There is before us for disposition our rule granted upon plaintiff to show cause why judgment in ejectment in favor of plaintiff and against these defendants should not be opened, and further to show cause why plaintiff’s writ of fieri facias issued on judgment entered against defendants for rent due should not be stayed.
Plaintiff lessor entered into a written lease with these defendants, under the terms of which he demised to defendants certain real estate in the City of Harrisburg with dwelling house thereon situate. The lease contained a warrant of attorney authorizing the confession of a judgment in favor of the lessor and against defendants for rent due in the event that there was any default on the part of defendants in the payment of rent. The lease also contained a warrant of attorney authorizing confession of judgment in an amicable action of ejectment against defendants in the event that defendants committed any default under the terms of the written lease.
Thereupon, plaintiff directed by praecipe the issuance of a writ of habere facias possessionem at September term, 1948, no. 35, directing the sheriff to cause the possession of the premises to be delivered to plaintiff. Also, by separate praecipe, at September term, 1948, no. 36, plaintiff directed the issuance of a writ of fieri facias directing the sheriff to levy on the goods and chattels of defendants for satisfaction of the judgment in the amount of $540.
Defendants then presented to the court their petition to open the judgment in ejectment and stay the writ of execution which had been issued. The petition alleges, inter alia, certain facts tending to show that because of a subsequent parol modification of the written lease there had been no default in the payment of the rent due, and sets up certain other claims on the merits which tended to establish that plaintiff had no authority to confess judgment in the amicable action of ejectment. The petition prayed for a rule on plaintiff to show cause why the judgment in ejectment should not be opened, and defendants permitted to make a defense, and the writ of execution stayed.
After the granting of the rule but before the service thereof, the sheriff executed the writ of possession, causing the premises to be delivered to plaintiff, and
Thereupon defendants, in order to get possession of their personal property levied upon and sold to plaintiff at the sheriff’s sale, put up in escrow with defendant’s counsel, to await the outcome of this proceeding, the sum of $540, representing the principal amount of the judgment plus $75 in costs. These escrowed moneys in the total amount of $615 were deposited with counsel in lieu of the actual delivery to plaintiff of the personal property which was sold to him at the sale.
The matter is now before us on the petition and rule granted thereon, the answer thereto, together with depositions and stipulations of certain facts by counsel. The question raised by the petition and answer is whether the rule to open the judgment in ejectment and stay the writ of execution should be made absolute. There is, however, another most important question raised in this record, namely, whether the money judgment upon which the writ of fieri facias issued had any validity. Although this latter question is not raised in plaintiff’s petition, we find that it is essential to dispose of this question.
The action of ejectment being a possessory action, and plaintiff now being in possession, there is nothing properly before us upon which we can act. Accordingly, therefore, the rule to open the judgment in ejectment must be discharged.
The sale being under a void judgment, plaintiff bought nothing at the sale and could acquire no interest in the goods and chattels of defendant purchased at the sale. Since the sum of $540, representing the amount of the money judgment, is held in escrow, in substitution for plaintiff’s possession of the personal property bought at the sale, and since plaintiff bought nothing at the sale because the judgment and sale thereon were void, it must necessarily follow that plaintiff acquired no interest whatsoever in the sum of $540 held in escrow. Hence, the escrowed moneys to the extent of $540, being the amount of the money judgment, are returnable to defendants.
Defendants must pay the costs in the amicable action of ejectment. Plaintiff must pay the costs accrued on the entry of the money judgment, the fieri facias issued thereon, the levy and all proceedings had in connection therewith. The sum of $75 held by defendants’ counsel in escrow, representing costs, is to be
And now, January 3, 1950, the rule to open the judgment in ejectment is discharged, and the judgment in the sum of $540 is stricken off, and all proceedings thereon vacated; costs are to be disposed of as. hereinabove indicated.
