205 P. 995 | Or. | 1922
The rule mentioned does not apply in this case, as there was evidence to support the allegations of plaintiff’s complaint, that an express contract was made by the decedent to pay for the services for which recovery is sought.
Plantiff alleged in his complaint that the services which he performed for decedent commenced in February, 1898, and that the services performed by his wife commenced in October, 1908, and evidence was offered to establish the beginning of the respective services as of those dates. Defendant contends that the evidence, so far at it tended to prove services performed prior to the dates set forth in the claims, referred to services not embraced in the claims, and that it was error for the court to permit the jury to consider the same.
The proof offered by the claimant must be directed to the establishment of the services, and the value thereof, stated in the claim presented to the administrator, and neither the claim nor the pleadings can be amended to allow proof of an entirely new or different claim: Lichtenberg v. McGlynn, 105 Cal. 45 (38 Pac. 541); Etchas v. Orena, 127 Cal. 588 (60 Pac. 45); Bechtel v. Chase, 156 Cal. 707 (106 Pac. 81); Barthe v. Rogers, 127 Cal. 52 (59 Pac. 310).
The claimant, however, is not required to confine his evidence to the exact dates and amounts set forth in his claim. It is sufficient if the claim shown by the evidence is substantially the claim presented to the administrator: 11 R. C. L. 198; Taylor v. Thieman, 132 Wis. 38 (111 N. W. 229, 122 Am. St. Rep. 943); Dayton v. Estate of Dakin, 103 Mich. 65 (61 N. W. 349); Field v. Field, 77 N. Y. 294; Enscoe v. Fletcher, 1 Cal. App. 659, 662 (82 Pac. 1075); Pollitz v. Wicker-sham, 150 Cal. 238 (88 Pac. 911, 916).
The claims disclosed by plaintiff’s evidence varied only from those presented to the administrator as to the dates that the alleged services began and ended. Both the complaint and claim alleged the performance of continuous services under an entire contract as to each cause.of action set forth in the complaint, and the evidence tended to establish the performance of the services referred to in the claims and under the identical contracts stated in the claims; consequently there was no material variance between the proof and the claims, and no error was committed by the court in refusing to instruct the jury as requested by defendant.
“I charge you further, gentlemen of the jury, that claims of long standing, when filed against an estate of a decedent should he scrutinized with care, and in such cases strong and convincing proof should be required before allowing the same.”
The language of this request was taken from the case of Scott v. Merrill’s Estate, 74 Or. 568, 573 (146 Pac. 99), and expresses a firmly established rule of public policy, which must be observed by executors and administrators, and by courts and juries as well, in determining the existence of claims presented against the estate of a deceased person: 24 C. J. 866.
Recognizing that it is essential to the protection of estates of deceased persons, that claims against the same shall be maintained by evidence which is more cogent than would suffice to sustain a like claim against a living person, the legislature has established the requirement:
“ * * that no claim which shall have been rejected by the executor or administrator * * shall be allowed by any court, referee, or jury, except upon some competent or satisfactory evidence other than the testimony of the claimant. ’ ’ Or. L., § 1241.
By the statutory provision quoted, the legislature has prescribed the evidence essential to constitute a compliance with the rule embraced in defendant’s
This statute has been construed to mean that besides the testimony of the claimant, there must be other material and pertinent testimony supporting that given by the claimant sufficient to go to the jury, and on which it might find a verdict: Goltra v. Penland, 45 Or. 254 (77 Pac. 129); Consor v. Andrew, 61 Or. 483 (123 Pac. 46); Bull v. Payne, 47 Or. 580 (84 Pac. 697).
The court also cautioned the jury as directed in Section 868, Or. L. o The instruction thus given, in effect advised the jury as requested, and did so to the extent and in the manner authorized by our statutes: Gauss v. Trump, 48 Mont. 92 (135 Pac. 910).
Defendant moved the court to direct the jury to return a verdict for the defendant, for the reason that more than six years and six months had expired
The court overruled the request to direct a verdict, and instead thereof, instructed the jury in substance that if they found that Nicholas Lambert agreed that he would make payment for the alleged services when he sold the farm, such agreement would carry with it the assumption on the part of Nicholas Lambert to sell within such reasonable time as the circumstances would permit, and that if the jury found that a reasonable time for Nicholas Lambert to make the sale of his farm, under all the circumstances as disclosed by the evidence in the case, had elapsed more than six years and six months prior to the appointment of the defendant as administrator, plaintiff’s action would be barred, and they must find for the defendant, but if they found that a reasonable time within which to make such sale elapsed before the death of Nicholas Lambert, but less than six years and six months prior to the appointment of an administrator, plaintiff’s action was not barred.
Defendant predicates error upon the refusal of the court to direct a verdict as requested and upon the instructions given the jury concerning the statute of limitations. The statute provides that:
“An action may be commenced against an executor or administrator at any time after the expiration of six months from the granting of letters testamentary or of administration, and until the final settlement of the estate and discharge of such executor or adminis*436 trator from the trust, and not otherwise.” Or. L. § 386.
