Toporek v. Water Processing Co.

312 S.E.2d 132, 169 Ga. App. 141, 1983 Ga. App. LEXIS 3005
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedOctober 25, 1983
Docket66498
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 312 S.E.2d 132 (Toporek v. Water Processing Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Toporek v. Water Processing Co., 312 S.E.2d 132, 169 Ga. App. 141, 1983 Ga. App. LEXIS 3005 (Ga. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinion

Carley, Judge.

This is not the first appearance of this garnishment case before us. In Water Processing Co. v. Toporek, 158 Ga. App. 502, 503-504 (280 SE2d 901) (1981), we originally held that, “as a general rule, if after service of the summons of garnishment and before filing his answer, an attorney is in possession or control of a check made payable to his client, he is required to hold and deliver such evidence of debt belonging to his client to the court with his answer.” However, we also held that the client’s check which had been in the possession of the attorney-garnishee Toporek was not a garnishable asset within the enunciated general rule because it had been drawn by a trustee in bankruptcy and represented funds ordered paid to Toporek’s client by the bankruptcy court. “ ‘(A) garnishment will not lie from a State court to a trustee or assignee in bankruptcy, to catch dividends which have been declared in favor of certain creditors or the amount which will be going to them under a composition. (Cits.)’ [Cit.] Accordingly, the check which evidenced this debt was not subject to garnishment since garnishment would not lie against the ‘obligor,’ therein ‘to catch’ the funds represented thereby.” Water Processing Co. v. Toporek, 158 Ga. App. at 505, supra.

On certiorari, the Supreme Court affirmed our holding that a client’s check is generally a garnishable asset in the hands of his attorney. However, the Supreme Court concluded that our holding that the instant case did not come within the general rule was incorrect. “[T]he check was ‘property’ and was in the possession of Toporek at the applicable time. Therefore, the requirements of the statute had been met and Toporek should have delivered the property to court.” Water Processing Co. v. Southern Golf Builders, 248 Ga. 597, 598 (285 SE2d 21) (1981). Accordingly, our original judgment was reversed and the case was remanded to the trial court for the entry of a judgment for Water Processing Company, the plaintiff in the garnishment. Water Processing Co. v. Toporek, 161 Ga. App. 229 (289 SE2d 826) (1982).

When the final remittitur of this court was returned to the trial court, a judgment on remittitur was entered by the trial court which contained the following relevant language: “[JJudgment is hereby [142]*142rendered for Plaintiff, WATER PROCESSING COMPANY and against Garnishee, JULIAN H. TOPOREK, for the property described as one Bank Draft dated July 2,1979 payable to the order of Southern Golf Builders, Inc., in the amount of Nineteen Thousand and no/100 ($19,000.00) Dollars, drawn on the Trust Company Bank, Atlanta, Georgia on the account of W. Whittier Wright, Trustee, Trustee of St. Simons Properties, Check Number 186, and all cost of the garnishment proceeding. The total amount due on this judgment shall not exceed $19,000.00plus cost of Court. Execution shall issue on said judgment as provided by law.” (Emphasis supplied.)

Based upon this judgment, Water Processing Company caused execution to issue in the principal sum of $19,000 and $32 as court costs. Water Processing Company also filed post-judgment interrogatories to be answered by Toporek. Thereafter, Toporek moved to quash the fi. fa. and execution. This motion was based upon Toporek’s assertion that the judgment was only for “property” in the form of the check itself, whereas the execution was for money in the amount of $19,000. Toporek also refused to answer the post-judgment interrogatories, objecting that they were “irrelevant and immaterial,” and filed a motion for a protective order.

Water Processing Company’s response was to file a motion in the trial court to compel Toporek’s answers to the post-judgment interrogatories. Water Processing Company also applied to this court for a writ of mandamus and prohibition against further action by the trial court on Toporek’s motion to quash the fi. fa. and the execution entered on the judgment. This court took Water Processing Company’s application for a writ of mandamus and prohibition under advisement and entered the following order: “[I]t appears to this court that in entering judgment on the remittitur from this court the trial court correctly and properly entered judgment in favor of Water Processing Company in an amount which ‘shall not exceed $19,000plus cost of court’ and ordered that execution should issue on said judgment as provided by law. It further appears to this court that execution in the amount of $19,000 plus costs has issued on said judgment. Accordingly, on the record before this court, the judgment of this court has been made the judgment of the trial court, judgment has been entered in favor of Water Processing Company, and execution has issued thereon. Therefore, there is no basis for the issuance of a Writ of Mandamus at this time ... [T]he State Court of Chatham County is directed to take such other and further action as may be necessary and consistent with the terms of this order.” (Emphasis supplied.) Pursuant to this order, the trial court conducted a hearing on the various cross motions. Toporek’s motion to quash the fi. fa. and execution was denied. His motion for a [143]*143protective order against the interrogatories was also denied and Water Processing Company’s motion to compel answers thereto was granted. It is from these orders of the trial court that Toporek brings yet another appeal to this court.

1. Toporek continues to assert in this court that, under the facts of this case, Water Processing Company is entitled only to a “property” judgment for the check itself. Toporek also notes that the check is unfortunately beyond his power now to produce, since he had delivered it to his client who promptly negotiated it.

We do not deal with a garnishee who has properly answered all property into court. See Hallett, Seaver & Burbank v. Blain & Harris, 58 Ga. 142 (1877). We deal with a garnishee who had in his possession garnishable property of the defendant at the relevant times but who, in contravention of the requirements of the garnishment law, failed to answer it into court and who further, by allowing it to be negotiated by the defendant, has destroyed forever the value of the property to the party whom the law deems to be rightly entitled to it. Toporek’s assertion that the garnishment law affords Water Processing Company no viable remedy under these circumstances is contrary to the fundamental intent of that law. “[T]he garnishment law is to prevent evasions and subterfuges...” J. Austin Dillon Co. v. Edwards Shoe Stores, 53 Ga. App. 437, 439 (186 SE 470) (1936). In point of fact, it has long been clear that the law provides Water Processing Company the very remedy afforded it by the trial court in the instant case, that remedy being a final judgment against Toporek in an amount equal to the value of the garnishable property that he wrongfully failed to answer into court and thereby allowed to escape the garnishment proceedings. See Loyless v. Hodges Bros., 44 Ga. 647 (1872). Execution in the amount of $19,000, the face amount of the check, was proper. The trial court did not err in denying Toporek’s motion to quash, in denying Toporek’s motion for a protective order, or in granting Water Processing Company’s motion to compel answers to the post-judgment interrogatories.

2. Water Processing Company has moved for an assessment of 10% damages pursuant to OCGA § 5-6-6 (Code Ann. § 6-1801).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Carrier411 Services, Inc. v. Insight Technology, Inc.
744 S.E.2d 356 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2013)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
312 S.E.2d 132, 169 Ga. App. 141, 1983 Ga. App. LEXIS 3005, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/toporek-v-water-processing-co-gactapp-1983.