Triller v. Sadle

138 N.W. 728, 92 Neb. 579
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 27, 1912
DocketNo. 16,697
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 138 N.W. 728 (Triller v. Sadle) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Triller v. Sadle, 138 N.W. 728, 92 Neb. 579 (Neb. 1912).

Opinion

Hamer, J.

The plaintiff Triller seems to have been the owner of certain land in Lincoln county. He. executed a lease of this land, or a part of it, to one O. W. Hutchinson. The plaintiff did not reside in the state, but seems to have been represented by Bratt & Goodman, a firm at North Platte, and the lease was signed “II. A. Triller, per Bratt & Goodman, Agts.” Triller is the appellant and the plaintiff in the court below. The mortgage lease seems to have provided that the rental of the land, $115, was to be paid on or before December 1, 1908, with interest from date, and the lessee of the land agreed in the lease that there should be a lien upon the hay grown upon the land during that year. On the 4th of May, 1908, the date of the lease, it is not probable that the grass had grown much, but it was probably alive and growing a little, so that it was in existence. Tiie lease was filed for record May 19, 1908. On October 14, 1908, no part of the lease money seems to have been paid, and James Sadie, the defendant and appellee, seems to have been hauling the hay away. To prevent Sadie from getting the hay, an action of replevin was brought by the plaintiff, Triller, against him in the county court. The plaintiff had the verdict and judgment, and the defendant appealed to the district court. The case was tried in the district court, where the defendant obtained a verdict and judgment. Before the commencement of the replevin suit, but about the time the same was commenced, and on October 14, 1908, Bratt & Goodman received from Hutchinson a bill of sale of all the hay upon the land, and which was executed to their principal, Triller. This seems to have been done the day the replevin case was commenced, and after this hay was cut. It is claimed on the part of the plaintiff that Bratt & Goodman were without authority to collect the money, and it is contended that they did not bind the plaintiff by what they did, except as to the making of the lease. Whatever the fact may be, they seemingly exercised the right to do whatever they [581]*581claimed was necessary to enable them to secure and collect the money for their principal, the plaintiff in the case. At any rate, they were taking care of the plaintiff's business seemingly as best they could.

The affidavit for replevin alleged, among other things, “that he (the plaintiff) is the owner of the following described property, to wit: All the hay located upon * * * part of said hay being in stack, part baled and part loose, upon the above described land; * * * that said plaintiff is entitled to the immediate possession of said property.” The petition alleged, among other things: “That the plaintiff had * * * a special interest in said hay, in that one C. W. Hutchinson, on May 4, 1908, executed and delivered to this plaintiff a chattel mortgage lease by the terms of which the said Hutchinson, who was at that time the owner of all of said hay, mortgaged the same to this plaintiff to secure the payment of the sum of $115, and interest at 8 per cent, per annum, from May 4, 1908.” It was also alleged that the same was a valid indebtedness from said Hutchinson to the plaintiff, and a copy of the chattel mortgage lease was attached to the petition as exhibit “A.” In the third paragraph of the petition it was alleged: “That thereafter, on October 14, 1908, and prior to the commencement of this action, the said C. W. Hutchinson delivered to the plaintiff herein the possession of all of said hay, and also gaAre this plaintiff the right of possession thereof, and executed and delivered to this plaintiff a bill of sale of said hay conveying to the plaintiff all the interest and ownership of said hay not conA^eyed by the mortgage above described, a copy of which bill of sale is hereto attached and marked exhibit ‘B.’ ” In the fourth, paragraph it Avas alleged that the plaintiff was, at the commencement of this action, and now is, entitled to the immediate possession of all of said hay. And in the fifth paragraph it was alleged that the said hay Avas at the commencement of this action Avrongfully detained by the defendant. It Avill be seen that the plaintiff claimed both by reason of the chattel mortgage lease and also by reason [582]*582of the bill of sale. While the mortgage was not yet due-when the case was commenced, it is claimed that the instrument entitled the plaintiff to possession, and that therefore he was entitled to maintain his action of replevin against the mortgagee and against any stranger, even though the mortgage 'was not yet due.

The bill of sale Avas dated October 14, 1908, in the consideration of the sum of $1 and other considerations paid by Henry A. Triller. It undertook to grant, sell, transfer and deliver to the said Triller, his executors, administrators and assigns, all the hay now located upon the particular land (describing it) in Lincoln county, Nebraska, “part of sqid hay being in stack, part baled, and pari bunched on the ground.” It also described the hay as “all of the hay grown upon said premises during the year 1908. wherever situated, whether located on wagons or racks.” It also proposed to sell and assign all Hutchinson’s interest in and to the proceeds of certain hay grown on the above ■described land and delivered to Harrington & Tobin, and authorized Triller, or his agents, to collect such proceeds. It also contained this clause: “It is my intention by this instrument to fully convey all my interests in the hay which I mortgaged to the said Triller on May 4, 1908, by a Avritten chattel mortgage lease.”

Upon the trial the defendant sought'to prove that he Avas the owner of 20 tons of loose hay and 21 tons of stacked hay, and that the plaintiff took this hay in the writ of replevin. Of course, the main question to be deter mined is, who was entitled to the possession of the hay.

Upon the trial Mr. Goodman, of the firm of Bratt & Goodman, testified: “We Avere agents for the owner of the land, Henry A. Triller, for leasing it ” An effort was made to show that the agency of Bratt & Goodman for Triller was a restricted or special agency, and that they Avere not the general agents of the plaintiff. The defense AAras that after the chattel mortgage lease had been filed the lessee, Hutchinson, entered into a contract with one Shaw to cut, stack and bale the hay for one-half of it, and that [583]*583Shaw, learning about the mortgage to the plaintiff, Triller, went to North Platte to see Mr. Bratt, of the firm of Bratt & Goodman, agents of Triller, and that he had a talk with Mr. Bratt in which it is claimed that Mr. Bratt told him (Shaw) that he might go ahead and put up the hay in controversy, but that he should leave one-half of it upon the ground. While an examination of the bill of exceptions shows that Shaw did not testify, others undertook to relate what was said in the conversation between Bratt, of the firm of Bratt & Goodman, and Shaw. It is also claimed that the defendant,‘Sadie, had certain conversations with Mr. Bratt along the same line, and in which Mr. Bratt said that Shaw was to have half of the hay for cutting it. Sadie himself testified to a deal with Shaw with reference to cutting and stacking the hay, and that he afterwards saw Hutchinson, and that he and Hutchinson divided the hay.

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Bluebook (online)
138 N.W. 728, 92 Neb. 579, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/triller-v-sadle-neb-1912.