Case ID: miss_11/html/0463-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "Per Curiam.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

NOVEMBER TERM, 1844.
    Robert Miller, et al. v. James Patton, et al.
    An informal judgment is sufficient to uphold a forthcoming bond given upon execution issuing thereon.
    A motion to quash a forthcoming bond made at a term subsequent to that at which the bond was forfeited, comes too late, and is properly overruled.
    In error from the Copiah Circuit Court.
    The plaintiffs in error on the 15th March, 1842, filed a petition in the Court below, for a writ of error coram nobis, in which they stated in substance, that an execution had issued against them purporting to-be upon a judgment of the 4th of November, 1839, for the sum of $1131.12 ; that this execution had been levied, and they had given a forthcoming bond with sureties thereon ; that this bond had been forfeited on the 6th day of April, 1840, and’that execution of fi. fa. had issued thereon against them.
    They averred that there was no judgment in the Court upon which the original execution and bond were taken, and they pray that the same may be quashed, and the execution superseded.
    Upon the trial of the petition, the Court refused to quash the bond and discharge the supersedeas.
    
    A bill of exceptions was filed, from which it appeared, that there was no original judgment rendered in the case, that could be found,, except a memorandum on the minutes of the Court, of which the following is a correct copy.
    
      “James Patton, et al. v. Samuel Scott, et al. Pleas withdrawn, and judgment’by default final, for eleven hundred and sixty-eight Dollars and forty-four cents.”
    The bill of exception recites, w that the Court overruled the motion, on the ground that the Court could not go behind the said judgment on the bond to inquire whether there be any original judgment at all upon which to found said execution and bond ; to which opinion exception was also taken.
    From this judgment, this writ of error is prosecuted.
    The error assigned, is the refusal to quash the bond.
    
      
      V. E. & B. D. Howard, for plaintiff in error.
    1. The motion in this case should have been sustained. There was no judgment of Court, but execution issued upon the mere memorandum of the Judge. This Court has repeatedly decided that the minute book is no part of the record, and not evidence for any purpose. Burney v. Bozett, 1 Howard, 39. A judgment can be proved only by the, record duly enrolled, and in this case there is no record whatever. I Littel; 3 Phil, on Evid., notes by Cowen & Hill, 1072, and cases there cited. This memorandum of the judgment neither exhibits the names of the parties, nor the subject-matter of the suit, and would be no bar to another recovery in the same cause of action. 9 Johns. 287; 3 Cow. & Hill’s notes to Phil, on Evid. 869, 870, 1012, 1064. In this case there is no paper on file in the Court which would connect the parties against whom execution was issued with this memorandum.
    2. It is conceded that the Court cannot go behind a forfeited forthcoming bond to look at informalities in the original judgment, but that they may and ought to inquire whether there is any judgment upon which a forthcoming bond has emanated.
    The forthcoming bond is a proceeding in derogation of Common Law, and must be strictly pursued. There is no authority for th,e sheriff to take .such a bond, unless there is a judgment to support it. An execution issued without a judgment would be void, and could not therefore justify the taking of a forthcoming bond. The proceedings would be void ab initio, and the party may treat it as a nullity, and will not be driven to his motion to quash. Carlton v. Osgood, 6 How. 285; 1 How. 50 ; 7 Cranch, 2S8.
    It has been decided by this Court, that where the original judgment has been reversed, the judgment on the forthcoming bond is void, and will be quashed on motion ; and for the reason, that there is no judgment to support the judgment on the forthcoming bond. 5 How. 71, 188. The Chief Justice, in delivering the opinion in this case, says, “ that the judgment on the bond arises from mere operation of law on process of execution, and must be considered as an adjunct to, or in aid of the first judgment, strictly'dependent on the first for its validity and support.” It certainly is the same in principle whether there is no original judgment, because it has been reversed, or because none was ever obtained. The original judgment is the foundation of the statutory proceeding, and in the language of this Court, £i is strictly dependent upon the former for its validity and support.” If our view of these authorities is correct, the bond in this case is void, and not such a bond as the statute intended should have the force and effect of a judgment. In this case, therefore, it is improper to say that we ask the Court to go behind a judgment on the forthcoming bond, for there is no such judgment.
    But this Court has repeatedly decided that it would go behind the bond to ascertain if there was any original judgment to authorize the judgment on the bond. It is so decided in the case in 5 Howard, 188. ■ In 3 Howard, 60, judgment was obtained against the plaintiff in error, a writ issued, and forthcoming bond taken and forfeited. Subsequently another execution was issued on the same original judgment, a second bond taken and forfeited. The Court go behind the bond in that case, and declare the second bond and execution void, because the first levy and bond had satisfied the original judgment. The judgment being satisfied, the second bond, say the Court, is absolutely void. In Jones v. Miles, 1 How. 50, and in McNutt v. Wilcox & Fearn, the Court also go behind the bond to examine the original judgment.
    The rule established by this Court in relation to examining the original judgment when bond has been taken and forfeited, is, that the Court will not go behind the bond to examine if there is error in the rendition of the judgment, but they will go back and see if there be any original judgment to authorize the taking of the bond, to see if there is any foundation for judgment on the bond.
    The cases of Weatherly v. Proby, 1 Howard, 98, and Bank of United States v. Patton, 5 Howard, 200, do not militate against this position. In both these cases there was a confession Of judgment, although the formal entry of judgment was not made. A confession of judgment admits the law and the facts necessary to the rendition of judgment. In this case it appears from the record that none of the parties were ever' served with process, or by any legal means brought into Court, and there is nothing on the record to identify the parties in the execution with the names in this memorandum.
    
