Chaquette v. Ortet
Chaquette v. Ortet
Opinion of the Court
Eugene Herteman died intestate. T. A. Mitchell was appointed administrator of his estate, and the appellant became surety on his bond. Mitchell died intestate, without having filed any account of his administration of Herteman’s estate, and Elizabeth Mitchell was appointed administratrix of the estate of T. A. Mitchell. Subsequently a bill in equity was filed by the respondent herein, as administrator of the estate of Herteman against Elizabeth Mitchell, administratrix, for an accounting of the doings of T. A. Mitchell as administrator of the estate of Herteman. To this bill the sureties on the bond of Mitchell, including the appellant, were made parties.
The liability of the surety depends upon the liability of the principal, and does not attach until that of the latter has been determined by the judgment of a Court of competent jurisdiction. During the life-time of the administrator, the surety could not be sued until the status of the account had been fixed by decree of the Probate Court. (Allen v. Tiffany, 53 Cal. 16.) But when the liability of the principal thus became fixed, that of the surety also attached, and upon the failure of the principal to pay the money, an action could have been maintained against the surety. In such case the decree of the Probate Court would have been conclusive upon the status of the account, as respects the sureties as well as
The decree of the District Court determined that T. A. Mitchell held in his hands, at the time of his death, eight thousand four hundred and eighty-two dollars and fourteen cents belonging to the estate of Herteman, and accordingly awarded judgment against his administratrix for that sum. There is no provision of the statute, that requires a copy of such a judgment to be filed in the Probate Court, as a prerequisite to its payment by the administratrix. Indeed, there is no provision of the statute providing for the settlement of the account of an administrator who dies before rendering an account. It is because of the absence of such statutory provision, that the right and duty to compel such accounting belongs to a Court of Equity. (Bush v. Lindsey, 44 Cal. 25.) The decree of a Court of Equity in such a case does not come within the provisions of Section 1594 of the Code of
The point that the complaint in the present action should have alleged that the decree of the equity Court was never appealed from, is not well taken. The complaint charges that that decree remains unpaid and in full force, which is sufficient. (Freeman on Judgments, Secs. 432-3-4, and authorities there cited.)
Judgment affirmed.
McKinstry and McKee, JJ., concurred.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- C. CHAQUETTE, Administrator etc. v. JEAN ORTET
- Cited By
- 37 cases
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- Published
- Syllabus
- Sureties op Administrator—Action por Accounting—Equity.—Where an administrator dies without rendering an. account, jurisdiction to compel an accounting vests in the appropriate Court of Equity; and it would seem that the adjustment of the account by that Court is a prerequisite to an action against the sureties. Id.—Id.—Id.—Judgment against Principal—Maxim.—In such am action, where the sureties were made parties, but were afterwards dismissed, upon their objection by demurrer to being joined, the decree is conclusive against them, and they can not he heard to object that they were not parties. To this the maxim alligans contraria non est audiendus applies. Id.—Id.—Id—Judgment.—Breach op Bond.—The judgment, in such an action, does not come within the provisions of Section 1504, C. C. P., requiring a copy of the judgment to he filed among the papers of this case, hut, so far at least as the enforcement of the payment, it directs against the estate of the deceased, it is to be regarded in the light of a decree of the Probate Court settling the account and directing payment; and the failure of the administratrix of the administrator to make the payment constitutes a breach of the bond, for which the sureties are liable. Judgment—Pleading.-—In pleading a judgment, it is sufficient to allege that the same remains unpaid and in full force. It is unnecessary to allege that the judgment was never appealed from.