5 Ala. 65 | Ala. | 1843
This bill sets out two grounds of supposed equity, upon which the complainants seek relief. The first is, that the neglect of the sheriff to return the execution, was induced by the agent and attorney of the plaintiff at law. The other is, that the bond, out of which the liability of the complainants is said to arise, was invalid in point of law.
1. The chancellor considered neither of these grounds, but dismissed the bill, under the impression that the complainants were precluded from coming into equity after the prosecution of the writ of error upon the judgment at law. Our opinion is, that the writ of error has no effect whatever as a bar, for it may be that it was prosecuted for errors which have no connexion with the present aspect of the case, and it would be exceedingly onerous to hold a party concluded from the pursuit of one remedy by seeking another for a matter entirely distinct. The statute doubtless places the matter on its true foundation, when it requires a release of errors to be filed before an injunction shall bo awarded; but there is nothing to prevent a party from testing any supposed error by taking his suit to an appellate court, and afterwards, if the case warrants it, from seeking relief in equity. The reason assigned for the decree not being sufficient to sustain it, we are called on to examine the case itself as made by the bill.
'2. As to the first point, we are clear, that if the attorney of the plaintiff at law, or an agent properly authorised, had induced the sheriff, by any advice, or direction, to delay the return of the execution in the maimer stated by the bill, this would constitute a
3. But the question here is a different one, and is, whether the sureties of the sheriff can avail themselves of this defence, after the plaintiff at law has succeeded in fixing the liability of the sheriff, and after the statutory judgment has been rendered against them.
The common law rule, that a judgment is not evidence against a stranger to it, is familiar to all, and the mere fact that several persons are jointly, or jointly and severally bound by the same instrument, does not create an exception. Thus it has been held that if A and B, be jointly bound in a recognizance, that A shall keep the peace, and a judgment is afterwards given against him for a breach of it, this judgment is not an estoppel to B, when he is sued on the recognizance; [10 Viner’s Ab. 464.] There is some contrariety of decision on this subject in the American Courts, as in some of the States, a judgment against the principal in an official bond, is held to be no evidence against his sureties, whilst in others it is said to b e prime facie evidence of all the matters ascertained by it, and even conclusive -when the principal is bylaw requffed to do some particular act. [See the cases collected in Cowen & Hill’s Notes 816, 984, 669.]
We do not see clearly, how there can well be any middle ground between rejecting such evidence altogether, or giving it a conclusive effect. If it is said to be prima facie evidence against a surety, it may be asked, but cannot well be answered, what means has he to disprove it, or how is he to establish a negative ? Again, the judgment against the principal may be induced by his declarations when these would not be evidence against the surety. And do they become so when endorsed by the verdict of a jury ? Without undertaking now to determine what is the effect in general, of such judgments, as evidence against the sureties, we prefer to rest this decision upon our own statutes, as was done in the case of Williamson v. Howell, [4 Ala. Rep. N. S. 693.]
4. We think then that our several statutes where they authoi'ise summary judgments to be rendered against sureties, without notice to them, or by giving notice to the principal, were intend
The only matters which the surety can litigate in these cases, is the factum of the bond, and its legal sufficiency; and the allowance of judgment and execution on it cannot have the effect in any manner to impair their rights, otherwise than to .cause the parties to proceed in another forum to ascertain that they exist.
There is no other view in which the constitutionality of these and similar statutes can be sustained, for it cannot be questioned under our constitution and laws, that every person is entitled to have his defences heard, and his suits judicially determined.— The legislature is authorised clearly, by law, to provide that certain consequences shall flow from certain acts; or, as in this case, that the ascertainment of the liability of the principal shall fix the liability of the sureties; but the facts and circumstances out of which this relation arises, is and must always be, a matter for judicial determination. This consideration, as it shows the surety is concluded by the judgment against his principal, is conclusive against the first ground of equity assumed by the bill.
5. In the examination of the other ground of equity asserted by this bill, our consideration will be first given to the matters which are essential to be set out when a bill is properly filed on such a ground as this. It is sufficiently evident, without any illustration, that in a suit at law upon this bond, the obligors could only dispute their liability, either upon demurrer or by a plea of non est factum. As the plaintiff at law already has a judgment, the sufficiency of the pleadings cannot be enquired into here; and in order to avoid the effect of that judgment, and put the plaintiff upon proof of th e factum of the bond, the allegations of the bill must be equally positive and distinct, as would be necessary to sustain a ■plea of non est factum.
6. The bill asserts that this bond is invalid, for two reasons: 1st. That all the sureties « did sign a paper purporting and in
2d. “ That though said bond, under parol authority from said Pugh, was by the said judge to be signed with the name of said Pugh, yet that the said Pugh never executed said bond, either in person or by lawful authority, nor ever became a party thereto or bound thereby ; and when the said county judge came to consider of the approval of said bond, doubts arose in his mind as to whether said Pugh was bound thereby, and so he would not, and did never approve the same ;” and the complainants then aver, that the said bond never was received or approved by the county judge of said county of Barbour, or any other proper officer.
The first set of facts, from which the invalidity of this bond is assumed, as we consider them, do not present any defence whatever, nor would they, if pleaded to an action at law, constitute a good plea. It is admitted that the bond was sealed and delivered, by those of the complainants who signed it, under the expectation and assurance that it would also be obligatory on Pugh; but this was not made a condition of the delivery. If, as they assert, the bond was to be signed by an agent, it was clearly their business to ascertain the nature and extent of his authority, if that was considered material by them, but there is no reason why a failure by Pugh to become bound, shall discharge them.
7. The second fact is a more important one, if sufficiently alleged. If the allegation of the bill in this relation, stood alone and unconnected with the positive averment that the bond never was approved by the Judge of the county court of Barbour county, or by any other proper officer, we should consider it argumentative and evasive; but all that may be stricken out, and then the positive and direct averment wJi remain, that it never was received or approved, as the law directs. This, in our opinion, is equivalent to a denial of the validity of the bond, for the reason that it never was accepted by the person who is constituted the agent of the State to receive it. The proof of this averment is
As this averment is sufficient to put the fact of the acceptance of the bond in issue, the bill upon its face contains a substantial matter of equity, and therefore ought not to have been dismissed, unless at the hearing, the fact alleged was shown to be untrue.
The decree, for this error, is reversed, and the cause remanded.