Schoppenhast v. Bollman

21 Ind. 280
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1863
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 21 Ind. 280 (Schoppenhast v. Bollman) 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
Schoppenhast v. Bollman, 21 Ind. 280 (Ind. 1863).

Opinion

Hanna, J.

Suit by the appellees on three promissory notes payable to said female appellee. Answer in three paragraphs. The first is to the whole complaint, and sets up facts to show that said Bollman is the real owner and the party in interest in said notes, so payable to his wife; and that said appellant, as a garnishee in certain attachment proceedings instituted against said Bollman, had been compelled to pay, &c., a great part of said notes, and for the balance a recovery had been obtained, &c.

The second paragraph is pleaded as a defence to the third note, and avers the same facts and the same recovery, &c. The third is pleaded as a defence to the other two notes and sets up the same payment as garnishee, &c.

Copies of the proceedings and judgments in said suits, &c., are set forth.

Demurrers were sustained to the first and third paragraphs, and overruled as to the second. Judgment upon the two notes first due for the plaintiffs, and, as to the other, for the defendant. Upon these rulings on demurrers, errors and cross-errors are assigned.

In the former suits and attachment proceedings said female plaintiff was not a party, and it is insisted that the record of those proceedings can in no measure conclude her.

"We suppose the demurrer admits the truth of the allegations tending to show the real ownership of, or interest in, said notes. A question then arises as to whether they were subject, under the attachment proceedings, to Bollman’s debts; and if so, whether, in such proceedings, averments [283]*283setting forth the facts should have been made? Our statute regulating attachments authorizes the proceeding by garnishment against any person that is indebted to the defendant; sec. 175, p. 67, 2 R. S.; and from the day of the service of the summons in said proceeding, the garnishee shall be accountable to the plaintiff, &c. Id. 68.

The record of such proceeding shows that the garnishee, the present defendant, in his answer stated the facts that he gave notes payable to Mrs. Bollman for the assignment of a title bond, held in her name, by her and her husband, (but does not set out the circumstances as in the answer in this case,) and that he was not indebted to said Herman Bollman, unless these facts created an indebtedness. No further pleadings appear.

It is urged that the judgment in those proceedings was void as to Mrs. Bollman, because she was not a. party, and because no evidence could have been received, under said pleadings, that would have authorized said judgment; and that those proceedings were void as to both Bollman and wife, for the reason that the proper affidavit and notice do not appear. The affidavit related to the two first notes due, and was against Bollman and wife. Before the trial the third fell due, and, by an amendment, was included in the complaint, and judgment given for all three of said notes against Bollman alone. If not void, it is urged the said proceedings were erroneous, and can not be enforced against one who was not a party and had no opportunity to proceed for the correction of said errors.

On the other hand it is insisted that, whatever irregularities and errors might have occurred, the garnishee was not in a situation to have them corrected, and was justifiable in paying off the amount found against him in the proceedings, under such circumstances. It is thus conceded that ii’regularities and errors do appear in the record, and the payment [284]*284having been made on such record, can the defendant avail himself of* tit to defeat this action.

It appears to us that, as the demurrer admitted such matters as were well pleaded in the answer, sufficient facts are therein averred to show that said Bollman was the real party in interest in said notes; that his wife had not such interest therein as would enable her to join as a plaintiff. If this is a correct view, and we think it is, the case is stripped of much of the difficulty that would otherwise, apparently, surround it. Then the main question to be determined is, whether the record makes a case in which the maker of the notes can shield himself behind the judgment, (and payment thereof,) against him in the proceedings in garnishment.

That the said Bollman is the real party in interest we think is manifest from the facts pleaded and thus admitted. It is charged that he originally purchased and paid his money on the real estate named in part payment therefor and executed his notes for the residue; that the title bond was made to his wife to defraud his creditors, he being at the time indebted to divers persons; that he sold said real estate and she assigned said bond to the appellant and took the notes in her name with a like fraudulent intention; that she paid nothing and was not bound to pay, and had no property, &c.; of which appellant was ignorant at the time of his purchase. It is urged that the proceedings in attachment were void, or if not void, irregular and erroneous, and that no defence to the suit on the notes can be based upon payments made in pursuance of judgments rendered therein.

On the other hand, as before stated, it appears to be conceded . that said proceedings were irregular, but not invalid, and that the defendant in said garnishment was bound thereby.

The grounds for assuming that the proceedings were void are that the affidavit and notice were not in accordance with [285]*285the statute prescribing the mode of proceeding in attachments.

Before examining the record upon the points in controversy, we will state some propositions in relation thereto, which appear to be settled:

1. "Where the defendant,, in the main action, is personally served with process, the attachment is not the foundation of the jurisdiction, but is a conservatory measure allowed to the plaintiff for the purpose of securing his demand. Drake on Att., § 692.

2. Where the proceeding is ex parte, without any service upon or appearance by the defendant, jurisdiction is acquired over him through an attachment of his property. Id.

Upon the first proposition, if the attachment illegally issues, it is nevertheless the privilege of the defendant alone to take advantage of it.

, In the second case, as the attachment is the basis of the jurisdiction, if it be issued without legal authority, the proceedings under it are void.

Erom these propositions it results that, where the defendant is personally before the Court the garnishee is not in a condition in which it is compulsory upon him to question the jurisdictional legality of the proceedings, or their regularity as to the defendant. But where the defendant is not personally before the Court, the garnishee is concerned, as to the main action, only in the question of jurisdiction. Where that has attached, his right to inquire into or interfere with such procedure is at an end; for all that he is interested in is, that the attachment proceedings against himself shall protect him in another suit. That they will do so though there be in them errors and irregularities, for which the defendant might obtain their reversal, there can be no doubt. 3 B. Mon. 502; 12 Ill. 358; 1 Iowa 86; 8 Blackf. 419.

He could not, therefore, reverse a judgment against him on [286]*286account of mere irregularities in the main action.

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Bluebook (online)
21 Ind. 280, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schoppenhast-v-bollman-ind-1863.