Mason v. Vestal
Before: Temple
Synopsis
Fraudulent Sale — Rights of Creditors.—A sale of property made to hinder, delay, and defraud creditors is, as to such creditors, absolutely void, and not merely voidable.
Id. — Pleading — Evidence — Fraud — Relevancy to Issues. — A sheriff, sued for the value of property seized under a writ of attachment against the plaintiff’s brother, need not plead that a sale to the plaintiff from the attachment debtor was fraudulent as to his creditors; but may prove that fact under a denial of the plaintiff’s title and possession, and an allegation of title in the attachment debtor, in connection with a plea of justification under the writ.
Id.—Evidence — Impeachment — Rebuttal — Statements of Witness. — The impeachment of the attachment debtor, who has testified as a witness for the plaintiff to the validity of the sale, by evidence on the part of the defendant of statements made by the witness inconsistent with his testimony, and by showing that his reputation for truth was bad, cannot be rebutted by proof on the part of the plaintiff that the witness had made prior statements consistent with his testimony at a time so far remote as to preclude the idea of fabrication.
Temple, C. This appeal is from the judgment and from an order denying defendant’s motion for a new trial. The suit was brought against the sheriff to recover for property seized at the suit of L. Newcomer against James Gleason, who is a brother of the plaintiff. The answer denies the title and possession of plaintiff, justifies under the writ, and avers title in Gleason.
Plaintiff derives her title from Gleason, and at the trial the controversy was as to the validity of the transfer to her. The questions raised relate almost entirely [397]to alleged erroneous rulings in the admission of evidence tending to establish the bona fides of the sale to plaintiff.
On the trial the plaintiff objected to the testimony of defendant on this subject, claiming that the answer did not raise the issue of fraud, and now insists that if the rulings complained of are erroneous they are still not injurious, for the same reason.
It is claimed that the insufficiency of this answer is established by the cases of Albertoli v. Branham, 80 Cal. 633, 13 Am. St. Rep. 200, and Sukeforth v. Lord, 87 Cal. 399.
In those cases, however, the defendants did not content themselves with merely denying the right of plaintiff, justifying under a writ, and averring title in the debtor of the attaching creditor, but proceeded to charge the plaintiff with an attempt to assist the debtor in defrauding his creditors. It is not necessary to set up such a defense. It has been held that the defendant is not required to anticipate the source from which plaintiff claims to derive his title, but if he does proceed to set up the acts of fraud which he charges render plaintiff’s title invalid, he must state facts which are sufficient in law to that end.
But such plea is entirely unnecessary. A sale made to hinder, delay, and defraud creditors, is as to such creditors, absolutely void, and not voidable merely. (Civ. Code, sec. 3439; Freeman on Executions, 136; Butler v. Collins, 12 Cal. 463.)
When the defendant denies the plaintiff’s title, and shows himself to be a creditor, such evidence is admissible in rebuttal of plaintiff’s proof of title. It shows such title invalid; that, as to defendant, the transfer is void.
This question was expressly decided by this court in Grum v. Barney, 55 Cal. 254, and in Humphreys v. Harkey, 55 Cal. 284; and decisions elsewhere accord
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