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JORDAN, for use. v. CENTRAL CITY LOAN AND TRUST ASSOCIATION

Supreme Court of Georgia1899-07-26
108 Ga. 495

Summary

Holding. The court affirmed the judgment that the property was not subject to execution for costs, because an execution against one person cannot be levied upon property owned by another who is not a party to the judgment, and a security deed of earlier date protects the grantee's property from execution on a later judgment.

B. J. Jordan executed a security deed to Central City Loan and Trust Association in 1892 to secure a debt. Another person named Jordan Jordan held adverse possession of the land until B. J. Jordan brought an ejectment action and won in 1898, regaining possession. Subsequently, an execution for costs was levied against the land to satisfy B. J. Jordan's costs in that ejectment suit. The holder of the security deed claimed the property was exempt from execution, and the trial court agreed, ruling the land was not subject to the cost execution.

The court upheld this decision, holding that a security deed recorded before the judgment gives the deed holder legal title that protects the property from execution. The court reasoned that an execution can only be levied on the judgment debtor's property and cannot be enforced against property owned by someone who was not a party to the judgment. Additionally, the security deed holder should not be forced to pay costs for an ejectment suit to which it was not a party, and there is no legal basis to levy execution against the grantor's property when title rests in the grantee.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Whether a security deed gives the holder legal title sufficient to exempt property from execution
  • Whether an execution for costs can be levied against property when title is held by one not party to the judgment
  • Whether a security deed holder must pay costs of an ejectment suit brought by the grantor to which the holder was not a party

Procedural posture

The trial court found the property not subject to execution on a security deed holder's claim; the judgment debtor excepted and appealed.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

majority opinion

Cobb, J.

On June 21, 1892, B. J. Jordan executed and delivered to the Central City Loan and Trust Association a deed to a tract of land to secure a debt, which is still unpaid. This deed was duly recorded on July 19, 1892. At the time the deed was made Jordan Jordan was in actual possession of the land, under a claim which was adverse to B. J. Jordan. B. J. Jordan instituted an action of ejectment against Jordan Jordan, which resulted in a judgment in favor of the plaintiff in April, 1898 (see 103 Ga. 482), and under this judgment Jordan Jordan was dispossessed and B. J. Jordan placed in possession. An execution for costs against B. J. Jordan, the plaintiff in this case, was levied upon the land, and a claim was interposed by the Central City Loan and Trust Association. Upon the trial of this claim case a judgmentwas rendered, finding the property not subject to the execution, and to this judgment the plaintiff in execution excepted. While it does not distinctly appear from the record why the cost execution was issued against B. J. Jordan, the plaintiff in the ejectment suit, it may be inferred that an execution had been issued against Jordan Jordan and returned, “no property to be found,” and that the execution levied in the present case was issued against B. J. Jordan under the provisions of section 5395 of the Civil Code. Such being the case, the lien which this execution was issued to enforce did not attach to the land, certainly before the judgment in theejectment case was rendered; and as at this time the legal title to the land was in the Central City Loan and Trust Association, there was no error in finding the property not subject to the-execution. An execution for costs stands upon the same footing as any other execution, and can not be levied upon property which is embraced in a security deed of older date than the judgment on which the execution was issued, unless there has been a payment or tender of the amount due to the holder of the security deed in the manner provided by law. Civil Code, §5433. It is true that Jordan Jordan might have been ousted by a judgment in ejectment rendered in a suit brought either by B. J. Jordan or the holder of the security deed, but we know of no principle of law or equity which would require the-holder of the security deed to pay the costs of an ejectment suit brought by his grantor and to which such holder was in noway a party. Even conceding that there would be in such case an equity in favor of the officers of court against the grantee in the security deed, there is no authority for levying an execution for costs against the grantor in the security deed upon the-property title to which is in the grantee. So far as the question involved in this case is concerned, it is controlled by the simple principle that an execution issued under the law against one person can not be levied upon the property of another who ■ is in no way a party to the execution or the judgment upon, which it was issued.

Judgment affirmed.

All the Justices concurring.