Wenham v. Schmitt

76 N.E. 375, 219 Ill. 195
Illinois Supreme Court·Decided December 20, 1905·Published

Opinion

Mr. Chief Justice Cartwright

delivered the opinion of the court:

Isidora Schmitt, one of the appellees, filed her bill of complaint in the superior court of Cook county, praying that court to set aside as a cloud upon her title a certificate of sale of premises owned by her, issued to Charles E. Wen-ham, one of the appellants, on a sale under an execution in favor of John Cichowicz against the International Packing Company, one of the appellees. The bill was afterward amended so- as to allege that the International Packing Company had redeemed the premises from the sale in accordance with the provisions of the statute. Charles F. Wenham, after demurring to the amended bill, answered the same and filed his cross-bill against appellees, Isidora Schmitt, the International Packing Company and Thomas E. Barrett, sheriff, -asking the court to set aside the sheriff’s certificate of redemption from said sale, to declare him the absolute owner of the premises and to order the sheriff to execute a sheriff’s deed to him. The cross-bill was amended and appellees demurred to it. Zaidah E. Wenham, the other appellant, upon leave granted, filed a supplemental bill, alleging that Charles E. Wenham had conveyed to her all his right, title and interest in the premises, and asking to be substituted as complainant in the cross-bill. The court sustained the demurrers of appellees to the cross-bill and supplemental bill, and appellants having elected to stand by their cross-bill and supplemental bill, the same were dismissed for want of equity. The original bill was then dismissed on motion of the appellee Isidora Schmitt. Appellants appealed from the decree dismissing the original bill and the cross-bill and supplemental cross-bill.

The sole question in this case is whether the payment by the execution debtor, the International Packing Company, to the sheriff, within twelve months from the date of the sale, of the sum of $3169.40, the amount of the sale with six per cent interest thereon, in accordance with the statute, was a legal redemption from the sale. The facts alleged upon which the court held that the redemption was legal and valid are as follows: The sale was made by the sheriff on July 15, 1902, to the appellant Charles F. Wenham for $2990, and on July 23, 1902, a certificate of sale was made and delivered to him by the sheriff. On January 22, 1903, Isidora Schmitt filed her bill to set aside the certificate of sale. On May 4, 1903, the International Packing Company, defendant in the execution under which the sale was made, presented its motion to the superior court of Cook county from which the execution issued, for an order setting aside the execution, levy, sale and certificate of sale. The court denied the motion and the International Packing Company prayed an appeal, which was allowed upon filing a bond in the sum of $4000, conditioned to pay to plaintiff, Cichowicz, and to Charles F. Wenham, the purchaser at the sale, all damages they or either of them might sustain by the staying of proceedings in said cause. The bond was given in compliance with the order and was approved by the court, and the sheriff was restrained by order of the court on July 1, 1903, during the pendency of the appeal, from issuing any sheriff’s deed, and, in case of redemption, from paying over to any person the redemption' money until the decision of the cause upon appeal, and Charles F. Wenham was also restrained from taking out any sheriff’s deed, based upon said sale, until such decision'. On July 13, 1903, the International Packing Company paid to the sheriff $3169.40 to redeem the premises from the sale, and that was the full amount required by the statute to effect a redemption. The sheriff issued a certificate of redemption as 'required by the statute and it was recorded in the recorder’s office. The Appellate Court reversed the order of the superior court, but the judgment of the Appellate Court was reversed and the order of the superior court was affirmed by this court. Wenham v. International Packing Co. 213 Ill. 397.

The facts stated in the cross-bill to which the demurrer was sustained show that the redemption was made within the time and in the manner prescribed by the statute and with the proper officer; that the amount paid was sufficient to effect the redemption, and that a certificate evidencing the redemption was given and recorded in the recorder’s office. The ground upon which counsel for appellants contend that the redemption was not effectual is, that the superior court, on motion of the International Packing Company, had restrained the sheriff, during the pendency of the appeal, from paying over the redemption money to the purchaser, so that he could not obtain the redemption money at once. The right to redeem property sold upon execution is given and regulated by statute, and the provisions of the statute having been complied with, the property was redeemed from the sale and freed from any claim of the purchaser. If he was entitled to receive the redemption money at once and was deprived of that right it was through the order of the superior court, and the legality of the redemption was not affected thereby. The redemption money was paid to the sheriff without any condition whatever, and his certificate recited that it was paid for the benefit of the purchaser. The fact that the court, on motion of the International Packing Company, had entered an order restraining the sheriff from paying over the redemption money until the determination of the appeal, does not in any manner affect the question whether there was a redemption. Counsel for appellants argue that a payment of money under similar circumstances would not constitute the payment of a debt or obligation or a legal tender of payment, but the question what will constitute a redemption under the statute is not to be confused with either payment or tender. The only question is whether the statute was complied with.

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Wenham v. Schmitt, 76 N.E. 375, 219 Ill. 195 (Ill. 1905).

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Wenham v. International Packing Co.
72 N.E. 1079 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1904)