6 Port. 393 | Ala. | 1838
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The plaintiff brought an action of debt, in the Circuit court of Madison, against the defendants. By the record, it is shewn that Jesse Searcy was in February, 1822, in that county, duly appointed ad
The plaintiff then avers, that on the seventh day of April, eighteen hundred and twenty-cine, John Thurman, for whose benefit this action is brought, caused a suit to be instituted in the name of Isaac I jane and others, for his use, against Jesse Searcy, as administrator of Charles Burras deceased, and on the 20th November, of the same year, recovered a judgment according to the demand of the writ, for the sum of seventeen hundred and eighty 75-100 dollars for the debt, three hundred and forty-six 25-ICO dollars for damages, besides their costs, to be levied do bonis inicsiatis in the hands of the administrator, to be administered. R is also averred, that the judgment thus recovered, remains entirely un-reversed and unsatisfied, and that divers goods and chattels, &c. carne into the possession of Icese Cearcy to be administered, to wit, of the value of ten thousand dollars — more than sufficient to satisfy the judgment ahbve recited. Yet the administrator did not pay and satisfy that judgment, with the avails thereof, but wasted the same and converted them into his own use, to wit, on the-clay of December, eighteen hundred and twenty-nine, at dec. h is then averred, in due form, that the administrator did not well and truly perform all the duties required of lúm, &c. Ey means of all which, the plaintiff, for the use, &c. hath sustained damages, &c. and by means of which, the bond of the defendants has become forfeited, &c.
To the declaration, the defendants demurred, and the demurrer being sustained, and judgment thereon rendered against the plaintiff, a writ of error has been prosecuted to this court for its reversal.
It is no valid objection to the declaration, that it does not disclose, that the assets which came to the possession of the administrator, were justly chargeable with.
Nor can the legal sufficiency of the declaration he successfully assailed, for the omission to disclose the names of the “others” who with Isaac Lane, for the use of Thurman, recovered the judgment against Searcy. It is more than possible that their name's do not appear in the record of the suit — if they do not, the recovery is not void, and the record would he admissible evidence. But even if 'the “ others” are shewn eo nomine by the judgment, yet the declaration would be sufficiently descriptive of • the case; that judgment is not the foundation of this action, hut is only recited as a fact, the existence of which is indispensable to the plaintiff’s right to recover, and according to a correct practice, it is well described, when so referred to, as to he identified with certainty. That this has been done, we think clear, and consider it no objection to the maintenance of the present action, that it is brought for the use of the party, who was the beneficial plaintiff in the judgment.
This brings us to consider the remaining, and most
In order to a decision of this question, reference must be had to the condition of the bond, that wc may determine what arc the stipulations of the obligors. From the recital of the bond in the'declaration, we learn that it was taken in obedience to the act of June, eighteen hundred and twenty-one, — and its condition must be as follows: “ The condition of the above obligation is such, that whereas the above bounden Jesse Searcy, has been duly appointed administrator of the estate of Charles Burrus, deceased. Now if the said Jesse Searcy shall well and truly perform ail the duties which are or may be, by law required of him, as such administrator, then, the ab ove obligation tobe void, otherwise to remain i n full force.” The obligation imposed upon the principal, obliged him to a performance of the duties required by the laws then extant, or such as might he thereafter enacted. The 'Undertaking of the sureties is of a corresponding extent, viz: that the administrator shall faithfully perform the condition of his bond, and if he fails, then, they will answer for his default The breach alleged is the non-payment of a debt, recovered against the administrator de bonis intestatis, with which it is insisted he became personally chargeable; because he wasted the assets of the estate, to a greater amount in value. The sufficiency of this breach must depend upon the nature and extent of the duties which the law devolves upon an administrator. Without therefore entering at large upon an inquiry into his office, we will proceed to shew that it is a paramount duty of an administrator, honestly to appropriate the assets ■ which come to
Conceding that where the assets are ample, the nonpayment of a debt to which the estate of the intestate was liable, would be a literal breach of the bond, it is argued for the defendant, that no action will lie against the sureties until it is ascertained by verdict and judgment, that the administrator had wasted the goods and chattels, &c. that came to his hands. That such a conclusion resulted from the nature of the common law remedy, by which a devastavit was fixed, as well as fr'om the consideration, that the imputation of mismanagement of assets by the administrator, was a charge quasi criminal.
