. LEXIS 169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/otis-v-nelson-ariz-1914.