Title: Dowlings, Inc. v. Mayo
Citation: 409 A.2d 588
Docket Number: 115-79
State: Vermont
Issuer: Vermont Supreme Court
Date: November 5, 1979

409 A.2d 588 (1979) DOWLINGS, INC. v. Malcolm MAYO and Ronald Pierce. No. 115-79. Supreme Court of Vermont. November 5, 1979. Motion for Reargument Denied November 20, 1979. *589 Wolchik &amp; Williams, Morrisville, for plaintiff. Anthony B. Lamb of Paul, Frank &amp; Collins, Inc., Burlington, for defendant Pierce. Before BARNEY, C. J., and DALEY, LARROW, BILLINGS and HILL, JJ. BILLINGS, Justice. The plaintiff-appellee obtained a judgment in the District Court of Vermont, Unit No. 3, Franklin Circuit against Lee A. Delphia, d/b/a Lee's Restaurant, in the amount of $243.39. Plaintiff's attorney forwarded a writ of execution to the defendant Mayo who returned the execution unsatisfied. The attorney then sent an alias execution to the defendant-appellant Pierce with specific instructions as to levy. This execution was returned unsatisfied. Plaintiff thereafter filed a complaint against the defendants Mayo and Pierce in the Washington Superior Court alleging that the defendants had failed and refused to satisfy either writ of execution and seeking mandamus compelling the defendants to obey the command of the writs of execution. Plaintiff also sought attorney's fees and costs. After trial by court it was ordered: Both defendants appealed, but only the defendant Pierce preserved his rights of appellate review by timely filing. V.R.A.P. 4. We are confined to a review of the findings of facts, conclusions of law and judgment only as they relate to the defendant Pierce. It is the duty of a constable to "serve and execute lawful writs . . . directed to him, according to the precept thereof." 24 V.S.A. § 293; 12 V.S.A. § 693. Defendant received a writ of execution and a letter from the plaintiff. The letter was captioned: "Dowlings, Inc. vs. Lee A. Delphia d/b/a/ Lee's Restaurant." It read in part as follows: Any breach or neglect of defendant's duty must be measured against this instruction. The trial court found: This finding, however, is based upon an erroneous reading of 12 V.S.A. § 2731, which requires that the levy of execution when not paid by the debtor shall be made by the constable either "upon the goods or chattels of the debtor or such as are shown him by the creditor." (Emphasis added). Where a judgment creditor informs the levying officer of the existence and location of assets known to the creditor and gives him no further instructions, the officer must levy either upon those assets or upon others. However, where, as here, the creditor gives the levying officer specific instructions concerning the manner of levy and the items to be seized, the duty placed upon the levying officer is quite different. Gross v. Gates, 109 Vt. 156, 162, 194 A. 465, 468-69 (1937) (citations omitted). The defendant Pierce had a duty to levy only pursuant to the foregoing instructions, which specifically direct that levy be made, after demand, on the cash register receipts at Lee's Restaurant. Mandamus is an appropriate remedy to require the person to whom it is directed to perform some act which the law enjoins as a duty as long as it is a purely ministerial act. Bloomer v. Cheney, 131 Vt. 552, 553, 311 A.2d 101, 102 (1973). In order for mandamus to lie "it must appear . . that the complainant has a clear legal right to the performance of the acts which he seeks to compel." Baldwin v. Morse, 126 Vt. 442, 443, 234 A.2d 434, 436 (1967). Plaintiff sought below an order directing defendant to levy upon the cash register receipts of Mr. Delphia. On proper proof such an order might be appropriate. However, the order of the court, dated May 2, 1979, commands defendant Pierce to levy against "the goods, chattels and lands of *591 Lee Delphia or against cash in the cash register at any place of business of Lee Delphia." The plaintiff is not entitled to such an order, because he had limited the duty of the defendant. Plaintiff having given defendant Pierce specific instructions concerning the levy has the burden of proving that the defendant was not influenced by them. Willard v. Goodrich, 31 Vt. 597, 599 (1859); Strong v. Bradley, 14 Vt. 55, 62 (1842). Absent such a showing the defendant is fully exonerated, unless the plaintiff proves dereliction in performance of the duty imposed by the limiting instructions. Assuming that such dereliction was shown, plaintiff would have been entitled to an order mandating that the defendant levy upon the cash register receipts at Lee's Restaurant, but not an order covering all goods, chattels and lands of Mr. Delphia. See Gross v. Gates, supra, 109 Vt. at 162, 194 A. at 468-69. Furthermore, the trial court mandated that sheriff Mayo "and/or" defendant Pierce serve the execution. This order is not specifically mandated, but directed to two persons in the alternative. It is not a clear order to a specific person and is in error. However, plaintiff is not entitled even to such a narrowly drawn order. For plaintiff to prevail, the evidence must support an affirmative finding that there existed money in a cash register which belonged to Mr. Delphia, upon which the defendant could have levied. This was not shown by the evidence. Nevertheless, plaintiff contends in this Court that the defendant was properly found to have breached the duties imposed by the special instructions given him. We decline to so hold, because no breach of that duty has been proven below. The plaintiff further claims that it is entitled to the damages provided by 12 V.S.A. § 697, which states: In order to recover damages pursuant to the foregoing statute, the court must find that the defendant Pierce wilfully refused or neglected to serve the writ according to the instructions given. Here there was no evidence to support such a finding. Judgment vacated as to defendant Pierce, and judgment entered for defendant Pierce.