Opinion ID: 1771612
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: was the granting of a credit to the trustees a violation of full faith and credit?

Text: Mrs. Robertson, as cross-appellant, claims that the court erred in granting the Trustees a credit of $39,618.17 on the amount subject to garnishment. Full faith and credit of the Illinois judgment does not apply to the Trustees. The requirements of full faith are tempered by some basic limitations. The primary limitation is that full faith and credit does not apply if the rendering court did not have jurisdiction over the parties in the subject matter. Galbraith, 396 So.2d at 21. The Trustees were never made a party to the Illinois action. Also, this Court has said that it may intervene when disposition of decedent's interest involved property interest subject to our own jurisdiction. Estate of Waitzman, 507 So.2d at 25-26. The Trustees were not a party to the Illinois action and the trust involves property subject to Mississippi jurisdiction thus full faith and credit does not apply. The doctrine of full faith and credit is also not violated by this credit because the chancellor stated that the amount credited to the Trustees would not prejudice Mrs. Robertson's claim. The chancellor stated that Mrs. Robertson could recover the credit amount from other assets of Mr. Sollitt. Since the Trustees were not a party to the Illinois action the chancellor allowed them as garnishees to use the defense of payment. In a garnishment proceeding the garnishee is able to raise numerous defenses, one of which is that payment has already occurred. The Trustees had given $39,618.17 to the twins from Arthur's share of the trust so they were able to claim this amount as payment toward the garnishment.