Case Name: Minor v. Cook
Court: Connecticut Superior Court
Jurisdiction: Connecticut
Decision Date: 1786-09
Citations: 1 Kirby 157
Docket Number: 
Parties: Minor v. Cook.
Judges: 
Reporter: Connecticut Reports
Volume: 1
Pages: 157–158

Head Matter:
Minor v. Cook.
If a process, by foreign attachment he not legally served on the original debtor, the garnishee shall take no advantage of it, on the scire facias against him.
This was a scire facias against garnishee; to which he pleaded, that Benjamin Shearman, defendant in the original suit, was not, at the time of bringing said suit, an absent or absconding debtor; but, at that time, and for more than eight months next preceding, had been a dweller in the town of Norwich, and the plaintiff’s debt (if any) arose for boarding and lodging said Shearman in his house during said term; and that the original writ was never served upon said Shearman in any manner whatever, either by copy or reading; wherefore there was no legal foundation for a judgment in said suit.
There was a replication, rejoinder and demurrer thereto; and upon the insufficiency of the plea, judgment was for the plaintiff.

Opinion:
By the whole Court.
Benjamin Shearman, the principal debtor, is described in the declaration in the original action, to be an inhabitant of the state of Ehode Island; and if he had any residence in this state, at the time of serving the writ, so that he ought, by law, to have been served with a copy of it, and that was omitted, it might have been pleaded in abatement to the action; but the garnislh.ee cannot take advantage of it in this suit; nor can that omission any way prejudice Mm; for he will be indemnified against any recovery by said Shearman, to the amount of what shall be recovered of him by the plaintiff in this suit; and if Shear-man has suffered for want of legal notice, he only has right to apply for redress.