90 Pa. Super. 550 | Pa. Super. Ct. | 1927
TREXLER, KELLER and GAWTHROP, JJ., dissent. *551
Argued April 19, 1927.
The plaintiff obtained a judgment against the defendant by confession on a judgment promissory note for $4,000. Some time after the maturity of the obligation *552
a writ of fieri facias was issued whereupon the defendant presented a petition to open the judgment and for a stay of execution for the reason that after the entry of the judgment the plaintiff had collected and has in his possession "certain rent money belonging to petitioner aggregating the sum of $2,075.96" to which the petitioner was entitled immediately on collection, which money the plaintiff refused either to turn over to the petitioner or to credit on the judgment. It is further set forth that the defendant paid to the sheriff the sum of $1,926.04 to apply on the execution which sum together with the amount received by the plaintiff for rent equalled the whole amount due on the writ of fieri facias. To this petition the plaintiff filed an answer in the nature of a demurrer in which he denied the right of the defendant to set off against the judgment and execution an unliquidated claim. The case was heard on the petition and answer and the learned trial court, while denying the right of the defendant to have the judgment opened for matters arising after the entry of the judgment and not any denial of its validity, regarded the application as meritorious from an equitable point of view and directed an issue to be formed for trial by a jury to determine how much, if anything, is due on the judgment; the lien of the levy to remain and further proceedings thereon be stayed pending the determination of the issue. The objection to this proceeding is that it is an attempt to set off an open account against a valid judgment. It is not alleged in the petition nor asserted in the argument of the learned counsel for the defendant that there had been any settlement or adjustment of the defendant's claim described as rent, nor is it alleged that by any agreement or admission the plaintiff had admitted his possession of a sum of money to which the defendant is entitled. The attempt is to set off against the judgment an unliquidated *553
claim which the defendant says he holds against the plaintiff. The cases are numerous which authorize the practice of staying a writ of fieri facias to enable the defendant to show payments on the judgment after the entry thereof. Some of these cases are referred to and the proper practice disclosed in the opinion of our brother TREXLER in Brader v. Alinikoff,
TREXLER, KELLER and GAWTHROP, JJ., dissent.