12 Vt. 195 | Vt. | 1840
The opinion of the court was delivered by
— If we concede that the return upon the writ of execution in favor of the plaintiff against Reynolds, was informal and void, it by no means follows that the defendants are not liable. The return of non est inventus, is required, by statute, in the case of bail only: As in the present case, no bail was taken, it is difficult to perceive how a formal return could be important. If the execution was taken out and put into the hands of an officer, so as to give the defendants an opportunity of surrendering the debtor,it is all that could be reasonably required. But the court below considered the return of non est important, and decided in favor of the defendants, on account of the alleged defectiveness of such return.
The plaintiff indeed moved the court to permit the officer, who made the return, to amend it on trial. This was denied and very justly. That process was not then before the court, for the former suit, and every thing pertaining to it, had long before been determined. The record and proceedings in it, could therefore no more be amended, than if that suit had been pending in another court. Fletcher v. Pratt, 4 Vt. R. 182. It is obvious, too, that if the return is important, as a regular non est inventus return, it must have been perfected within the life of the execution, or it could be of no avail. Turner v. Lowry, 2 Aiken’s R. 72. At what time within the life of the execution it was made, is not important. Howe v. Ransom, 1 Vt. R. 276. But it must be perfected within that time, and actually returned into the office from which it issued. So that it is apparent no amendment could avail the plaintiff in the present case.
But, on inspection of the return, in the present case, we are all of one opinion, that it is sufficient, even for the pur
Judgment of the county court reversed and new trial granted.