Tobin v. Wilson

26 Ky. 63, 3 J.J. Marsh. 63, 1829 Ky. LEXIS 176
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedDecember 22, 1829
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 26 Ky. 63 (Tobin v. Wilson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tobin v. Wilson, 26 Ky. 63, 3 J.J. Marsh. 63, 1829 Ky. LEXIS 176 (Ky. Ct. App. 1829).

Opinion

Judge Robertson

delivered the opinion of the Court.

At the March term, 1820, of the Cumberland circuit court, the appellee, (Wilson) obtained a judgment against Thomas M. Emmerson, Edwards [64]*64and Milton King, Anthony Thornton and John Fíela, in a petition and summons, for $900, with interest from the 2d. October, 1819, and costs.

On the 25th of July, 1820, the defendants in the judgment, with Robert Galbreath, Wm. Cole, John M. Emmerson and Henry Cary, as their sureties, re-plevied it for one year.

On the 26th of July, 1821, a fieri facias w as issued on the replevin bond, on which the return was “stopped by injunction.”

In October, 1823, Wilson filed a bill in chancery against ail the obligors in the replevin bond, alleging that they were insolvent, and that a fieri facias had been issued against them, on the replevin bond, and was returned “no propertythat one of them (Cary) had obtained a judgment, in the Cumberland circuit court, against Lemuel Stockton and William Frogg, for $357, with interest and costs; that Josiah Brummel owed Cary upwards of $2,000; that it was probable that Brummel also owed J. M. Emmerson; that Granville Bowman held a mortgage on a slave of Robert Galbreath, for a sum less than his value. The i bill, therefore, prayed for an injunction against the obligors in the replevin bond, and against Stockton, Frogg, Brummel and Bowman, ;who were prayed to be made defendants,) and for a decree subjecting the] aforesaid choses to the satisfaction of Wilson’s debt, j

It does not appear from the record, that any injune; tion was granted on this bill, or that the subpmna which issued on it, was ever served on any of the person! against whom it issued.

At the April term, 1824, an amended bill was filed alleging that Cary was endeavoring, fraudulently b transfer to Brummel, his judgment against Stockto and Frogg, and that John M. Emmerson either owne some slaves, who were in the possession of his brothei in-law, Benjamin Tobin, or that he had sold the slavt to B. Tobin; who had executed notes for the considi ration, to his father,- Robert Tobin; in trust for J. ft Emmerson, and therefore, praying for injunctioi against Cary and Brummel, and R. and B. Tobin, at for a decree either subjecting the slaves, or the not for them, to the satisfaction of the replevin bond.

[65]*65A subpoena, with an injunction, was served on R. Tobin, on the 15th of June, 1824, and on B. Tobin on the 15th of May, 1824, a subpoena had been left at R. Tobin’s house, with one of his sons, on the 17th of April, 1824.

John M. Emmerson, R. Tobin and B. To'bin answered this amended bill. They all insist, in their answers, that B. Tobin had purchased the slaves bona fide, and for a valuable consideration; $>100 of which had been paid at the time of the purchase, in commonwealth’s paper, and that for the, remainder, he had executed his notes to R. Tobin, in trust for J. M. Emmerson; one for $350, payable .on the 10th of March, 1824, and the other for $>400', payable some, time in August, 1826; and that, “about, the middle of May, 1824, B. Tobin had paid off the note for $350i

In amended answers by R. Tobin and Emmerson, they say that this money was paid about the middle of April j 1824. Emmerson also says, in his answer,“that early in the month of May, 1824, at his request, Robert Tobin assighed to him the aforesaid notes,” and, “that, before the institution of this suit, he (Emmer-son) assigned the last note, to-wit: the $400 one, to Hiram Emmerson, for a good and valuable consideration and in good faith.”

B. Tobin, in his answer, states that the $400 note, “he is informed and believes', was assigned to Hiram Emmerson, before the institution of this suit, whom this defendant prays may be made, a parly hereto; that he be compelled to appear and answer, file the note and interplead, so that this honorable court may determine who has the /right to said note, and this defendant submits and is willing to pay the same to whomsoever this court shall decree it to be paid.”

At the April term, 1827, the case, as to R. and B. Tobin, was heard, and the court decreed that the bill be dismissed as to R. Tobin, at the complainant’s cost, and that B. Tobin pay the complainant $400, with six per cent, interest thereon, from the last day of August, 1826, until paid; on the payment of which, the replevin bond should be credited with that amount.

[66]*66This writ of error is prosecuted by B. Tobin, to reverse this decree.

Four errors are assigned. “1st. That the proper parties were not before the court. 2d. That the interest decreed to be paid is erroneous and against law. 3d. That the proper credits are not allowed in the body of the decree. 4th. That the whole decree is without form and illegal.”

The only objection to the-parties which has been suggested in argument, is, that Hiram Emmerson should have been made a party.

There is no-proof that Hiram Emmerson has, or ever had any interest in the suit. The note has not been exhibited; and the only intimation in the record, that Hiram had any interest in it, is what is suggested in the answers of J. M. Emmerson and B. Tobin. This is a matter in avoidance, and, therefore, it was not the duty of the court or of Wilson, to notice it, unless there had been some evidence to establish the fact. B. Tobin does not even affirm the fact pos-sitively, in his answer. He was interested in it. He could easily have ascertained how it was. If he knew or believed that the note had been actually and bona fide assigned, it was his duty to his own interest, to have made the assignee a party. He prayed that he might be compelled to interplead, but no attempt was made to compel an interpleader. The court was not bound to make any order for process to issue, on the answer of B. Tobin. He might have procured a subpcena to issue against Hiram Emmerson, and thus have brought him before the court, in such a manner as to have had it ascertained whether, as assignee, he was entitled to the amount of the note. And it seems to us, that if he apprehended that he would be liable to H. Emmerson, after a decree .in favor of Wilson, he would have taken care that proper steps should he •taken to have Hiram’s interest investigated and determined,

If Tobin’s answer were intended as a cross bill of interpleader, it was insufficient.

It did not state that Hiram Emmerson claimed any right to the note, or would attempt to assert any. [67]*67Such an allegation, in substance, is indispensable, otherwise the bill will be ineffectual. See Cooper’s equity, 46-8-9; Mitford’s Pleading, 125-6. '

i,¡u 0¡-;n_ terpleader, ““'í be affi" ed^hauliere is no collusion between pl’tff j*he Arties, 6 P

If there had been an allegation that the note had been assigned to Hiram, it would not necessarily result, that he had acquired such a right to it as could or would be enforced; and the dates, the generality and indistinctness of the answers, and many other more minute circumstances which appear, and others which might be inferred, would incline the court to the opinion, that II. Emmerson could never enforce any claim to the note, for his own benefit, of that if he could, there can be no danger of his success.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
26 Ky. 63, 3 J.J. Marsh. 63, 1829 Ky. LEXIS 176, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tobin-v-wilson-kyctapp-1829.