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38 Mass. 160

Graves v. Walker

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided January 30, 1839

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1839-01-30

Dodge, in his answers, states that Walker made a sale to him, in the form of a bill of parcels, of certain provisions and furniture to the amount of $161-80, for the purpose of securing the payment of a debt due from Walker to the respondent; that the debt was between $75 and $100 ; that all the articles were delivered to the respondent at the date of the bill of sale, but that most of them were left in the possession of Walker and never taken away by the respondent; that…

Decided 1839-01-30

Per Curiam.

¶1Upon the answers the respondent’s account would stand thus : —

¶2Amount of the articles sold . . $161-80

¶3Deduct the claim of the respondent . 75-00

¶486-80

¶5Deduct Priest’s prior claim . . 50-00

¶636-80

¶7Then, if the provisions were consumed to the amount of *162$37-30, there would remain no balance. But the respondent says only that most of the provisions were consumed. Now he is to give such an answer as will enable the court to say judicially that he should be discharged.

¶8As in the case of the New England Ins. Co. v. Chandler, 16 Mass. R. 275, the trustee is to be charged only for the surplus remaining in his possession, or in his control, at the time of the service of the writ.

¶9In the case at bar the trustee does not answer with sufficien precision as to the provisions which were consumed at the time when the process was served upon him. If they were not all consumed, he should be charged. If by most is to be understood, that somewhat more than one half of the value was consumed or destroyed prior to the service of the xv -it, then there would be a surplus which would be liable to this process. The facts are not sufficiently disclosed. We think therefore that the trustee is to be charged.

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