But such action will not be commenced until after the claim of plaintiff has been duly presented to such executor or administrator, and by him disallowed: Or. L., § 387.
In the case of Morgan’s Estate, 46 Or. 233 (77 Pac. 608, 78 Pac. 1029), Mr. Justice Bean, speaking for the court, said:
“During the first six months after the granting of letters one holding a claim against an estate, except possibly when it comes within the provisions of Sec*437 tion 18, is prohibited from suing thereon in any event; * * He must, of course, present his claim before it is barred by the statute of limitations, otherwise the executor or administrator is not authorized to allow it.” (Section 1241, Or. L.)
“The statute cannot be tolled by a mere failure to present the claim. After it has been presented, however, the claimant is prohibited from suing thereon until it is disallowed, and the operation of the statute will be suspended during the time of such prohibition: Blaskower v. Steel, 23 Or. 106 (31 Pac. 253); Nally v. McDonald, 66 Cal. 530 (6 Pac. 390); 19 Am. & Eng. Ency. Law (2 ed.), 216.”
What is a reasonable time for effecting the sale depends upon the circumstances of the particular case: Hood v. Hampton Plains Exploration Co., 106 Fed. 408, 411.
While an administrator may waive the defense of the general statute of limitations by failure to plead the same, it is quite uniformly held that an administrator does not and cannot waive a statute of non-claim or a special statute of limitations applicable to claims against the estate of a deceased person by failure to specially plead them.
A number of states have statutes like the Oregon statute, which prohibits an administrator or executor from allowing any claim against the estate he represents that is barred by the statute of limitations, and the courts of those states construing such statutes, hold that the failure to' plead the statute of limitations in an action brought upon a claim does not waive the same, and that it is the duty of the court to give effect thereto at any stage of the proceedings when the matter is brought to its attention: Reay v. Heazleton, 128 Cal. 335 (60 Pac. 977); Vrooman v. Li Po Tai, 113 Cal. 302 (45 Pac. 470); Boyce v. Fisk, 110 Cal. 107 (42 Pac. 473); Butler v. Johnson, 111 N. Y. 212 (18 N. E. 643); Jones v. Powning, 25 Nev. 399 (60 Pac. 833); Clayton v. Dinwoodey, 33 Utah, 251 (93 Pac. 723, 728); Fullerton v. Bailey, 17 Utah, 85 (53 Pac. 1020); In re Mouillerat’s Estate, 14 Mont. 245 (36 Pac. 185); O’Keefe v. Foster, 5 Wyo. 343 (40
In the case of Reay v. Heazleton, 128 Cal. 335 (60 Pac. 977), the court said:
“As between parties acting in their own right, the plea of the statute of limitations is unquestionably a personal privilege, which may be waived. But an executor or administrator, acting for others, and in a trust capacity, is not vested with this privilege, and may not waive such a defense. By Section 1499 of the Code of Civil Procedure the personal representative, as well as the judge of the Superior Court, is forbidden to allow any claim which is barred by the statute of limitation. It would be a most unwarranted evasion of this mandatory provision to permit an executor or administrator by his failure to invoke the plea to suffer judgment upon a claim which, when presented to him, he was bound by law to reject because of the bar of the statute. In Vrooman v. Li Po Tai, 113 Cal. 302 (45 Pac. 470), it was held that the administrator, by appearing and answering, could not waive the objection that the claim in suit was barred by the statute; and in Boyce v. Fisk, 110 Cal. 107 (42 Pac. 473), it is declared that an administrator will not be permitted to waive the statute of limitations upon a claim which is barred. To like effect is Butler v. Johnson, 111 N. Y. 212 (18 N. E. 643). The same principles must apply here, and, however tardily the plea may have been presented, since the facts appear of record, and are now called to this court’s attention, it must be held that plaintiff’s right of action upon the judgment is barred by the statute of limitations.”
The statute (Or. L., §1241) provides:
“No claim shall be allowed by the executor or administrator or the County Court which is barred by the statute of limitation.”
In Wilkes v. Cornelius, 21 Or. 348, 351 (28 Pac. 135), the court, speaking through Mr. Justice Bean, said:
“The claim in the case at bar, as presented, did not show any liability against the estate, and the executor for his own protection was necessarily compelled ' to disallow it. An executor stands as the representative of all the creditors as well as the heirs, legatees, and distributees, and however liberally disposed he may be to waive technical defenses and deal with creditors on the basis of substantial justice, he is not at liberty to waive the technical rights of those whom he represents.”
Plaintiff was required to furnish evidence to prove that the claims sued upon, when presented were subsisting claims against the estate. A claim barred by the statute of limitations, the allowance of which is expressly prohibited by statute, is not a subsisting claim.
The evidence disclosed that plaintiff’s claims when presented for allowance and when this action was commenced were barred by the statute of limitations and the jury should have been directed to return a verdict for defendant as requested.
The judgment of the' Circuit Court is reversed and the cause remanded for such other proceedings as may seem proper, not inconsistent with this opinion.
Reversed and Remanded.