Anciently in England, if the sheriff returned nulla bona and a devastavit to a fieri facias de bonis t'estatoris aut intestatis, sued out on a judgment against an executor or administrator, it was sometimes the practice to sue out a capias ad satisfaciendum or a fieri facias de bo-nis propriis, against the executor or administrator. But the better and more frequent method was, to sue out a scire facias, and obtain an award of execution before suing out the fieri facias de bonis propriis. The most
And the correct course of procedure, where the executor or administrator is alone sought to be charged,' is that we have mentioned as most usual in England at this day. Yet we cannot conceive why a creditor should be forced to pursue this remedy, before he is allowed to prosecute an action upon the statute obligation. The latter pan
Nor can we consider that there is -any force in the objection, that the charge oí a devastavit against the administrator, is an imputation of a criminal nature. The action of debt upon the bcr_d, strictly speaking, is ex contractu, though.in order to a recovery, it may be necessary to prove facts which the common law considered sufficient to shew, that tlie administrator was guilty of a tort. Yet it does not necessarily follow from thence, that if the administrator be liable, that he is reprehensible in morals; he may have incurred a responsibility under an ignorance of his duties. But grant that he has been criminally faithless in the performance of his trust, and no objection is furnished to the maintenance
Thus far have we examined the arguments, upon what seems to us to be correct legal principle, we will now. examine it with reference to authority.
In Braxton, executor, &c. vs. Winslow, et. al,
That the common law may be invoked, to .aid in the interpretation of a statute^ is a reasonable and just rule; but where a statute is plain and unambiguous in its terms, there is no room for the operation of the rule. If it is sought to charge an executor at common law, we liave already said, that the appropriate remedy is, an action of debt, suggesting a devastavit: but this was not the character of' the proceedings in that case. The' statute of Virginia, like our own, declares, in -express words, that the bond may be put in suit, for the benefit of creditors, &c. And the act itself being free fróm ambiguity, in considering it, the mind is naturally Ifed to the enquiry, what obligation was 'imposed by the bond, upon the principal and his sureties, and what amounted to a breach of its condition. - By thus reasoning, the conclusion would have been attained, that to maintain an action upon the bond, it was only necessary to shew a judgment, de bonis testatoris, and a waste of the assets
This reasoning, recondite and farfetched as it may seem ; ■ however inconclusive it has, at different times, been regarded by the subordinate courts, has, whenever the same- question has arisen, been approved by the Virginia court of Appeals. In Call vs. Ruffin,
Since t-ho- decision/of Gordon's adm'rs vs. the Justices of Frederick; it may be remarked, tire law of Virginia'
In 1829, an act was passed, by the General Assembly of Kentucky, authorising the suggestion of a devastavit, and the assignment of other breaches, in an action on the administration bond. Previous to that time, it was held in that state,, that it was necessary to bring a second suit, and convict the executor or administrator of a devastavit', before the sureties could be sued, on the bond — Clarke vs. the Commonwealth, -&c.
So also, in Ohio, it has been determined, that the executor or administrator, must first be found guilty of a devastavit, before the bond can b® sued against the sureties. And for the reasons on which the court founds its opinion in. Gordon’s adm’rs vs. the Justices of Frederick,—see Gtewurt' Cs Chapliae vs..the Treasurer of Cham-pa] gne county, use &c.
In Call vs. Ruffin, it was decided, that, a guardian’s bond, stood hi a. different predicament, from an execu-ior’s or aclmmisivátor’s, and that it was'competent to put it In suit against the sureties,, without having first obtained a judgment against the principal. And in Moore vs. Waller's heirs,
Again: at common law, if an executor committed a devastavit, and died, his ekecutor was not chargeable for the .waste, upon the principle, that it was a personal tort, which died with the person.
If the administrator has used the assets, so as to- make a profit to himself, there is no doubt, but his personal representatives may be proceeded, against, in equit]^— Price vs. Morgan.
