131 So. 902 | Ala. | 1930
Lead Opinion
The bill of exceptions sought to be established was stricken.
Under the law the defendant and his sureties on the replevin bond were duty bound to deliver the property in question within thirty days after rendition of the judgment in favor of the plaintiff on December 17, 1928. The trial court held that they had failed in that duty, and that plaintiff was entitled to recover of such obligors the alternative value of the property as fixed by the judgment of the court rendered on the foregoing date. We have no bill of exceptions to look to as to any controverted question of fact as to the delivery vel non.
Under the statute, §§ 7389, 7394, Code, the defendant was required to deliver the property to the successful party. Carroll v. Burgin et al.,
Was the indorsement of the sheriff on the replevin bond not null and void, and was a return of the fact of failure by defendant and sureties to deliver the property as required by law? The return made was as follows:
"Thirty days having expired since judgment was rendered in this cause, the property herein replevied not having been delivered to the sheriff by either the defendant or his sureties this bond is hereby declared forfeited this Feby 26th, 1929.
*328"W. O. Downs, Sheriff. "E. B. Turner, D. S."
The condition of the bond was to plaintiff, and the requirement was to deliver the property to plaintiff. Section 7389, Code; Ex parte White,
In Jesse French Piano Organ Co. v. Bradley,
In Carroll v. Burgin et al.,
The duty of the sheriff in the premises was ministerial and may be compelled by mandamus in a proper case. Garrett v. Cobb,
By analogy the holding of this court in proceedings for scire facias to revivor of judgments and issue of executions thereon (Quill v. Carolina Portland Cement Co.,
The motions or orders in question were the proper way to raise the question of the legal effect of the return. Harrison v. Hamner,
The motion as amended was to quash the return of the sheriff, and there was judgment thereon, and the same was "overruled and denied," and the exception is noted by the court. The adverse party had theretofore answered the motion and denied the facts averred, and raised an issue of fact as to delivery vel non.
The record further shows the amendment of the motion of date August 2d, and was made a rehearing and renewal or refiling of motion to quash the return, etc., and accompanied it with affidavits touching the fact of redelivery of the property replevied. The adverse parties moved to strike and demurred, and the court entered an order as follows: "It is ordered and adjudged by the Court that said motion as amended be and the same is hereby overruled, and movants except."
The court had theretofore, on June 26, 1929, ordered:
"* * * The motion as amended having been heretofore argued and submitted to the Court, and the same having been fully considered and understood by the Court, and it appearing from the evidence that immediately following the rendition of the consent judgment in this Court, for possession of the organ in question, that defendant Ben Jaffe told the plaintiff Leatherman in substance that said organ was in the Norwood Theatre in Birmingham subject to said Leatherman's orders and where said Leatherman could get it at any time, and it further appearing that said Leatherman asked some questions in regard to whether or not the original boxes or packing cases in which said organ had been shipped to said Jaffe, were available, but that said Leatherman did not accept or refuse delivery or any offer of delivery of said organ, and it further appearing that, at the time of said conversation between said Ben Jaffe and said Leatherman and for more than thirty days thereafter said organ was not in the possession of said Ben Jaffe, but was in possession of Cecil Burke, as Receiver of said Ben Jaffe, formerly doing business as the Norwood Theatre, by which receiver no tender was authorized or made; and it therefore appearing that there has been no delivery or tender of said organ to said Leatherman, whereupon,
"It is ordered and adjudged by the Court that this motion or petition as amended be and the same is hereby overruled and denied. Movants, J. Jaffe and Maurice Letaw, separately and severally except to the overruling and denying of said motion or petition."
Thus is presented for review, by the record and the appeal, the judgment of the trial court in declining to quash the sheriff's return of forfeiture on due motion, and on which return of forfeiture execution issued against obligors on the replevy bond. Under the statute, section 7394, Code, on a due return of forfeiture, such a bond has the force *329 and effect of a judgment on which execution may issue without further order of the court.
The sheriff may be required by mandamus to make the proper return. Garrett v. Cobb,
If, on inspection of the sheriff's return, it is found to be null and void, the return should be quashed by the circuit court; if it be a mere irregularity, we may look to that return and the recitals of fact found and contained in the judgment of the court.
The return must be strictly construed and in conformance with the statute to authorize judgment and execution thereon. And when so tested, in the opinion of the majority, was insufficient to authorize and support execution; and the motion to quash should be granted, and judgment reversed and remanded.
Reversed and remanded.
ANDERSON, C. J., and SAYRE, BOULDIN, and FOSTER, JJ., concur.
Dissenting Opinion
I am not at war with the conclusion that the sheriff's return does not conform to the statute and therefore is not sufficient to support an execution. I had thought, however, that a petition for supersedeas was an independent proceeding — not a step in the detinue suit — and, before the petitioner could prevail, he must sustain the averments of his petition for supersedeas by proof. Ex parte Brickell, Judge,
And, therefore, in the absence of a bill of exceptions showing that the sheriff's return on the replevy bond was before the trial court, the question decided is not presented.
Moreover, so far as appears here, the point was not made in the trial court that the return was not sufficient to support the execution; and I am therefore of opinion that the judgment should be affirmed.
GARDNER, J., concurs in the foregoing dissent.