Thaggard v. Union Bank Trust Company

172 So. 2d 49, 277 Ala. 485, 1965 Ala. LEXIS 548
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedFebruary 18, 1965
Docket3 Div. 137
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 172 So. 2d 49 (Thaggard v. Union Bank Trust Company) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thaggard v. Union Bank Trust Company, 172 So. 2d 49, 277 Ala. 485, 1965 Ala. LEXIS 548 (Ala. 1965).

Opinion

LAWSON, Justice.

This suit was brought in the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, in Equity, by Union Bank & Trust Company, a corporation, against T. L. (Cotton) Thaggard and John D. King.

Paragraph 2 of the bill charges, in effect, that the respondent Thaggard is indebted to the complainant in that on March 6, 1963, Thaggard fraudulently obtained from complainant the sum of $43,000 in cash, which he converted to his own use.

Paragraph 3 of the bill avers that on March 6, 1963, the respondent Thaggard was the owner of certain parcels of real estate as described in subparagraphs “a” through “g,” both inclusive.

Paragraph 4, subparagraphs “a” through “d,” both inclusive, aver that on the same day that respondent Thaggard is alleged to have fraudulently and wrongfully obtained the said sum of money from complainant and converted it to his own use, he executed and delivered to his father-in-law, the respondent John D. King, mortgages as therein described upon said respective parcels of real estate described in paragraph 3 of the bill.

In paragraph 5 of the bill it is averred that each of said mortgages was a voluntary conveyance; that the recited consideration in each of them was pretended, simulated and untrue; that each of said mortgages was intended to hinder, delay and defraud complainant, Union Bank & Trust Company, as a creditor; that each of said purported mortgages is invalid and void; and, that same were executed simultaneously as the result of a conspiracy between respondents to place said parcels of real estate beyond the reach of complainant as a creditor of respondent Thaggard.

Paragraph 6 avers, in substance, that the respondent Thaggard owned other properties, unknown to complainant, which are “properly subject to payment of said respondent Thaggard’s debt to complainant,” [487]*487the identity of which complainant is entitled to know. ..v

Aside from the prayer for process the bill prays:

“ * * * and, that, upon the final hearing hereof, the Court will decree that said instruments purporting to he mortgages, which are hereinabove referred to in paragraph ‘4’, of this hill of complaint be cancelled and declared to be null and void, insofar as this complainant is concerned; and, further, that the respondent T. L. (Cotton) Thaggard be restrained and enjoined from placing any mortgages upon, or selling or otherwise disposing of any of, said real estate described in paragraph ‘3’ of this bill of complaint, pending the further orders of this Court; and, further, that the respondent T. L. (Cotton) Thaggard be ordered and directed promptly to enumerate and disclose to complainant a full and complete list, description, identity and location of all properties and interests in properties, real, personal and mixed, owned by him as of March 6, 1963, and, also, a full and complete list, description, identity and location of all properties and interests in properties, real, personal and mixed, owned by him as of the date of the filing of this bill of complaint; and, further, that the Court will order and decree that said properties and all properties of every kind owned by said respondent Thag-gard shall be, and are, subject to the payment of the indebtedness of respondent Thaggard to complainant, and that he be restrained and enjoined from making any disposition whatsoever of same, pending the further orders of this Court; and, complainant prays for such other, further and different relief as in equity and good conscience it may be entitled, as it will ever pray, etc.”

Personal service was had on each of the respondents. Decrees pro confesso were rendered against both of them on Novem-her 21, 1963.

Testimony was taken orally before a judge of the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, in Equity, on December 31, 1963. The cause was submitted for final decree on the bill of complaint, the decrees pro confesso taken against both of the respondents, and upon the evidence introduced at the hearing on December 31, 1963.

The trial court rendered a decree on December 31, 1963, wherein it found that the respondent Thaggard did on March 6, 1963, fraudulently and wrongfully obtain from complainant, Union Bank & Trust Company, the sum of $43,000 and converted same to his own use; that Union Bank & Trust Company is a creditor of said respondent for that amount; that said respondent Thaggard is indebted to complainant in the sum of $43,000, with interest from March 6, 1963, for which complainant is entitled to a judgment against the respondent Thaggard; further, that the mortgages were fraudulent and void as to complainant; that each of the parcels of real estate described in paragraph 3 of the complaint is properly subject to payment of Thag-gard’s indebtedness to complainant; that complainant is entitled to subject said properties to payment of said indebtedness; and, that each and all of the averments of the bill are confessed and are true and correct.

The court then rendered judgment in favor of complainant against the respondent Thaggard in the sum of $43,000 with interest, and without exemptions, and decreed that the several mortgages -were null and void as to complainant. The court further decreed that the respondent Thaggard be restrained and enjoined from placing any lien or mortgage upon, or making any transfer or disposition of any property owned by him or thereafter acquired by him, pending payment of the judgment. It was also decreed that the respondent Thag-gard file a statement of all assets owned by him. The register was ordered to [488]*488proceed to sell the real estate of respondent Thaggard described in the bill by public sale for satisfaction of said indebtedness and to report to the court the results of the sale.

Respondent Thaggard filed a statement of his assets, showing nothing of substantial value, other than his interest in the real estate described in the complaint.

The respondents on January 16, 1964, filed a motion to “ * * * set aside each and every part of the final decree of the Court in this cause in which a moneyed judgment in the amount of $43,000.00, with interest, was rendered against Respondent •Thaggard, in which exemptions as to personalty and realty as to the collection of said judgment were removed from Respondents King and Thaggard, and in which a sale of the parcels of realty listed in paragraph 8 of the decree was ordered. * * * ” The motion was filed by the respondents separately and severally.

The trial court, after a hearing, overruled the motion on January 27, 1964, except for the correction of a typographical error in the decree of December 31, 1963, which error is not here significant.

On March 17, 1964, the respondents took an appeal to this court “ * * * from the decree rendered in the above entitled cause on the 31st day of December, 1963, and from the decree of January 27, 1964 * ^

Appellants say in the brief filed here on their behalf:

“It should be made clear at this point that appellants do not question the lower court’s action in setting aside the conveyances. Stated briefly, appellants contend that the lower court erred in granting the money judgment and the removal of exemptions parts of the decree; that the bill of complaint was insufficient to support those parts of the decree in the following respects: that the bill does not inform appellants that a money judgment is sought. Without the money judgment, there is no basis to remove the exemptions of Thaggard.

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Bluebook (online)
172 So. 2d 49, 277 Ala. 485, 1965 Ala. LEXIS 548, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thaggard-v-union-bank-trust-company-ala-1965.