But we are not left to disprove, by the force of argument, or indirect authority, the necessity of a second suit, in order to fix the devastavit, before proceeding against the sureties on their bond: ■ For decisions to the point, equal in respectability and numbers, to those cited, are before us. ■ • '
In the case of the People vs. Dunlap
This is an authority to shew, that the criterion by which the liability of the sureties is ascertained, is the condition of their bond, without regard to the proceeding at common law, to subject their principa], do bonis-propriis.
So in Willey vs. Paulk, el. al.
And in Coney, Judge, &c. vs. Williams, et al.
The case of ike Archbishop of Can. vs. Willis,
In Greerside, &c. vs. Benson, Spc.
And, in the Archbishop of Can. vs. House,
■ In Indiana, a justice of .the peace, is required to give bond, “ with good freehold security, for the faithful disf charge of his duty, and for paying over, on demand, to the proper person, authorized or entitled to receive the same, all moneys that might come into his hands..” On such a bond, the- Supreme court of that state, adjudged It competent, to sue the principal 'and his sureties, and to recover forall acts of the justice committed,'by vir-tu® of his office, and for which, exclusively of the .bond,
It has been, heretofore, determined by this court, that an action of debt, suggesting a devastavit, would lie on a judgment, de bonis intestatis, aghinst an administrator, either before or after the issuance of an execution,— Burke vs. ■Adkins et. ux:
Lét this review of the authorities serve, to shew the ground, on which rests our opinion, that the declaration in the case, before,ús, discloses a good cause of action. And as the case must be remitted to the Circuit court, it may ■ be well to settle several other questions, which have been incidentally noticed at the argument, and which inay arise on the trial..
At the'- time the bo,nd sued on,' was executed, no executor or administrator; was to be liable, out of their individual estates, for not pleading, mispleading, • or false pleading in, or to, any action whatever, which may be brought against them, as such. This law was changed, in 1826, so far as it relates to the executor or administrator ; and by the repealing statute, it whs .enacted, that “no’security for an executor or administrator, shah be'chargeable, beyond the assets of the testator or intestate, on account of any omission or mistake, in pleading, of the executor or 'administrator-.” The old law changed the common law, and was more favorable to the administrator, while the act of 1826, restored the common law, and subjected him to a recovery,, as for-a devastavit., for1 not pleading, ,&c—Garrow vs. Emanuel.
It is entirely immaterial to the surety here, whether the first or the last statute, admeasures the extent of his liability; for under neither, can he be. charged, beyond the assets of the intestate.
It will follow from what we have said, that though an administrator may be charged, for a constructive waste, yet, to authorise a recovery, against his surety, an actual devastavit must be shewn.
It remains but to add, that the judgment must be reversed, and the cause remanded.
13 Johns. R. 437; 1 Bay’s R. 456.
See form of writ, 1 Saund. R. 303.
1 Saund. R.219, note 7.
2 Porter’s R. 538;
2 Blackford’s R. 52;
3 Leigh’s R. 89;
16 Mass.R. 524.
1 Wash. R. 31.
1 Call's R. 333.
1 Munf. R. 1.
Vide Revised Code, ch. 104; sec. 63; Ed. 1819; and Allen vs. Cunningham—3 Leigh’s R. 395.
5 Mon. R. 99.—See also 1 J. J. Marshall’s R. 183—2 Ib. 19.
4 Ohio R. 98.
1 Marshall’s R. 489.
Munf. R. 548
Tucke’s case—3 Leon’s R. 241. Browne vs. Collins—1 Vent’s. R. 292. 1 Saund. R. 219, note 7. Anthony vs. McCall—3 Blackford’s R. 86.
2 Chan. Cases, 217.
13 Johns. R. 437.
6 Conn. R. 74.
4 McCord’s R. 113.
14 Mass. R. 105—15 ibid. 6—16 ibid. 524—3 Conn. R. 289.
1 Salk. R. 315.
3 Atk. R. 248.
1 Cowp. R. 140.
3 Blackford R. 72.
2 Porter R. 236.
3 Stewart R. 285.
5 Cranch R 19
1 Leigh’s R 481
3 Ib. 89
6 Rand. 160.