86 Miss. 323 | Miss. | 1905
delivered the opinion of the court.
The homestead which is reserved for the benefit of the head of every family resident in this state comprises “the land and buildings owned and occupied as a residence by such person” if in a city or town, or, if in the country, it shall consist of the land and building owned and occupied as a residence, but the quantity of land shall not exceed one hundred and sixty acres. The object of the exemption law is to insure that the families of the residents of this state shall never by financial misfortune or stress of circumstances be deprived of their homesteads, and the desired end is sought to be secured by providing that no creditor shall be permitted to wrest from the family the dwelling place. This has been the law and the recognized public policy of this state for many years. In 1892, recognizing the fact that after the death of the head of the family— “the breadwinner” — the homestead was often forced upon the market for sale for purposes of partition between the surviving
But we do not base our decision on that consideration. Tbe limit of value placed by law on tbe amount of land which can be held as exempt is solely for the protection and benefit of creditors — to prevent unreasonable amounts from being held exempt from execution to tbe prejudice of those to whom just debts might be due. But tbe question of value has no place in a consideration of tbe rights of the surviving widow to tbe use and occupancy of tbe homestead. Tbe purpose of the legislature was to protect tbe surviving widow, to whom, with others, tbe exempt property might descend, by securing to her -during nor widowhood the undisturbed use and occupancy thereof. A law designed to establish a beneficent public policy must be liberally construed, in order to completely effectuate tbe legislative purpose. So we bold that tbe value of tbe homestead is not material in passing on tbe rights of tbe surviving widow under sec. 1553. She is entitled to continue to use and occupy tbe homestead. ■ ISTo matter bow elegant or costly, be it ever so bumble, it is still tbe home to her, and to it she has been granted rights which can neither be interfered with nor abridged. So long as she remains a widow, her rights are absolute. She cannot be called on to account for tbe use and occupancy, nor forced to purchase tbe rights, of her co-tenants; nor is tbe property subject to partition in kind, nor to sale for tbe purpose of dividing tbe excess of tbe proceeds. If this were not true, it might often happen that a home worth slightly more than tbe statutory limit would be forced on tbe market, and tbe widow compelled to abandon the home of a lifetime, beautified and made attractive by tbe labor of her bands, en-
Reversed, and decree here dismissing the bill.