Responsa for Bava Metzia 19:10
והאמר רב פועל יכול לחזור בו אפי' בחצי היום
and one who seizes [a debtor's property] in behalf of a creditor, causing loss thereby to [the debtor's] other [creditors], does not acquire [the property].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As the creditor in whose behalf he seized the property had not authorised this man to act on his (the creditor's) behalf his intervention is illegal and constitutes an infringement of the rights of the other creditors (Rashi). [According to Tosaf, the same law would apply even where he had been authorized by the creditor. V. Keth. 84b; Git., 113.] ');"><sup>10</sup></span>
Teshuvot Maharam
Q. A lent money to a Gentile. Part of this money belonged to B, but the Gentile was unaware of it. A collected the loan but refused to give any part of it to B saying: "Go and demand your money from the Gentile."
A. A must pay B the money coming to B from the Gentile for the following reasons: a) We assume that A became a trustee for B's part of the loan and, therefore, must collect it for B, for how else did B expect to get his money back?; b) A caused a definite loss of money to B and must compensate him for such loss; c) the Gentile became obligated to pay money to B, even though he did not know that part of the money loaned to him belonged to B. Therefore, when the Gentile paid off his debt to A, he gave to A the money he owed to B, and A must give that money to B.
SOURCES: Pr. 254.
A. A must pay B the money coming to B from the Gentile for the following reasons: a) We assume that A became a trustee for B's part of the loan and, therefore, must collect it for B, for how else did B expect to get his money back?; b) A caused a definite loss of money to B and must compensate him for such loss; c) the Gentile became obligated to pay money to B, even though he did not know that part of the money loaned to him belonged to B. Therefore, when the Gentile paid off his debt to A, he gave to A the money he owed to B, and A must give that money to B.
SOURCES: Pr. 254.
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