Taylor v. Pettus

Jan 15, 1875
Reporters:
JUDGE, J.

The act of the 23d of April, 1873, on which the proceeding in ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍this case seems to be based, was not intended to have, nor can it have, any retroactive operation. All the rights which the family of the deceased had ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍in property of the estate, exempt from administration, accrued to and vested in them under and by virtue of the laws upon that subject which were of ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍force at the time of the death of the husband. The probate court, in deciding otherwise, committed an error.

It is not necessary, in this case, that we ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍should discuss or decide the question as to the jurisdiction of the probate court to render moneyed decrees in cases similar to the present.

For the error above named, ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍the decree of the court below must be reversed and the petition here dismissed.