Court Opinion

ID: 9828714
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 18:38:38.839098+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:42:52.106569
License: Public Domain

On Appellants’ Motion for Rehearing.
Appellants, while admitting that the trial • court correctly held the garnishee liable for the full amount of the debt, inasmuch as the answer of the garnishee was defective, yet insist that the trial court erred in awarding judgment against the bondsmen on the re-plevy bond for said amount; that such error is fundamental. Under article 4087, Vernon’s Anno. Stats. 1925, it is provided:
“The garnishee shall in all cases after lawful service file an answer to the writ of garnishment on or before appearance day of the term of the court to which such writ is returnable', and should the garnishee fail to file such answer to said writ as herein required, it shall be lawful for the court, at any time after judgment shall have been rendered against defendant, and on or after appearance day, to render judgment by default, as in other civil cases against such garnishee for the full amount of such judgment against the defendant, together with all interest and costs that may have ae-cru'ed in the main ease and also in the garnishment proceedings. The answer of such garnishee may be filed as in any other civil case at any time before such default judgment is rendered.” •.
Article 4084 provides in part:
“The defendant may, at any time before judgment, replevy any effects, debts, shares, or claims of any kind seized or garnisheed, by giving bond, with two or more good and sufficient sureties to be approved by the officer who issued the writ of garnishment, payable to the plaintiff, in double the amount of the plaintiff's debt, and conditioned for the payment of any judgment that may he rendered against the said garnishee in such suit, which when properly approved shall be filed among the papers in the cause in the court in which the suit is pending.” (Italics ours.)
 Where a replevy bond has been given, the court may render judgment against principal and surety without further pleading and notice in a case where judgment has been rendered against thq garnishee, where a debtor replevies the claim garnished, the amount for which the obligors on the replev-in bond are liable is the full amount held subject to the writ. Seinsheimer v. Flanagan, 17 Tex. Civ. App. 427, 44 S. W. 30, writ of error refused. The judgment against the garnishee in this case was a default judgment. Oklahoma Petroleum & Gasoline Co. v. Nolan, 253 S. W. 650, by this court, writ refused; Kentucky Oil Corporation v. David (Tex. Com. App.) 285 S. W.,290, by the Supreme Court. See latter case by Court of Civil Appeals. 276 S. W. 357. In the absence of fraud, accident, or mistake, the sureties’ liability on the bond becomes fixed. Texas Co. v. Disney (Tex. Civ. App.) 279 S. W. 280, writ refused.
The motion for rehearing is overruled.