Mahoney v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co.
Mahoney v. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co.
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal by Marie R. Mahoney, Administratrix d. b. n., c. t. a. of the Estate of Cecilia I. Mahoney and Marie R. Ma-honey, individually, and Kaye Virginia Raffensperger, individually, and as Ad-ministratrix d. b. n., c.t.a. of the Estate of Millard F. Squires, and Elizabeth S. Mil
The undisputed facts are as follows: Cecilia I. Mahoney and Millard F. Squires, decedents, appointed Joseph A. L. Errigo as executor of their respective wills. Since the Mahoney will required a “minimum bond” and the Squires will excused the giving of bond entirely, Errigo executed only the special bond required by 12 Del. C. § 1527(a), infra, for the protection of creditors, in the amount of $3,000 for each estate, with the appellee as surety. The form of bond actually signed by the surety in this case is that required under § 1527 (a). In May of 1966, Errigo was removed as executor of both estates for neglect of his duties by an order of the Register of Wills, who also directed that all assets and unadministered effects in Errigo’s hands, or for which he was accountable, be delivered to his successor for each estate. Errigo has failed to make any accounting.
Marie R. Mahoney was appointed ad-ministratrix de bonis non, cum testamento annexo, and is also a residuary legatee, in the estate of Cecilia I. Mahoney. Kaye Virginia Raffensperger and Elizabeth S. Miller were appointed administratrices d. b. n., c. t. a., and are also residuary legatees, of the Millard F. Squires estate. The record contains no allegation that there are, in fact, any unpaid creditors.
12 Del.C. § 1521 requires that an executor or administrator shall, upon being granted letters, give bond in the form prescribed by § 1522 of the same Title. The important section in the present case is 12 Del.C. § 1527(a), which permits a testator, by his will, to excuse his executor from giving the required bond; it provides, however, that in such a situation the executor must give bond in double the amount of indebtedness of the testator, for the protection of creditors. The section states, in part, that “ * * * such bond, when taken, shall be for the use of the creditors of the testator, and for the use of no other person interested in his estate.”
In other words, the State will allow a testator, if he so desires, to leave his legatees and devisees with no protection from an executor who fails to fulfill his duties properly, but the State refuses to allow the testator the luxury of leaving his creditors with no protection other than the hope that the executor will perform his duty according to law.
Counsel do not suggest that the individual beneficiaries can bring suit on such a bond. They apparently agree that a successor fiduciary has standing to bring such a suit if it be alleged and proven that there are existing debts of the estate, at least to the extent of the indebtedness. We do not pass upon this latter question because of this apparent concession. All agree that a creditor can bring a direct action against the surety. The problem presented is whether an administrator c. t. a. can recover in such an action against the surety without alleging the existence of any indebtedness.
It is quite obvious that, if appellants’ contention were to prevail, the very
Affirmed.
At oral argument, counsel indicated that they know of no outstanding indebtedness as to one estate, but that there may be in the other estate.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Marie R. MAHONEY, Administratrix D.B.N., C.T.A. of the Estate of Cecilia I. Mahoney and Marie R. Mahoney, Individually, and Kaye Virginia Raffensperger, Individually and as Administratrix D.B.N., C.T.A. of the Estate of Millard F. Squires, and Elizabeth S. Miller, Individually, and as Administratrix D.B.N., C.T.A. of the Estate of Millard F. Squires, and as Guardian of John Squires, Below v. UNITED STATES FIDELITY AND GUARANTY COMPANY, a corporation of the State of Maryland, Below
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- 2 cases
- Status
- Published