Jordan v. Stephenson
Jordan v. Stephenson
Opinion of the Court
Tbe plaintiff, in bis petition, states facts, wbicb, taken in connection with tbe facts admitted in tbe answer of tbe defendants, show said conveyance to be fraudulent and void as to existing creditors at tbe time, but tbe difficulty of bis case consists in failing to state and prove any indebtedness against tbe estate of tbe intestate. entitling bim to the relief be asks. He alleges, to be sure, in bis petition, tbat there is due to bim from tbe estate a little over six hundred dollars, but be does not allege tbat bis claim bad been filed and allowed, except by implication wbicb is negatived by tbe exhibit A, attached to bis petition, purporting to be a transcript of a record from tbe probate’s office. This transcript shows tbat the claims filed and allowed within tbe first six months after notice by the administrator of taking out letters of administration, amount in tbe aggregate to $979.56; tbat among these is a claim of $190.84, in favor of one W. A. Jordan, supposed to be in favor of tbe plaintiff in this suit, although there is no statement or evidence to tbat effect. But, assuming tbat it is tbe proved and established claim of tbe plaintiff’s, it belongs to a preferred class of six months’ claims, all of wbicb are provided for and can be paid out of tbe assets of the estate without a resort to tbe land in controversy. Because tbe same exhibit from tbe probate’s office made a part of tbe petition, show that tbe assets of the estate (all of wbicb was available except $250), amount to $5,012.07, a sufficient sum to pay all of tbe six months’ claims, and all of tbe mortgages, amounting to $3,861.00, leaving several hundred dollars to defray tbe ordinary
But the plaintiff asserts that he has another claim against said estate falling within the class of eighteen months’ claims, and that it is to obtain satisfaction of this that he seeks to subject the lands described in his petition. But, whilst the probate records, a transcript of which he has filed with his petition, do show the filing and allowance of some $1,996.61, of eighteen months’ claims, there are none to be found in favor of the plaintiff in this class of claims. We may presume, therefore, that if any such claim exists, it has not been filed or proved up before the county judge. Indeed, his counsel say, in their printed argument, “ that a portion of the plaintiff’s claim was proved up against the estate in the time limited by law for that purpose, and a part of it has not been presented for approval,” alluding, we presume, to that portion of the claim upon which we are now commenting. We do not, therefore, see why the claim is not barred under the statute, and that, too, before this suit was instituted. We need not say that, in the plaintiff’s petition, is not to be found any statement excusing his failure to file and prove his claim before the county judge within the time prescribed by law, nor the statement of any eq-uitable circumstances, which would authorize a Court of Chancery still to allow the claim.
Nor is this all: there is no statement in the bill of the foundation or origin of the claim, how it exists, whether as an open account or by note, or what was its consideration. The plaintiff’s evidence is quite as much at fault as his pleadings. There is really no legitimate proof whatever showing that the plaintiff has any claim of indebtedness against the estate of William Stevenson, deceased, beyond
The judgment below will be affirmed with the modification above suggested.
Affirmed.
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