87 Md. 488 | Md. | 1898
delivered the opinion of the Court.
The appellant obtained a preliminary injunction against the appellees to prohibit them from proceeding with an execution issued on a judgment obtained in the Circuit Court for Allegany County, by David Bradley and Company against Lewis F. Fersner, and Sebering J. Phelps, trading as Fersner and Phelps. The defendants answered and
We being required to assume that the motion to dissolve was submitted on bill, exhibits and answers, we must determine from them whether the plaintiff was entitled to a continuance of the injunction. The bill alleges that an execution had been issued on the judgment of David Bradley and Company against Fersner and Phelps, and levied upon certain property of the plaintiff, acquired from the said Lewis F Fersner by purchase on the 26th day of May, 1895, by a bill of sale filed as an exhibit; that the judgment was illegally and improperly rendered, as there never was such a firm ás Fersner and Phelps, and Phelps was not summoned but was returned “ non est” by the sheriff. It admits that Lewis F. Fersner was duly returned summoned, and as he was the person through whom the plain
The only remaining question that we need pass upon is whether the property levied upon was shown to belong to the plaintiff. The answer denies that the plaintiff at the time of the levy owned or had any interest in it. The only evidence of any interest the plaintiff had in it was the bill of sale. The bill of complaint expressly relies on it for his title. It alleges that the execution was levied upon the “ property of your orator acquired from the said Lewis F.' Fersner by purchase on the 26th day of May, A. D. 1895, by bill of sale herewith filed ”—that date being prior to the time the judgment above spoken of was rendered^ It is not alleged that the property was delivered to the complainant by Lewis F. Fersner, nor is there any other allegation that relieves him from the necessity of relying on the bill of sale as his sole evidence of title to the property, and an examination of that shows it to be fatally defective. It was executed by the vendor in Allegany County, where he resided and where the property was said to be, but the affidavit was made by the vendee before a Justice of the Peace in Washington County, and the official character of the justice was not certified to by the Clerk of the Circuit Court
The bill of sale is also defective in the description of the property. It undertakes to sell, together with other property, “ one-half interest in eight horses ” without any other description of the horses or even stating where they were, excepting to say they were in Allegany County. Property of that character should be described with at least reasonable certainty. The age, color, name, some distinctive mark, or something by which the animal could be to some extent identified should be given. It may not always be practicable to give a very accurate description of animals, but it is useless to require bills of sale to be placed on record for the protection of third persons, if such description as the above be held sufficient. That might apply to any eight horses in Allegany County, and if permitted might be the
So, without intending to be understood as conceding the right of the complainant to the interposition of a Court of Equity on the allegations in his bill of complaint, even if the bill of sale had been in due form, we will for the reasons given affirm the decree of the Court below.
Decree affirmed, the costs to be paid by the appellant.