Case ID: tenn_47/html/0113-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "Alvin Hawkins, J.,", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

Bryant, Administrator, etc., vs. Smith et als.
    
    1. Scibe FACIAS. Circuit CouH has no power to order a seire facias to revive a judgment before a Justice. There is no authority under our practice for suing out an original scire facias in the Circuit Court, to revive a judgment before a justice of the peace.
    2. Same. An appeal from an order of a Justice of the Peace reviving a judgment, does not bring the original suit into the Oireuit Court. A seire facias to revive a judgment, is in the nature of a suit, arid an appeal from the judgment of the justice of the peace' (in this case) reviving the judgment upon the scire facias issued hy him, did not have the effect to remove the suit in which the original judgment had been rendered, into the Circuit Court.
    3. Same. Same. Defective scire fcCdas. Mow amended. See Code, 4177. If the seire famas issued by the justice of the peace is so clearly defective that a judgment of revivor cannot he pronounced upon it and the case is brought into the Circuit Court by appeal, the defect cannot be cured by suing' out an original scire facias in the Circuit Court; but the process issued by the justice of the peace must be annexed, under the provisions of section 4177 of the Code-
    FROM FRANKLIN.
    Smith recovered a judgment on the 4th of February, 1862, before Thomas J. Caldwell, a justice of tbe peace, for $250 and costs, against Linebaugh, Yan-zant and Colyer, which was stayed by Linebaugh in 1865. An execution was issued on this judgment, and returned nulla bona as to Linebaugh and the stayor, and that Joel Yanzant was dead. A scire facias was issued against Isaac Yanzant, administrator of Joel Yanzant, and the judgment was revived against Isaac Yanzant, as administrator, etc., from which judgment of revivor be appealed to the Circuit Court. At the November Term, 1866, an original scire facias was ordered to be issued to Isaac Yanzant, returnable to the March Term, 1867. To this scire facias there was a demurrer, which was allowed by the Court, and an alias scire facias issued. To which there was a second demurrer, which was overruled by the Court. A plea of nul tiel record by Yanzant, and a demurrer to this plea. A trial and judgment for the amount of the original judgment, interest and cost, against Yanzant as administrator, etc. There is no order in the record reviving the suit against the administrator, nor a motion for leave to amend the scire facias issued by the justice of the peace. This cause was tried at the November Term, 1867. The defendent, Yanzant, appealed. Judge ST. A. Patteeson, presiding.
    A. L. Marks and Fitzpatrick, for Vanzant.
    Metcalf & Syler, for Smith.
   Alvin Hawkins, J.,

delivered the opinion of the Court.

The various orders of the Circuit Court, awarding the writ of scire facias in this case, are unauthorized and erroneous.

There is no authority under our practice for suing out an original scire facias in the Circuit Court to revive a judgment before a justice of the peace.

A scire facias to revive a judgment is in the nature of a suit; and the appeal in this case, from the judgment of the justice, upon the scire facias issued by him, did not have the effect to remove the suit in which the original judgment had been rendered, into the Circuit Court. - :

The scire facias issued by the justice, and which had been taken to the Circuit Court by appeal, is clearly, defective, so much so that no judgment of revivor can be pronounced upon it; but the remedy is not by suing out an original scire facias in the Circuit Court, but by amending the process issued by the justice of the peace, under the provisions of section 4177 of the Code.

No application, however, to amend the process was made, and no disposition whatever of that writ has been made in the Circuit Court.

The judgment of the Circuit Court, from which an appeal in error is prosecuted to this court, is not a judgment of revivor, but is one of recovery, and is clearly erroneous upon that ground, and must be reversed.

If the case was before us for adjudication, we should have no hesitation in declaring the judgment sought to be revived in this case — as the same appears in the bill of exceptions — absolutely void, and incapable of being revived. But we do not think the appeal from the judgment of the Circuit Court, upon the scire facias sued out in that court, can authorize us to adjudicate the right of the plaintiff in the scire facias issued by the justice, and carried into the Circuit Court by appeal, to have the original judgment revived.

The scire facias carried into the Circuit Court by appeal, is still pending in that court.

The cause will be remanded to the Circuit Court. If the plaintiff desires it, upon a proper application, the scire facias issued by the justice may be amended upon such terms as the Court may deem just and proper.