Case ID: ala_3/html/0521-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": ". ORMOND, J.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

Pharr & Beck v. Reynolds.
    1. The sickness of a party ,to a suit, or the pendency of another suit against .him requiring his attendance, will not authorize the interference of a court of chan- • eery after jud gmenSr. it was the duty of the party to send an agent to attend ' to his cause, or to put his attorney in possession of the means of continuing it.
    2. A court of chancery will not grant reliefin the nature of a new trial at law, af. ter judgment on a plea in abatement.
    3. When Chancery has jurisdiction to state an account between parties, it will enjoin a judgment at law, -obtained by the party against whom the account is prayed, if he be insolvent.
    Error to the. Chancery Court at Talladega. , ■
    THIS was a bill in chancery, filed by the plaintiffs in error, against the defendant in error. The bill charges, that the plaintiffs in error, kept a public house at the Talladega Springs, and employed the defendant, to assist in the management of, the house, for his .board, lodging and his . bill at the bar, and deposited with him eight hundred dollars, to buy provisions for the house; that defendant remained four or five months, but. from intoxication, was unable to attend to business, and, was.dismissed; that defendant did not expend more than three -hundred dollars, for provisions, and is indebted to complainants for the remaining five hundred dollars.
    That defendant instituted suit against complainants, in the Talladega Circuit Court, for work and labor; and complainants being residents of Wilcox county, at the return term, pleaded that fact in abatement of the suit. That complainants summoned their witnesses and sent the patents, the evidence of their freehold in Wilcox, but the witnesses did not attend, and the patents miscarried; that complainants from sickness, were unable to attend the Court at Talladega, and in addition, had an important suit in Wilcox county, which required their attention at the same time; that complainants attorney, not knowing of the materiality of the absent witnesses; could not obtain a continuance, and that the defendant unjustly obtained a judgment against them, which he is seeking to énforce by execution.
    That if they had been able to make their defence at law, on the merits it consisted of matters of account, which a jury could not properly adjust. That the defendant is utterly insolvent, and has left the country.
    The prayer of the bill is for an injunction to the judgment at law, that an account be taken between the parties, and for general relief. The'Chancellor dissolved the injunction, and dismissed the bill. To reverse which, the plaintiffs have sued out this writ'of error. ■
    ■ B. F. Portee, for the plaintiff, in error
    insisted that this • edse was distinguishable from French v.'Garner, 7-Porter,-553, ■and cited 9 Danna, as a case in point. He also insisted, that the bill was filed for an account, which gave the Court jurisdiction: 8'Porter,‘63. • • . -
    W. B. Martin, contra
    contended, that there was no equity in the bill, and'nó «excuse shewn for not defending at law. He cited 7 Porter 583; 1 Ala. Rep. 351.
   . ORMOND, J.

It is very certain that the 'plaintiffs, in error, do not, in their bill, show any ground for overhauling the judgment obtained at law, by the defendant. The, cases cited by the counsel, for the defendant in error, are decisive to show that'this case is not, at least in this mode relie va ble in equity. There is a total want of that diligence, Which'the Court of Chancery requires, before its interposition can be obtained.. If, as does not sufficiently appear, from the bill, the plaintiffs, 'froto "the necessity'of attending to another suit, from sickness, or from any Other cause, 'were finable to attend the Court, they should have'sent an agent, or at least, should have placed their attorney in possession of the'means, for frying or continuing the suit, if the witnesses did not attend. But independent Of these considerations, we apprehend ho case case can be found, in which "a Court'of Chancery has interfered to grant relief, in the nature'fif a new'trial at law, after judgment On a'pléa in 'abatement.

The biÍl,'howevér; is also filed to Obtain an account'from the defendant. The allegation is, that he 'was émplojtod by theto, to aid in the'ma’na'getoerit óf 'a house of eritértairitóént at the Talladega "Springs ; that'they placed, in 'his possession, eight fitindied dollars, to buy provisions 'for the'house; they allege, ■tñasí'hé did not expend more thanJthréé.hundred dollars of-the money for the purposes for which’he. ;was intrusted with it, and .tliatt'he has never accounted wftK ítriéim* There can bé no ■doubt ihat the facts stated, will'-'givp the- Court jurisdiction to ■enfd.rtain the bill for an account. V *Theídéféndant was the bailiff,ip technical- language, of thed£oim,pfiiiaants, against whom .thejiatfcient common law action-$fVa$90.unt could have been maintained, and of which Courts-ófCh'éncery have concurrent jurisdiction; and this would seepi^t.o. bp. a case peculiarly property r a Court of Chancery, as disj^yursenaents of the bailiff, .■or ftgyntj must have consisted of'many items. There is still, hoyvever, a question of some diffidpityi;'jviffiich does not appear to have been presented to the Chancellor'; it is, whether the fact allied, in the bill, of the insolvency of the- defendant, and that he hás' left the State, will authorise -this Court, to injoin the judgment at law, until the account can be taken. Although the question is not free from difficulty,...we are strongly inclined to think the plaintiffs are entitled to the aid of the Court, upoff.the principle upon which it interferes tó prevent irrepa-ble; injury, as in cases of waste. - ■'f • •

íf,the defendant is permitted to’.ejffoKíé his judgment at law, the,.decree in favor of the complainants,' if they are able to- obtain one, will be of no value, whilst* om.the other hand,' if the clairtf of the complainants is unfo¿inde¿ji,..the injury to the defendant, will be merely a temporary .suspension of his rights. If the defendant was a resident of the ¿fate, but about to leave it, the complainants would be eníitléd'tir-a ne exeat, or if he .had: .property in the State, it cohkb bievattached at law, which does not, in principle, differ from. giaht&jg. the injunction in this case and permitting the judgment o.btajped by the defendant, to - stand US a fund, out of which to satisfy apy decree the complainantS'.’ittay obtain.

In Simpson v. Hart, 14 Johns. Rep. 63, the Court'of Errors of Ne w-York, where a bill was Jtédytó‘.set off one judgment against another, considered that the-jn^Ojlyency of one- .of the "parties, was a material fact in gr&ntirig}the relief:' see also, Pond v. Smith, 4 Conn. Rep. 305, which is expressly in point.

Upon the whole, we are of opinion,■ -tfei. although the -com - plainants cannot overhaul the judgment at law, obtained against them, yet, in equity, it sh^Sld stand as a security for their claim against the defendant. • ,;|j

■■ The decree of the Chqhcellor, therefore, dissolving the injunction and dismissing the bill, is reversed, and this Court, proceeding "to render sucji decree, as the Chancellor should have rendered, does hereby order, adjudge and decree, that the injunction granted indíjis cause, to the judgment at law, be continued, and that an account be stated• by the master, be. tween the parties: thatthe.judgmentobtained by the defendan stand as asecurity for such' amount as maybe decreed in. fav„ of the complainants,.on the settlement.of the accounts between the parties, and for this purpose, let the cause be remanded...