87 Pa. 165 | Pa. | 1878
delivered the opinion of the court,
The facts of this case are as follows: On November 5th 1875 nine writs of fieri facias were issued out of the Court of Common Pleas of Cumberland county against L. T. Greenfield, and the same day were placed simultaneously in the hands of the sheriff. On the morning of November 6th the sheriff levied on the drygoods store and other personal property of the defendant and took possession thereof. After making the levy in due form, the sheriff was informed by the attorney for the execution-creditors that Mr. Greenfield would make an assignment. On the same day Greenfield executed an assignment for the benefit of his creditors to S. H. Gould, one of the execution-creditors; the trust was accepted and appraisers appointed. An arrangement was then made between the assignee, the sheriff and the attorney for the execution-creditors, by which the assignee was to take the possession of the property levied upon, sell it and turn the proceeds over to the sheriff, the same as
The law does no.t favor an execution for the mere purpose of lien. There is a line of cases which hold that instructions to the sheriff to stay proceedings, or not to proceed upon an execution, or which indicate that it was issued not for the purpose of levy and sale, but for the purpose of lien, and to acquire security for the debt, will destroy the lien as to purchasers and subsequent execution-creditors : Commonwealth v. Stremback, 3 Rawle 341; Corlies v. Standbridge, 5 Id. 235 ; Freeburger’s Appeal, 4 Wright 247 ; Parys’s Appeal, 5 Id. 273; Keyser’s Appeal, 1 Harris 409; Starr’s Appeal, 14 P. F. Smith 447. This is a matter, however, of which the defendant cannot complain. The execution in such case is good against him. It is postponed only as to purchasers and subsequent execution-creditors. An assignee for creditors is not a purchaser. He is a mere volunteer: Ritter v. Brendlinger, 8 P. F. Smith 68; Missimer v. Ebersole, reported, ante, page 109. The assignee claims through the assignor. His rights rise no higher. The creditors claim through the assignee. They have his title, nothing more. The assignee took possession of the property under an express agreement to turn over the proceeds thereof to the sheriff. The auditor finds the transaction to have been free from fraud. The judgment upon which the executions were issued were bona fide. The sheriff could have gone on and sold, and would have done so but for the agreement of the assignee. There was nothing to’ indicate collusion for the purpose of hindering and delaying creditors. The object was manifestly to obtain a better price for the property. In doing so no one was injured. It has always been considered that an assignee having funds in his possession would have the right to redeem property of his assignor held in pledge or as collateral for a debt. In Frank’s Appeal, 9 P. F. Smith 190, it was held that an assignee would be justified in buying assigned real estate at sheriff’s sale to save it from
We see no error in this record.
The decree is affirmed and the appeal dismissed at the costs of the appellant.