      3. Issuing the execution, and taking the forthcoming bond without a judgment, was a fraud upon the defendants, and an abuse of the process of Court, which it is always competent for the Court to correct. It is the province and duty of the Courts to see that their process is not used for the purpose of fraud and oppression. 4 Howard, 336.
    Thrasher, for defendant in error.
    On the 15th of March, 1842, two years after thé forfeiture of the bond, Robert Miller filed his petition, executed bond, and obtained a supersedeas to the execution, returnable to the May term, 1842, upon the ground of a defect in, the record of the original judgment; and in the motion which was overruled, moved the Court to quash the bond, and the execution upon which the bond had been taken, two years after it had spent its operative force. The object therefore of the writ of error coram nobis and supersedeas, was to suspend the execution returnable to the May term, 1842, until the defendant Miller could move the Court to quash the bond and original execution, for alleged defects in the record of the original judgment. In the case of Wanzer v. Barker, 4 How. 369, the Court say, “ that the appellant was too late in moving the Court to quash when he suffered a term to pass.” The same principle is settled in the case of Kenningham v. Scanland, 6 How. 540; and in the case of Weatherly v. Proby, 1 How. 98, and in numerous other decisions. ■
    The case of the Bank of the United States v. Patton, reported in 5 How. 200, is thought to be conclusive on the other points involved in the case. In that case, the Court say, “ That the bond contains a new cause of action, which accrues from the day of its forfeiture against the original debtor and the sureties. This cause of action is confessed by the obligors, and the law confers upon it the most solemn evidence of debt, by giving'it the force of a judgment. To supersede its execution for defects in the original proceedings, is to permit the party to contradict his own deliberate confessions, and to surprise the creditor with objections which resolve themselves into an alleged want of consideration for the bond; a circumstance from the very nature of the objection, he must have been apprized of when he executed the bond, and suffered it to become invested with all the sanctions of a regular judgment. To permit this to be done would effectually open the door to endless litigation.” 5 How. 239.
    The plaintiff in error seeks to go behind the bond, because there is no original judgment. We think that the record of the original judgment is good ; but if it be defective, still the plaintiff in error canhot examine it in the present attitude of the case : it is merged in the judgment upon the bond, about which there is no complaint. The bond therefore is sought to be quashed, because it was taken oh a defective original, and to avoid the judgment upon the bond, which for aught that appears in the record is a good statutory judgment.
   Per Curiam.

At the May term, 1842, of the Circuit Court of Copiah county, the plaintiffs in error moved to quash a forthcoming bond, on the ground that there was no original judgment; which motion was overruled. The record of the judgment consisted of an extract from the minutes of the Court, by which it appeared that the pleas had'been withdrawn, and “judgment by default final for eleven hundred and sixty-eight dollars and forty-four cents and this was the only judgment entered. This occurred at November term, 1839. An execution issued, returnable to May term, 1840, which was levied on personal property, and a forthcoming bond given, whicji was forfeited on the 6th of April, 1840. On the forfeited bond, another execution issued, returnable to November term, 1840.

From this statement of the case, it is perfectly apparent that the Court did right in refusing to quash the bond. There was an informal judgment on which it was founded. The application to quash came too late.' It should have been made at May term, 1840 ; but instead of doing that, the parties waited two years, and then move to quash. An application to quash a forthcoming bond must be made at the return term. Then the parties have a day in Court; but after that the bond becomes a judgment, which cannot be set aside by the Court on motion. Field v. Morse & Harrod, 1 Smedes & Marshall, 347. The judgment must be affirmed.