Sparhawk v. Sparhawk

Jan 15, 1874
Reporters:
Before:
Gray
Gray, C. J.

This is a very clear case. It is one of the ‍‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‍primary duties of a trustee to keep the funds of the trust separate from his private funds, and not, by mingling them together, to ‍‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‍expose the trust funds to the risks to which his own property may become liable. The appellant has violated this duty, and by his own ‍‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‍statement has done so deliberately, and withholds information of his investments from the cestuis que trust. He was exempted by the will from giving bonds, and they ‍‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‍have therefore no security against loss through his malfeasance. The fact that he is their father and the son of the testator affords no ‍‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‍ground of excuse or apology for his breach of trust.

Decree affirmed, with costs.