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96 Ill. App. 29

Britton v. Gregg

Appellate Court of Illinois

Decided June 28, 1901

Appellate Court of Illinois · decided 1901-06-28

<p>1. Attachments—Strict Compliance with the Statute Required.—A compliance with the positive requirements of the statute is necessary in order to confer jurisdiction upon the court where there is no personal service or appearance of the defendant.</p> <p>2. Same - What is a Defective Affidavit.—An affidavit for an attachment which fails to state the residence of one of two defendants, or that upon diligent inquiry the affiant is unable to ascertain the same, and which also fails to state that the other defendant was indebted to the plaintiff in any sum whatever, is defective and insufficient.</p> <p>3. Same—AZZ Essential Requirements of the Statute Must be Observed. —In attachment proceedings, all the essential requirements of the statute giving the remedy must be observed. The remedy is given by the statute, and it must affirmatively appear that its provisions have been substantially complied with, before the court can obtain jurisdiction, where there is no personal service of the writ or appearance of the defendant.</p> <p>4. Same—Essentials on the Part of the Plaintiff.—It is incumbent on the part of a party, before suing out an attachment, not only to set forth the nature of the indebtedness and causes for the attachment, but also to set out -and allege the place of residence of the defendant, if known.</p> <p>5. Judgments—In Attachment are Entireties.—-A judgment in attachment in aid of a suit in assumpsit is an entirety, and if void as to one of two defendants it is void as to both.</p> <p>6. Service of Process—On Non-Residents, Mailing Copy of Publication.—The filing of the affidavit of the non-residence of a defendant in attachment proceedings, stating her place of residence, and the mailing of the copy of publication to her more than two years after the return of the attachment writ, is ineffective as to such defendants.</p>

Relies on Claflin v. Dunne · Dyer v. Flint · Thormeyer v. Sisson

Reversed · Decided 1901-06-28

Mr. Presiding Justice Shepard

¶1delivered the opinion of the court.

¶2The record shows that the Superior Court was without power to render judgment against the defendants. The affidavit shovvn is not in compliance with the statute. The statute, section' 2, of the act entitled “ Attachments,” is as follows:

“ To entitle a creditor to such writ of attachment, he or his agent or attorney shall make and file with the clerk of such court an affidavit setting forth the nature and amount of the indebtedness, after allowing all just credits and set-offs, and' any. one or more of the-causes mentioned in the preceding séction, and also stating the place of residence of the defendants, if known, and if not known, that upon diligent inquiry the affiant has not been able to ascertain the same.”.. .

¶3A compliance with the positive requirements of the statute is necessary, in order to confer jurisdiction, where there is no personal service or appearance of' the defendant. Reitz v. People, for use, 77 Ill. 518; Prins v. Hinchliff, 17 Ill. App. 153; Thormeyer v. Sisson, 83 Ill. 188.

¶4The chief defects in the affidavit particularly observable, are (a) that it fails to state the place of residence of Serra Y. Gallivan, or that upon diligent inquiry the affiant has been unable to ascertain the same, and (b) that as to James TVT- Hedges it does not state that he was indebted to the plaintiff in any sum whatever. A similar statute to the one under consideration, in respect of a statement of the indebtedness of the defendant, was in force at the time the facts arose that were passed upon by the Supreme Court in Dyer v. Flint, 21 Ill. 80, and the court there said:

“ These requirements of the statute must be fulfilled. The- creditor or agent making the affidavit can not rely upon hearsay as to either. He must positively allege both the non-residence and the indebtedness—its nature and amount as near as may be—as near as the peculiar kind of indebtedness will enable him to do.’’
“ We have no power to release the parties from the requirements of the statute or to relax a rule therein prescribed. We must adhere to the words of the statute, leaving to the legislature, where it belongs, the question of any change or modification in it, that may be desirable or necessary.”

¶5So, in Thormeyer v. Sisson, supra, the court in considering generally the requirements of the attachment act, said :

“ Ho principle is better settled by the previous decisions of this court than that, in attachment proceedings, all the essential requirements of the statute giving the remedy must be observed. Attachment is a remedy given by statute, and it must appear, affirmatively, its provisions" have been substantially conformed to, before the court can obtain jurisdiction, where there is personal service of the attachment writ or appearance of defendant.
It was incumbent on plaintiff, before suing out an attachment, not only to set forth the nature of the indebtedness and the causes for attachment, but also allege the place of residence of defendants, if known.”

¶6The affidavit was most clearly insufficient to authorize the writ against the property of Hedges, and the judgment as to him was wholly without jurisdiction. And it being a joint judgment and an entirety, it was invalid as to the plaintiff in error, also. Claflin v. Dunne, 129 Ill. 241.

¶7The filing of the affidavit of non-residence of Serra "V". Gfallivan, stating her then place of residence, and the mailing of the copy of publication to her, more than two years after the return of the attachment writ, was ineffective as to her. Parker v. Scheller, 60 Ill. App. 621.

¶8We see no remedy open to the defendant in error by further proceedings that can be taken below in this cause, and therefore reverse the judgment without remanding the cause. Reversed.

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