Panton v. Collar

12 Ill. App. 160, 1882 Ill. App. LEXIS 169
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedFebruary 9, 1883
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 12 Ill. App. 160 (Panton v. Collar) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Panton v. Collar, 12 Ill. App. 160, 1882 Ill. App. LEXIS 169 (Ill. Ct. App. 1883).

Opinion

Lacey, J.

This was a cz-editor’s bill by appellee against appellant to recover the amount of a judgment that she had recovered in the circuit court of that county against one Knox and Ann Mitchell for $757.65 and costs, Octobez*, 1878; executions had been issued, and returned no property found, Knox living in DeKalb and Mitchell in Kane county.

The bill and first, second and third supplemental bills show that one Wm. Panton, father of appellazzt, was the owner of the mill property, and Thomas Mitchell was the owner of the Mitchell farm. That Wzn. Panton became indebted to Mitchell for the latter’s giving his security for $7,000 and gave hizrz a mortgage to secure that amount on his mill, and that Mitchell gave a mortgage on his farm to one Hull to secure Pazrton’s debt for which he was security.

Mitchell dying and Panton being insolvent, Ann Mitchell and the heirs foreclosed the mortgage against Panton on the mill and obtained a certificate of purchase which was afterward transferred to appellant who obtained a mastez-’s deed under it. That at the time of the transfer of the certificate, Ann Mitchell had an interest in it for $1,600 and the shares of Mary A. Campbell and Kathan Mitchell besides her interest as widow irt the estate of Thomas Mitchell, deceased; that she received only a small interest for the transfer, but that in addition charges that appellant was to pay the judgment of appellee against Ann Mitchell.

That the Hull mortgage, the one Mitchell gave on his place, had been foreclosed by collusion between appellant and Hull, Hull to recover $7,595.96, and appellant $1,759.06. The action being procured by appellant. That the object was to close out the interest of Ann Mitchell and defeat complainant’s judgment, which was a lien subsequent to the Hull mortgage on her interest. That the farm was sold to appellant for $12,-000 under the decree of foreclosure and a certificate of sale issued to him, and that in equity he held the same interest for whatever interest Ann Mitchell had in the same, subject to the satisfaction of complainant’s judgment, and also that appellant having his own interest in the certificate, had not paid Hull anything on it. That J. W. Eanstead held the certificate and the time of redemption had expired. That appellee feared the certificate of purchase would be removed beyond the jurisdiction of the court unless restrained, so the whole amount would have to be redeemed. That the appellant be required to pay whatever sum in his hands belonged to Ann Mitchell to be paid to appellee, or that Ann Mitchell’s interest be sold in satisfaction thereof. Appellee offered to pay Hull and tendered him $8,000 provided Eanstead would permit the certificate in the hands of the master to be sold for the benefit of all parties under the order of court. Writ of injunction was granted July 21,1881, enjoining O. McClellan, Master in Chancery, from executing deed on the certifícate to appellant or to Hull until the further order of the court. To the bill and supplemental bill appellant and Ann Mitchell filed answers.

Appellant in his answer shows that he was the owner of the premises, having purchased the interest of all the heirs of Thomas Mitchell, deceased, except his wife and ¡Nathan Mitchell, to wit: William T. Mitchell, Henry Mitchell, and Mary Campbell and Martha Knox, and that he had purchased also the interest of Ann Mitchell in the farm and mill property for which he agreed to pay certain indebtedness of hers, but not the judgment of appellee, and gave Mrs. Mitchell his note for $1,200 due in five years, and satisfied a debt due him from her for other sums. He denies that he agreed to pay the appellant’s judgment in his contract of purchase with Mrs. Mitchell, but as to that judgment his contract with her was only one of indemnity for her benefit only. That he agreed to hold Ann Mitchell harmless from the payment of complainant’s judgment and denies that he ever agreed to pay appellee in whole or in part, and bought Ann Mitchell’s interest in the property subject to complainant’s judgment. That the land was sold under the Hull mortgage April 22,1880.

Upon the hearing of the cause the court entered a decree against appellant and in favor of appellee for the amount of her judgment and interest against Ann Mitchell and Knox in the sum of $909.20. That the restraining orders in the case on the original bill, except as to the payment and retention of said sum, be dissolved, and that as to said sum the restraining order on the original bill be made perpetual, that is, that Mrs. Mi tell ell should not sell, transfer or in any way encumber it, etc.

On March 29, 1882, the court, on the suggestion of damages on the injunction bond, found that the appellant’s damages were as follows:

For two per cent, interest that he had to pay Hull from July 21, 1881, until the dissolution of the injunction..................................$ 79.12

For solicitor’s fees............................... 65.00

The solicitor’s fees of James O. McClellan.......... 10.00

To Calvin E. Hull'.............................. 25.00

In all...................................$179.12

decreeing execution against appellee for the respective sums found due. Appellee assigns cross-error against this decree for damages.

After a careful examination of the evidence we find that it is quite uncertain whether the appellant had in his hands enough money belonging to Ann Mitchell, over and above what he had paid her, to satisfy appellee’s judgment or that he agreed absolutely to pay it.

The evidence on these questions which seemed to be made the main issue is very conflicting. It appears, however, undisputed and is agreed by all parties that in addition to the $1,200 note given by appellant to Mrs. Ann Mitchell, and in addition to all other sums that Mrs. Mitchell owed him or that he paid to or for her in payment for her interest, they entered into the following agreement:

“ South Elgin, Feb. 19th, 1879.

“ I agree to pay in full on demand what may appear to be due on a certain note for $600 and stand between her and all loss on a certain note given to Hannah Knox by T. G. Knox. The said Ann Mitchell signing the note as security for one year only, in other words I am to hold Ann Mitchell harmless from the payment of the Knox note.

“V. W. Panton.”

The note above named it is agreed was the foundation of appellee’s judgment. It will be observed that this was a creditor’s bill filed by appellee against appellant, Ann Mitchell and several others; the two parties above named were both before the court. The court had full jurisdiction and authority to decree payment of appellee’s judgment out of any property or credits to be found either in the hands of Mrs. Mitchell or of appellant belonging to her. It is admitted in the counsel’s argument for appellant that “ in a proper case and that possibly it would have been warranted in this case,” the court might have ordered the $1,200 note given by appellant to Mrs. Mitchell to be put up to sale to satisfy the appellee’s judgment. If this had been done the note would have been taken from the possession of Mrs. Mitchell and sold in satisfaction of appellee’s claim, and then it is not denied that appellant would have been liable to repay to Mrs. Mitchell the full amount of appellee’s judgment.

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Bluebook (online)
12 Ill. App. 160, 1882 Ill. App. LEXIS 169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/panton-v-collar-illappct-1883.