20 Tenn. 498 | Tenn. | 1840
delivered the opinion of the court.
It appears from the bill, answers, exhibits and proofs that Christopher Hunt, by his last will and testament, devised all the property which he possessed or had received in right of his wife to her absolutely, and all the balance not necessary for the payment of debts and legacies, whether real or personal, he gave to her for life, with remainder to the defendant, John H. Winbush. At the time of testator’s death his debts amounted to some eight or nine thousand dollars, to have paid which promptly would have required the sale of a considerable number of slaves. This the executor proposed to have done, but the owner of the life estate urging that it was the wish of her husband, the testator, made known to her verbally, that none of his estate, real or personal, should be sold, the executor forebore to sell any of the property for the payment of debts, but arranged with the creditors for the postponement of their claims, and by the agreement and
As to the crop of 1836, the representative of the tenant for life is. entitled to its value as it stood at the time of the death of the tenant for life; in other words, the expenses of gathering in the corn and picking out the cotton, &c. and bringing both or all to market, must be deducted from the proceeds, crediting the representative of the tenant for life with the value of the services of the slaves, the absolute property of the tenant for life, so far as employed therein.
As to the stock of cattle, horses, mules, hogs, sheep, &c, and as to wagons, carts and implements of husbandry, and also as to provisions, &c. and indeed as to all the personal' property-, except the slaves, whether consumable in the use,, or liable to be impaired and worn out, or of any other description, limited in remainder, an inquiry must be had as to the description, condition and value thereof at the time of the death of the testator and at the time of the death of the tenant for life; and if the same, by loss of number or deterioration in use, was of less value at the latter than at the former period; the representative of the tenant for life must be charged with the amount of the deficiency; but if by purchase or increase the value was enhanced, the excess or increase in value to be charged to the remainder-man. Robertson vs. Colber, 1 Hill’s Rep. 375.
As to such fixtures as a cotton gin or cotton press, am inquiry must be made as to their worth or value when they came into the hands of the remainder-man, unless rebuilt in place of such fixtures existing at the time the tenancy for life commenced; in which case the difference of value will be inquired into as under the last head.
As to the articles of personal property belonging exclusively to the tenant for life, and not part of the general establishment limited in remainder, the representative of the ten
The representative of the tenant for life will be entitled to the interest which accrued during the tenancy for life on any sum of money due to the testator in his lifetime, although not collected till since the death of tenant for life.
As the decretal order of the chancellor and the report of the clerk and master in the chancery court proceed upon principles in some degree differing from the above, the former will be reversed and the latter set aside, and the clerk and master of this court will enquire and report as 'herein above directed.