Watkins v. Breyfogle

27 Ohio Law. Abs. 74, 1938 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 1211
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 26, 1938
DocketNo 2848
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 27 Ohio Law. Abs. 74 (Watkins v. Breyfogle) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Watkins v. Breyfogle, 27 Ohio Law. Abs. 74, 1938 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 1211 (Ohio Ct. App. 1938).

Opinion

OPINION

By HORNBECK, J.

This is an appeal on questions of law by plaintiff, the administrator of Ray Watkins’ estate, et al., from an order of the Common Pleas Court sustaining a motion of defendant, Breyfogle, to enter satisfaction of a judgment which plaintiff, Watkins, in his lifetime in this action held against Breyfogle. The fad's are extended and will be set forth, insofar as necessary to an appreciation of the questions presented.

In September, .1931, the plaintiff instituted his action against defendant for an accounting. Issues were drawn and trial had and the court, on January 1, 1934, handed down a written decision, in which the court found that plaintiff was entitled tc judgment against defendant in the sum cf $1,291.21, with interest, from July 14, 1S30. Thereafter, on April 12, 1934, the trial judge rendered another written decision, in which it was set forth that “the defendant insists that a finding entry should be journalized and after disposition of a motion for new trial final judgment should be journalized”. The court held against this contention and that the judgment entry should properly be filed after the decision on the merits and that within three days after this decree a motion for new trial could properly be filed. The decision further recited;

“Counsel for plaintiff has called our attention to the death of the plaintiff and has pointed out authority to the effect that an order nunc pro tunc is proper to save necessity of substitution of an administrator. This point seems well taken and we suggest to counsel for plaintiff that he present an entry to counsel for defendant finding that there is due to plaintiff on an accounting on the issues joined the sum mentioned in the Court’s written memorandum and awarded judgment to plaintiff against defendant in said amount. The entry may be prepared nunc pro tunc as of a date prior to the death of plaintiff.”

There is a notation of “Exceptions”.

An April 12, 1934, an entry nunc pro tunc, as of dale January 27, 1934, was journalized, entering judgment for the plaintiff against the defendant upon the decision of the court, of date January 1, 1934. The sum total of the judgment was $1568.-82 wi';h costs. It was further ordered that motion for new trial be refiled as of the date of the judgment, namely, January 29, 1934, and thereafter, on'May 31, a formal entry overruling the motion for new trial was filed.

It is admitted by the parties that upon "the judgment there are credits of $293.96, [76]*76proceeds from sale on execution of certain property in Champaign County, upon which levy had been made, and $637.86, which was tendered to counsel for plaintiff in full satisfaction of the judgment and by him refused and thereafter turned over to the Clerk of Courts. The costs, in the sum of $93.41, were also paid to the Clerk.

The principal dispute arises upon the payment by defendant of the sum of $800.00 to the Union Building & Savings Company in satisfaction of a judgment which it held against Ray Watkins, said sum having been paid upon an order in aid of execution, in which the defendant had been brought in to answer. This sum together with the two amounts heretofore set forth equals the amount of the money judgment against defendant, Breyfogle.

On the 15th of July, 1937, upon motion, Kay Marion, administrator of the estate of Ray Watkins, was made a party plaintiff as substitute for Ray Watkins, deceased.

On February 2, 1934, the loan company by its attorney, filed a motion in case No. 131,705, requesting the court to order James Breyfogle to appear before said court on February 7, 1934, at nine o’clock A. M.„ to answer respecting personal property he is believed to hold, belonging to or owing to Ray Watkins and if the court finds that Breyfogle is indebted to Watkins in any sum, that the court order Breyfogle to pay said money to the plaintiff in partial settlement of its judgment. The motion was supported by an affidavit of Kenyon S. Campbell, attorney for the loan company, in which he says that the Building & Loan Company recovered a judgment against Wa'.kins, et al. In case No. 131705 in the sum of $625.47 and costs, which judgment' is wholly unsatisfied; that he has good reason to believe and does believe that Breyfogle is indebted to Watkins in the sum of $1200.00, which sum was recovered in an action in Common Pleas Court, Franklin County, in this case, No. 131,224, and that said sum was exempt from execution under the laws of the State of Ohio.

Breyfogle was not served with notice to appear on the 7th day of February, 1934, but thereafter was notified to appear on the 21st of February, 1934, at nine o’clock A. M. to answer questions pursuant to the motion. On February 20th Breyfogle, through his attorneys, Boyd <fc Boyd, filed his written answer on examination in aid of execution and said Watkins received a verdict against him in case No. 131224 in Common Pleas Court. Franklin County, Ohio, in the sum- of $1291.00 with interest; that he has not paid any of the money to Watkins and that he does now and wil) hold the money, subject to the older of the court in the case of Union Building * Loan Company v Watkins.

The court thereafter, of date February 23rd, made the following order:

“This day this cause came on to be heard upon a motion of the plaintiff for an examination in aid of execution of James C. BrcyfogJe, in regards to money owed Ray Watkins, defendant herein, as a result of a finding rendered in case 131224 against said James C. Breyfogle and in favor of said Ray Watkins, and James C. Breyfogle having by answer admitted that Ray Watkins recovered verdict or finding in the sum of $1200.00 against him in the case 131224. The court being fully advised in the premises, hereby orders and decrees that James C.. Breyfogle shall on final determination first pay said judgment to the plaintiff until its judgment herein against Ray Watkins is fully satisfied before making any payments herein to the defendant, Ray Watkins.”

It further appears by the record that no execution was issued by the Building and Loan Company on its judgment against Watkins in case No. 131,705; that no notice was served upon Watkins nor upon his attorney of the proceedings in aid of execution wherein Breyfogle appeared and answered.

It is by virtue of this order of the court in the proceedings in aid of execution that Breyfogle made payment to the Union Building & Loan Company on its judgment against Watkins and for which he claimed credit upon the judgment held by Watkins against him in the instant case. The trial court held that Breyfogle was entitled to such ciedit and when the balance due on said judgment was tendered, the court ordered, upon motion of Breyfogle, that the judgment of Watkins against Breyfogle in the instant case be satisfied. This is the order from which the appeal is prosecuted.

It is urged by the appellant that the proceedings in aid of execution are void because as a basis for a proceedings in aid of execution an execution must first have issued upon the judgment. In support of the proposition is cited Stern v Columbus Mutual Life Ins. Company. 39 Oh Ap. 500, and §11768 GC; Finance Corporation v Wahl, Jr., 34 Oh Ap. 518; Kingsborough v Tousley, et al., 56 Oh St 450; Black on Judgments, (2nd) Ed.) Sec. 252, page 377; [77]*77Demas Adams v Samuel Jeffries, 12 Ohio, 272-273. That it was essen'ial to a valid order commanding Breyfog'le to pay to the Union Building & Loan Co.

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

Related

In re Neighbor's Food Market, Inc.
183 F. Supp. 433 (N.D. Ohio, 1960)
Taylor v. Dayton Bldg. & Loan Ass'n
28 Ohio Law. Abs. 278 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1939)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
27 Ohio Law. Abs. 74, 1938 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 1211, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/watkins-v-breyfogle-ohioctapp-1938.