Case Name: In Re LEVEL
Court: Oregon Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Oregon
Decision Date: 1916-08-02
Citations: 81 Or. 298
Docket Number: 
Parties: In Re LEVEL.
Judges: Me. Chief Justice Mooee, Me. Justice Bean and Me. Justice McBeide concur.
Reporter: Oregon Reports
Volume: 81
Pages: 298–303

Head Matter:
Writ of habeas corpus allowed August 1,
petitioner discharged August 2, 1916.
In Re LEVEL.
(159 Pac. 558.)
Execution—Execution Against Person.
1. Where the pleadings in an action for the recovery of money disclose no fraudulent actions on the part of defendant, his imprisonment under an execution against his person is unlawful.
Reference—Authority of Referee—Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.
2. Under section 838, L. O. L., a referee in an equitable proceeding has ho authority to mate findings of fact or conclusions of law.
Execution—Imprisonment Under Execution Against Person—When Authorized.
3. The imprisonment of petitioner, by virtue of an execution under a decree finding that he fraudulently and unlawfully retained money belonging to another, rendered on unauthorized findings of fact and conclusions of law by the referee, no other evidence being received and the decree not being based on any issue found in the pleadings, is unlawful, and petitioner is entitled to release in habeas corpus proceedings.
Original proceeding in Supreme Court.
Mr. William P. Lord, for petitioner.
Mr. Walter H. Evans, District Attorney, Mr. Arthur A. Murphy, Deputy District Attorney, Mr. James N. Davis and Mr. William W. Dugan, Jr., for the respondent, Sheriff of Multnomah County, Oregon.
Department 1. Statement by Mr. Justice Benson.
On December 19, 1912, John M. Level began an action against the petitioner and his wife for the recovery of moneys, and thereafter the defendants therein filed their answer and, at the same time, a cross-bill in equity, to which John M. Level filed an answer, wherein, after certain admissions and denials, he pleads affirmatively as follows:
“For the further and separate .answer to the cross-bill the defendant alleges that the money as set out in the complaint and the cross-bill was delivered to the plaintiff herein James M. Level, and that thereafter the said James M. Level and Lucy Level, his wife, and plaintiffs in said cross-bill, agreed in the State of Washington, where the James M. Level had his residence at that time, and under the laws of Washington said property delivered to him is community property, that if the defendant would let him use some of the money on hand, they would repay it all to him, whereupon the plaintiff of the cross-bill James M. Level did expend for improvements on the property of Lucy Level, and for her benefit, a large portion of said money, all of which she agreed to repay to John M. Level, the exact amount of which the defendant does not know, but asks that the same be ascertained; that during the month of May, 1911, the plaintiffs James M. Level and Lucy Level agreed to convey to this defendant the northwest quarter of northwest quarter, section 24, township 5 north, range 3 east, of Willamette Meridian, situated in Clarke County, Washington, for the sum of $600, which money was out of the money which had been paid to James M. Level, and this defendant further alleges that he went into possession of said property and put improvements thereon under the understanding and belief that the plaintiffs herein had good title thereto, or would acquire the same, but defendant, on or about the first day of March, 1912, discovered that the title to said property remained in the name of the man who had lost his life in Portland by fire, by accident, and that the said James M. Level and Lucy Level had no title to said property, and do not have the title to said property at this time.

Opinion:
Allowed August 2, 1916.
On Rule to Show Cause.
Opinion
Per Curiam.
In response to an order made by Mr. Justice Bean, requiring the sheriff of Multnomah County to show cause why a writ of habeas corpus should not issue for the purpose of inquiring into and determining the legality of the detention by said sheriff of the petitioner, James M. Level, the parties concerned have been heard by this court, and without discussion of the merits we are of the opinion that a prima facie case has been made by the petitioner sufficient to authorize the issuance of the writ. It will therefore be issued according to the prayer of the petition.
Writ Allowed.