State ex rel. Heilman v. Clark

857 S.W.2d 399, 1993 WL 171353
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 25, 1993
DocketNo. WD 47250
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 857 S.W.2d 399 (State ex rel. Heilman v. Clark) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Heilman v. Clark, 857 S.W.2d 399, 1993 WL 171353 (Mo. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

BERREY, Judge.

The seeds of this action were sewn in a hotly contested divorce action between Elaine Heilmann, relator herein, and David Novak in Johnson County, Kansas. A divorce was granted to the parties on July 22, 1987, and Heilmann was granted a judgment against David Novak for child support, attorneys fees and miscellaneous debts. On April 12, 1989, Heilmann registered that judgment as a foreign judgment in Jackson County, Missouri.

On October 13, 1992, Heilmann filed a Motion for Writ of Execution in the Circuit Court of Jackson County alleging her judgment against David Novak in the amount of $60,000.00 and requesting the court execute on several automobiles to satisfy the judgment. She alleged that David Novak owned the cars under the trade names Car Store and Classic Motor Car Company. The Court Administrator issued its Writ of Execution and, on October 14, 1992, levied upon eight vehicles.

On October 21, 1992, Dr. Alfred Novak, David’s father, filed a motion to interplead in the action claiming title interest in the cars and requesting an immediate hearing to determine ownership. Dr. Novak’s motion was set for hearing on October 28, 1992, before Judge Thomas C. Clark. Prior to the hearing, Heilmann filed her response and requested a continuance, which the court granted. The matter was set for evidentiary hearing on December 3, 1992, Judge Clark’s first available date. On November 9, 1992, Judge Clark entered an order to refrain from disposing of the seized property, pending further order of the court.

[400]*400In an attempt to get an earlier hearing date, Dr. Novak requested a hearing date from Judge Shinn, who set the case for hearing in his division on November 17, 1992. Heilmann requested and was granted a continuance and Judge Shinn remanded the case to the original division.

On November 30, 1992, Dr. Novak filed an affidavit and claim with the Court Administrator’s Department of Civil Process pursuant to § 513.1301 alleging his ownership of the seized property. On December 4, 1992, the Court Administrator served Heilmann with a Notice of Filing of Third Party Claim, pursuant to § 513.130. The notice informed Heilmann that the Court Administrator would abandon its levy on the cars unless Heilmann posted a bond in the amount of $230,000.00 by 4:30 p.m. December 11, 1992.

Responses and replies were filed by all parties, including the Court Administrator. Heilmann also filed a motion requesting a restraining order against the Court Administrator asserting that Supreme Court Rule 76 superseded § 513.130 and, therefore, the cars should not be released to Dr. Novak unless he posted a bond as required by Rule 76.14. On December 16, 1992, Judge Clark conducted a hearing on Heilmann’s motion and ruled that Rule 76 did not supersede § 513.130. He then heard evidence on the value of the cars and determined their value at $229,000.00.

On December 17, 1992, the Court Administrator again notified Heilmann that it would abandon the levy and release the cars to Dr. Novak unless she posted a bond in the amount of $230,000.00 by December 22, 1992 at 4:30 p.m. Heilmann did not post the required bond. On December 22, 1992, Heilmann filed and served notice of her intent to file a petition for writ of prohibition in five days.

On December 23, 1992, Dr. Novak obtained an ex parte order from Presiding Judge Lee Wells rescinding Judge Clark’s order of November 9, 1992, which restrained the Court Administrator from releasing the cars. Dr. Novak faxed a copy of this order to Heilmann at 4:24 p.m. on December 23, 1992.

On December 24, 1992, Heilmann petitioned this court to waive the five-day notice requirement and enter a Stop Order prohibiting enforcement of Judge Wells’ order allowing release of the cars. The requested stop order was issued on December 24, 1992.

On January 25, 1993, this court issued its preliminary order in prohibition after which the parties submitted briefs and oral argument.

The sole issue to be decided by this court is whether Rule 76, specifically 76.10, 76.14 and 76.25, supersedes § 513.130. If so, relator alleges that Judge Clark relinquished his jurisdiction to the Court Administrator by allowing the Court Administrator to require her to post a bond in order to retain the levy on the property. Heilmann asserts that it is Dr. Novak who should be required to post bond pursuant to Rule 76.14.

The specific, pertinent sections of Rule 76 and § 513.130 state as follows:

RULE 76.10 WHO MAY INTERVENE
Any person, except the judgment debt- or, claiming an interest in property which has been levied upon may intervene in the execution proceedings pursuant to Rule 52.12.
RULE 76.14 RETENTION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY PENDING SALE
The person whose personal property has been levied upon may retain or regain possession of the property until the time of sale, by giving bond, in favor of the judgment creditor executed by such person as principal and one or more sufficient sureties, approved by the sheriff, in double the value of such property, conditioned upon the delivery of the property at the time and place of sale.
RULE 76.25 STAY OR QUASHING OF EXECUTION — BOND
The person whose property has been levied upon may apply to the judge of the division of the court out of which the same was issued for a stay of execution [401]*401or to quash the execution. Reasonable notice of the time of the hearing on the application shall be given to opposing parties. The application shall be by petition setting forth good cause why the execution should be stayed or quashed. The court may require the petitioner to provide a sufficient bond with adequate security approved by the court, conditioned upon the delivery of the property.
513.130. Third-party claim — proceedings — bond.
1. When personal property ... shall be seized by virtue of any execution, and any person other than the debtor in the execution shall, in writing, verified by affidavit of himself or some credible person, claim such property, or any part thereof, and shall in such claim set forth the right, title or interest of such claimant in and to such property, or any part thereof, and deliver such written claim to the officer making such seizure, such officer shall at once deliver a copy of such written claim to the execution creditor or his attorney of record; and if such execution creditor shall fail, within a reasonable time thereafter, to execute and deliver or tender to such officer a bond, payable to the state of Missouri, with one or more sufficient sureties, residents of the county, to be approved by the officer, conditioned to indemnify such officer and claimant against all damages and costs that may accrue to such officer, or to such claimant, by reason of the seizure and sale of such property, the officer shall abandon such levy and release the property to the claimant.
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
857 S.W.2d 399, 1993 WL 171353, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-heilman-v-clark-moctapp-1993.