2 Colo. App. 422 | Colo. Ct. App. | 1892
after stating the facts, delivered the opinion of the court.
An assignment, under our statute, cited above, to be valid must be a general assignment of all the property, real and
In Barnitz v. Rice, 14 Md. 24, it is said: “We do not wish to be understood as saying any particular words are necessary to be used, but only that such must be employed as will convey all the debtor’s property. All that is required is that the words should comprehend all, and thereby negative every presumption that there is other property.” See McClurg v. Lecky, 8 Pen. & W. (Pa.) 83; Grover v. Wakeman, 11 Wend. (N. Y.) 187; Gadsden v. Carson, 2 Rich. Eq. (S. C.) 252; Gibson v. Finley, 4 Md. Ch. Dec. 75; Ins. Co. v. Wallis et al., 23 Md. 182.
It is a well settled rule of construction, that when the deed in general terms, purports to convey all the property, and afterwards enumerates and designates the property assigned, such special designation controls the general words, makes the assignment special instead of general, and renders the deed inoperative and void. Burrill on Assign. 192, 195, 485; Barnitz v. Rice, supra ; Bock v. Perkins, 28 Fed. Rep. 123; U. S. v. Howland, 4 Wheat. 103.
There are in the deed of conveyance no words evidencing either the desire or intention to convey all the property of the assignor; the only conclusion that can be legally deduced from the language used is that the assignment was to be special, of the property enumerated, viz., “ all of the accounts, debts, dues, notes, bills,- bonds and demands, goods, wares and merchandise, named and specified in a schedule and inventory to be hereinafter filed.” The language used instead of negativing every presumption that there was other property, not conveyed, would clearly indicate that the property conveyed was specially selected and set apart from the body of the estate. It follows from the authorities cited that in this respect the deed was void and invalid.
There was also an absolute failure to comply with sec. 170. No inventory was annexed to such deed of assignment. All
By the same section (170), the assignor is required to give a list of his creditors, their names, residences, if known, and the amounts of their respective demands. Only a partial list of creditors was given — the records of the court show a half dozen or more firms and individuals, whose names did not appear in the list, instituted proceedings by attachment before the list.was made out and filed. Clearly, no honest attempt, even, was made to comply with the statute. The assignor is also required to verify the inventory and list of creditors, under oath. The proceedings were, in this respect, fatally defective. The statute, as in all cases where such language is used, requires an affidavit subscribed by the party, and the certificate of an officer that an oath was administered —neither appears.
The deputy clerk certifies he appeared, not before him, but before “ J. S. Stewart, County Clerk,” etc. These statutory provisions cannot be dispensed with — a material failure to comply with them or a serious departure vitiates the whole proceeding. The inventory required is for the purpose of identification. The deed may in general terms convey all the property of the grantor in trust for all creditors. The inventory required by law, when attached to the deed of assignment, becomes a part of it — designates and defines the conveyance by showing the amount, quantity and spe
The judgment of the district court will be affirmed.
Affirmed.