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2 Watts & Serg. 449

Hersch v. Groff

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Decided December 15, 1841

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania · decided 1841-12-15

THIS was a Writ of Error to the Common Pleas of Montgomery county, in which the plaintiff in error, Elias Hersch, sued out a scire facias against the defendants in error, Joseph Groff and John Reichart, executors of Samuel Shuller, deceased, to August Term 1838, to which the defendants pleaded nul tiel record, and other pleas.

Decided 1841-12-15

Per Curiam.

¶1The original judgment, though erroneous for want of a declaration, is not a nullity; and what we have to do, is to determine whether there is a substantial variance between it and the scire facias. The latter recites a judgment for £90; the debt stated in the original writ is also £90; and the execution issued for the same sum, but the real debt endorsed on it is only $110; and hence it is inferred that as there is no declaration with the record, that must be taken for the amount of the judgment. It is, indeed, the debt in equity, but the judgment at law is for the penalty, and must be so pleaded. Had the plaintiff proceeded regularly, he would have declared for £90, and execution would have issued in the form it has done. But where there is no narr., judgment goes for the sum stated in the writ, and it is, beside, by no means certain that there was not one in this instance. The judgment consequently stands as if it were rendered on a declaration ; and it would be enough without this, that the execution, With its endorsements, is no part of it.

¶2Judgment of the court below for the defendants reversed, and judgment here for the plaintiff.

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