61 Ala. 534 | Ala. | 1878
The purpose of a garnishment is the appropriation of the debt owing by the garnishee, or the effects in his custody, to the satisfaction of the demand of the plaintiff against the' defendant in the suit. After service of the garnishment, the garnishee stands in the relation of a stakeholder, and is supposed to be indifferent as between the plaintiff and the defendant. From all personal liability, and from all peril of future controversy, he may protect himself by payment into court of the debt he may owe, or by the delivery of such property in his hands, as may be subject to the garnishment. — Drake on Attach. § 661. Standing in this relation of indifference between the plaintiff and the defendant, the court will protect him against the jeopardy of a double satisfaction, if he is sued by the defendant. When the suits are pending in the same court, there can be but little difficulty in so moulding the judgments, that full protection will be afforded him, and at the same time preserving the rights of the plaintiff and the defendant. And when, as in the present case, the suits are pending in different courts, the court in which the defendant is suing the garnishee, will, on a proper application, stay proceedings until the garnishment is determined, or render judgment with a stay of execution, which can be subsequently removed, or rendered perpetual, in whole or in part, as justice may require.— Crawford v. Slade, 9 Ala. 887. Or, if the defendant has obtained judgment, and a garnishment subsequently issues, execution
In the present case, the garnishment was dissolved, the bill of the complainant was dismissed, and it was ordered, that if the complainant within thirty days appealed from the decree, the garnishment should be restored, if she executed a supersedeas bond in the sum of one thousand dollars, payable, and with condition as prescribed by the statute, (Code of 1876, § 3928.) Within thirty days, without executing the bond, the complainant merely giving security for costs, sued out an appeal to this court, which is yet pending and undetermined, giving the garnishee notice of the appeal. The garnishee thereupon applied to the judge of the Circuit Court, in which his creditor had obtained judgment against him, to stay proceedings on the judgment, until the termination of the appeal. The stay was refused, and from the judgment this appeal is taken.
The authorities relied on, to support the right to a stay of the proceedings, are those to which reference has been made; but they stand on different grounds, and proceed on reasoning Avhich has no just application to this case. The statutes hae very carefully regulated the mode of prosecuting appeals, and have very clearly defined their effect, and the rights of parties during their pendency. An appeal can not be taken, unless the appellant give security for the costs, and the names of the sureties are certified to this court; and the certificate is part of the record, authorizing the issue of execution against the sureties for costs, if the appellant is unsuccessful. — Code of 1876, § 3950. Such an appeal does not operate to stay the execution of the judgment or decree, from which it is taken. If a suspension of execution is sought, a bond with sufficient securities must be executed by the appellant or some person for him. When the judgment or de
Nor is there the necessity for a stay of proceedings, to protect the garnishee from being made liable to his creditor,, and to the plaintiff in the garnishment, which exists, when-the garnishment is sued out prior or subsequent to the suit - or judgment of his creditor. The judgment or decree dissolving the garnishment, is subsisting, of full force, and the creditor is entitled to enforce the collection of the debt. If ’ the garnishee pays voluntarily, or under legal process issuing on a judgment obtained against him by his creditor, he-has the protection of a valid judgment discharging him from liability to the plaintiff in the garnishment. The subsequent reversal of that judgment, whatever claim for restitution the plaintiff in the garnishment may acquire thereby against the defendant, can not retroact, so as to restore the liability of the garnislaee to him. The case of Sherrod v. Davis, 17 Ala.