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14 Abb. Pr. 109

Skinner v. Oettinger

New York Supreme Court

Decided November 15, 1861

New York Supreme Court · decided 1861-11-15

The action was brought by Francis Skinner and others against J. N. Oettinger and L. Goldstein. Upon affidavits showing that the defendants had assigned all their property for the benefit of creditors, giving preferences to certain persons, some of whom were their relatives, and tending to show that the assignment was fraudulent, plaintiff obtained an attachment. On affidavits denying fraud, the defendants moved to set aside the attachment.

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently February 1897

2 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1861-11-15

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By the Court.*—Sutherland, J.

¶1This action was not commenced to set aside the assignment as fraudulent, but to recover a judgment for an alleged debt. The action was not commenced, nor does it proceed upon the theory, that the plaintiffs had a lien upon the assigned property, or any better right to it, originally, and before the attachment was levied, than any other simple contract-creditor.

¶2The only question of law there is in the case is, whether a fraudulent disposition of property, by way or under color of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, is or can be a fraudulent disposition of property within the Code, so as to authorize the issuing of an attachment under the Code.

¶3The language of the Code is general and broad enough to include any and every fraudulent disposition of property.

¶4The attachment issues, not because the plaintiff has a lien on the specific property alleged to have been fraudulently disposed of, but to acquire a lien as a provisional security for the payment of a judgment to.be recovered.

¶5Assuming the assigned property, seized under the attachment, to be, at the time of such seizure, in the possession of the assignees, the sheriff takes it at his peril, and he need not take it without being indemnified by the plaintiff. If the plaintiff indemnifies the sheriff, he indemnifies him at the peril and risk of being able to show the assignment to be fraudulent and void, in an action brought against the sheriff for the taking.

¶6The plaintiff takes and enforces the provisional remedy at his peril. I repeat, the question is not as to the plaintiff’s right to remove or set aside a fraudulent obstruction to the enforcement of a judgment and execution, but his right to a provisional statutory security for the payment of his debt, when he shall have obtained a judgment.

¶7Upon sufficient evidence, then, that the assignment by the defendants was fraudulent, the attachment in this case might properly and regularly have been issued on that ground alone.

¶8Upon the question of fact, on the motion to vacate the attachment, whether the defendants, by the assignment or otherwise, had made a fraudulent disposition of their property, there were *112evidence and circumstances on both sides to show the fraud, and to contradict the charge of fraud.

¶9This evidence and these circumstances were submitted to the judge who heard the motion, and his decision on this question of fact must be and ought to be held conclusive.

¶10The order appealed from should be affirmed, with $10 costs.

¶11Clerke and Barnard, JJ., concurred.

¶12 Present, Sutherland, Clerke, and Barnard, JJ.

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