122 Wis. 486 | Wis. | 1904
Tbe record shows that tbe county court .of Bayfield county, having jurisdiction of tbe settlement of tbe estate of Thomas B. Walsh, on tbe 19th day of December, 1901, made a final order or judgment settling tbe accounts of tbe defendant as administratrix, and allowing to her tbe sum of $425 for “extraordinary services and attorney’s fees to be paid to John H. Vaughn, attorney for tbe estate, . . . in addition to tbe sum” already paid him as attorney for tbe estate. This judgment was rendered in response to a petition for adjustment of her accounts, in which it was stated that tbe administratrix bad incurred liabilities for attorney’s fees, etc., and praying allowance of her disbursements and “a reasonable allowance for attorney fee,” which petition was signed by tbe defendant, and verified. Tbe record also shows that this judgment has never been reversed, modified, or appealed from, and that on tbe 5th day of May, 1903, tbe same-county court, after personal notice to tbe administratrix, upon tbe application of Mr. Vaughn, made an order requiring tbe administratrix to pay said sum of $425 to Mr. Vaughn. Tbe defense claims, however, that the judgment of tbe county court was void for lack of power, and that, even if not absolutely void, still it may in this action be attacked and defeated for fraud in its inception.
In support of tbe claim that tbe county court bad no power to make tbe judgment tbe respondent rightly says that Vaughn was not a creditor of tbe estate, but was simply a creditor of tbe administratrix personally; and cites Wiesmann v. Daniels, 114 Wis. 240, 90 N. W. 162. Erom this principle it undoubtedly follows that Vaughn could not in tbe present case have gone into tbe county court, against objections by the defendant, and proven bis claim against tbe
The judgment, in effect, took the sum allowed out of the estate and placed it in the hands of the administratrix for the benefit of Vaughn. If assented to by him, no good reason occurs to us why he may not sue her personally for the sum as for money had and received for his benefit. The subsequent order for payment by the county court was probably unnecessary. The action being on implied contract for
By the Court. — Judgment reversed, and action remanded with directions to enter judgment for tbe plaintiff for $425,. with interest from tbe time of demand, less tbe amount shown to be due upon tbe counterclaim.