Pierce v. Chapman

Citation31 Ga. 674
PartiesPIERCE. vs. CHAPMAN et al.
Decision Date30 November 1860
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia

31 Ga. 674

Fi. fa. and illegality, in Warren Superior Court. Decision by Judge Thomas, at the October Term, 1860.

The facts of this case are as follows, to wit:

Pierce Bailey recovered a judgment against William Littleton, as administrator of Lucy Bray, deceased, and Benja-min Chapman, and Mary Hodgins, for $1,037.75, besides interest and cost.

From this judgment Littleton entered an appeal, Chapman and Hodgins not appealing.

On the appeal, Bailey recovered a judgment against Littleton, as the administrator of Bray, for the sum of $700 only.

A writ of fieri facias was issued from the first judgment, against Benjamin Chapman and Mary Hodgins, and was levied upon their property.

The defendant filed an affidavit of illegality to the fi. fa,, on the ground:

That there was no judgment corresponding with the fi. fa., as there had been an appeal entered from the same, and the recovery had been reduced to $700; that they were only securities of Lucy Bray on the claim, on which the judgment was founded; that the appeal vacated the first judgment from which the fi. fa, issued, and that having a right to control the fi, fa,, as sureties, after paying it off, the fi. fa, should have issued against the principal, as well as the sureties.

Counsel for plaintiff demurred to the affidavit of illegality, admitting the facts stated in it, and upon hearing the demurrer, the presiding Judge sustained the demurrer, holding, that an appeal by a principal, and a diminution of the recovery on the appeal, enures to the benefit of the sureties.

This decision is the alleged error.

PoTTlE, and WasdEN & NELMS, for plaintiff in error.

Gibson and Huff, for defendants in error.

By the Court. —Lumpkin, J., delivering the opinion.

The only question in this case is, whether, when the securities to the contract neglect or refuse to appeal from the first verdict, and the recovery is diminished upon the appeal, are they bound by the first or the last judgment? From the first case brought before this Court, on the Act of 1839 (Cobb's Dig. 500), down to the decision in Durham's case, at Macon, last July, with the exception of Beall vs. Cochran (18 Ga. Rep. 38), this Court has uniformly maintained, that if anyone or more of the defendants chose to abide by the first verdict, rather than litigate further, it was their right and privilege to do so; and until the new Code goes into operation, which, ...

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4 cases
  • American Baptist Home Mission Soc. v. Barnett
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (2nd Circuit)
    • 7 Mayo 1928
    ...has had an opportunity to join in the appeal, he cannot complain of the situation in which his own inaction has placed him. See Pierce v. Chapman, 31 Ga. 674. Nothing to indicate that the Trust Company had an opportunity to choose appears in this record. It had no notice of the Mission Soci......
  • Hanie v. Taylor
    • United States
    • United States Court of Appeals (Georgia)
    • 25 Julio 1908
    ...which was adopted subsequently to the time when these opinions were delivered. This fact was adverted to by Judge Lumpkin in Pierce v. Chapman, 31 Ga. 674. In the present state of the law, all defendants, except those in whose favor the judgment may have been rendered in the lower tribunal,......
  • Hanie v. Taylor
    • United States
    • United States Court of Appeals (Georgia)
    • 25 Julio 1908
    ...which was adopted subsequently to the time when these opinions were delivered. This fact was adverted to by Judge Lumpkin in Pierce v. Chapman, 31 Ga. 674. In present state of the law, all defendants, except those in whose favor the judgment may have been rendered in the lower tribunal, are......
  • Barksdale v. Smith
    • United States
    • Supreme Court of Georgia
    • 30 Noviembre 1860

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