23 Wash. 693 | Wash. | 1901
The opinion of the court was delivered by
This is an action to recover damages from Davis & West, as principals, and appellants, as sureties, for alleged breach of an attachment indemnity bond given respondent while sheriff. In the case of Davis & West v. Burton Lumber Company, a writ of attachment was issued July 12, 1895, and levied upon a lot of lumber. The bond in question was executed July 19, 1895, the condition of which is as follows:
“The condition of the above obligation' is such that whereas, under and by virtue of a writ of attachment issued out of the superior court of said King county, state of*694 Washington, in an action wherein said T. E. Davis and C. E. West, partners as Davis & West, was plaintiff, and the Burton Lumber Company, a corporation, was defendant, against said defendant, directed,and delivered to said sheriff of King, county, Washington, the said sheriff was commanded to attach and safely keep all the property of said defendant within his custody, not exempt from execution, or so much thereof as may be sufficient to satisfy plaintiff’s demand, amounting to $415.74, as therein stated, and the said sheriff did thereupon attach the following described goods and chattels, to-wit: 268 bunches of siding, 522 bunches of shingles, and about 60,000 feet of rough lumber.
“And whereas one R. L. Oake has claimed the said goods and chattels, or a part thereof, as his property; and whereas there are other persons about to claim other portions of said property;
“And whereas the above named plaintiffs, notwithstanding said claims made or to be made, require of said sheriff that he shall retain said property under said attachment and keep the same in his custody under and by virtue of such writ,
“Now, therefore, the condition of the above obligation is such that if the said T. E. Davis and C. E. West, partners as Davis & West, plaintiffs and principals above named, and the said M. L. Earwell and L, A. Agassiz, sureties, their heirs, executors, and administrators shall well and truly indemnify and save harmless the said sheriff, his successors, heirs, executors, and administrators, of and from all damage, expenses, costs, and charges, and against all loss and liability which he, the said sheriff, his successors, heirs, executors or administrators shall sustain or in any wise be put to for or by reason of the attachment, seizing, levying, taking, or retention by the said sheriff, in his custody, under said attachment, all the property hereinbefore described, whether claimed by the said R. L. Oake or any other person or persons, then this obligation to be null and void; otherwise, to be of full force and virtue.”
On the trial by jury, respondent, over appellants’ objection, offered oral and documentary evidence tending to prove the levy of the writ of attachment on the 12th day of July, 1895, the levy of the writ of execution, August 3, 1895, on the same property, then in custody of the sheriff under said attachment, and the sale of the same on the said execution, on August 19, 1895. At the conclusion of the defendants’ testimony, the court ordered judgment for the plaintiff, and judgment was entered against the appellants, on March 8, 1900, for the sum of $850.
The sole point presented for our consideration is, did the attachment bond cover the damage resulting from the seizure and sale of the property attached? The contention of the appellants is that, on the issuance of the writ of execution, the writ of attachment became functus, and whatever damage thereafter occurred was by reason of the sale under the writ of execution, and that the attachment bond did not cover such damage. The law relative to attachments provides that:
*696 “All moneys received by the sheriff under the provisions of this chapter, and all other attached property shall be retained by him to answer any judgment that may be recovered in the action, unless sooner subjected to execution upon another judgment recovered previous to the issuing of the attachment.”
“If judgment be recovered by the plaintiff, the sheriff shall satisfy the same out of the property attached by him which has not been delivered to the defendant or claimant as in this chapter provided, or subjected to execution on another judgment recovered previous to- the issuing of the attachment, if it be sufficient for that purpose,—
“1. By applying on the execution issued on said judgment the proceeds of all sales of perishable or other property sold by him, or so much as shall be necessary to satisfy the judgment;
“2. If any balance remain due, he shall sell under the execution so much of the property, real or personal, as may be necessary to satisfy the balance, if enough for that purpose remain in his hands.
“Notice of the sale, shall be given and the sale conducted as .in other cases of sales on execution.”
“If, after selling all the property attached by him remaining in his hands, and applying the proceeds, deducting his fees, to the payment of the judgment, any balance shall remain due, the sheriff shall proceed to collect such balance as upon an execution in other cases. Whenever the judgment shall have been paid, the sheriff, upon reasonable demand, shall deliver over to the defendant the attached property remaining in his hands and any proceeds of the property attached unapplied on the judgment.”
“If the defendant recover judgment against the plaintiff, all the proceeds of sales and money collected by the sheriff , and all the property attached remaining in the sheriff’s hands, shall be delivered to the defendant or his agent. The order of attachment shall be discharged, and the property released therefrom.”
“If the defendant, at any time before judgment, causes a bond to be executed to the plaintiff with sufficient sure-*697 lies, to be approved by tbe officer having the attachment, or after the return thereof, by. the clerk, to the effect that he will perform the judgment of the court, the attachment shall be discharged and restitution made of property taken or proceeds thereof. The execution of such bond shall be deemed an appearance of such defendant to the action.”
“Such bond shall be part of the record, and if judgment go against the defendant, the same shall be entered against him and sureties.” Bal. Code, §§ 5866, 5370, 5371, 5373-5375.
The recital in the bond is that the sheriff was commanded to attach, and safely keep within his custody all the property of the defendant not exempt, etc., sufficient to satisfy plaintiff’s .demand, etc.; and the sheriff did thereupon attach (here follows a description of the property afterwards sold). By the terms of the bond the respondent was to be indemnified and saved harmless from all damages, expenses, costs and charges, loss and liability, which he might sustain or in anywise be put to for or by reason of the attachment, seizing, levying, taking or retention, in his custody, under the attachment, the property described in the bond. This language, analyzed, shows that the sheriff was protected against the following:
1. He was protected against all damage by reason of the attachment in anywise occurring.
2. He was protected against all damage by reason of seizing the property under the writ of attachment.
3. He was protected against all-damage by reason of levying upon the property under the attachment.
4. He was protected against all damage by reason of taking the property under the attachment.
5. - He was protected against all damage by reason of the retention,.-in his custody, of the property under -the attachment.
The writ of execution in such case is hut the means to discharge the lien, and, if the judgment is not thereby satisfied, may be further executed as'an independent writ, as in other cases. The damage that was caused by the sale of the property related back to the seizure of the property under the attachment writ for the purpose of sale in the event of a judgment against the debtor. When the sureties on the bond agreed to indemnify and save the sheriff harmless from any damage by reason of the attachment, that agreement obligated them to protect the sheriff against any damage arising from the attachment. Under the 'statute it was the duty of the sheriff to retain the attached property to' answer any judgment that might he recovered in the action, and when the judgment was recovered the sheriff was required to sell the property which had been attached by him, and the law simply directed that the sale should be as in other cases on execution. These provisions are clearly set forth in the attachment law. This law was in force when the appellants signed the bond. When the appellants executed and delivered the bond to the sheriff, and agreed to indemnify and save him harmless from all damage by reason .of the attachment, they obligated themselves to protect the sheriff against each and every act that the law required him to do under the attachment. The law required him to keep his levy and seizure good, to retain the property to answer any judg
The judgment of the court below is affirmed.
Dunbar, C. J., and Fullerton and Reavis, JJ., concur.