38 Mo. 342 | Mo. | 1866
delivered the opinion of the court.
The appellant in this case who is public administrator of Polk county, having in charge the estate of R. E. Acock, deceased, filed his motion in the Circuit Court against Me-Broom, late sheriff of Polk county, and his securities on his official bond, for the purpose of compelling the payment of certain money together with damages thereon, alleged to have been collected by the sheriff for the use of said estate, and illegally and wrongfully withheld by him. It seems that Atkinson and Acock were originally administrators of the estate, and while acting in this capacity they employed a James F. Hardin, an attorney-at-law, to prosecute an action against certain debtors of the estate, and judgment was rendered in the proceedings. After the rendition of the judgment, and before levy and sale on execution, the letters of administration to Atkinson and Acock were duty revoked by the Probate Court of Polk county, and the appellaut as
The appellant declined to continue Hardin as attorney for the estate, and notified the sheriff to pay whatever money came into his hands arising from the sale of property on the execution to him only. Upon a sale of property sufficient money was made to satisfy the judgment, and the appellant demanded the same of the sheriff, but he refused to pay it over to him as requested, and then paid it to Hardin. Upon the hearing of the motion, the l'eceipt of Hardin endorsed on the execution was read in evidence by the defendants without any proof that it was ever executed by Hardin, against the objection of the appellant. The court below gave judgment for the defendant and an appeal was taken to this court.
An attorney of record in a cause is entitled to recover payment of a judgment recovered therein, and those dealing with such attorney will not be affected by a revocation of his authority if they have had no notice of the fact. (Bank of Mo. v. Hawkins, 28 Mo. 366.) Hardin having obtained the judgment, and performed all the professional labor necessary to its collection, was entitled to his fees for his professional services; but it by no mean's follows that he had the absolute right, by law, to continue to act and receive the money after an express notification that the money must not be paid to him, but to the person in whose favor it was due. Whether the revocation of the authority of the administrators who employed him, ipso facto determined his right to manage and control the execution need not be decided, as the appellant shows no right to the proceeds of the
The court clearly erred in admitting the receipt of Hardin in evidence without proof of its execution, but, as the appellant shows no grounds for recovering in this proceeding, the error is not material.
The judgment must be affirmed.