Loval's Administrator v. Johnson
Loval's Administrator v. Johnson
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of- the Court.
k suit in chancery was instituted several years since,by Parke, who had been appointed by a Court in Pennsylvania, administrator of the estate of Loval, deceased, to recover of Johnson certain- moneys, charged to be due from Johnson to Loval.- During the progress of the suit, Johnson introduced and plead in bar an assignment by Loval to Walton, of all his estate in trust, &c. Parke replied, admitting the deed of assignment, but showing that Walton- did not accept, and that he was appointed trustee in his stead.- He also charges, that all the creditors entitled,- had received- their pay, and that the other creditors of Loval have now no claim or interest under the deed. The suit progressed to final-decree in favor of Parke as administrator of Loval. To collect the amount decreed, Parke caused execution to issue on the decree.- On motion, the Chancellor quashed the execution.- Parke, by his counsel, then moved the Court for a rule against Johnson “ to pay the decree,” which was opposed by Johnson, because Parke had not-given the bond with surety, duly to administer the-
To permit such administrator or executor to collect-, by rule of Court, or by attachment, money decreed to him, when he could not be permitted to collect or receive it-under execution, would be an evasion-of theob-
It is urged, however, that, in this case, and all similarly situated, it is impracticable for the administrator to execute such a bond, and that, if the execution of the bond is an essential pre-requisite to the collection of the money, the consequence necessarily is, that the fund must remain in the hands of the debtor. This is so argued, because the fund has been assigned or transferred by Loval previous to his death, and that if Parke receives the fund as administrator, he would be required to account for it as assignee, and, of course, would, by force of circumstances, be compelled to violate his bond. Under such circumstances, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a stranger to obtain the necessary security in the required bond. But in his replication to Johnson’s answer, Parke averred that the creditors of Loval, whose claims remain unsatisfied, have no claim or right under said deed of trust. If, in that assertion, he was not mistaken, then the funds due from'Johnson would, when received by him, be assets in his hands, as administrator, and, of course, it would be necessary that he give the bond required by the act of 1812. It may be, however, that he was laboring under a mistake, and that the creditors will have a right to demand the money. We suppose the Chancellor, wffiilst complying with the spirit of the act, might, in the exercise of a sound discretion, require a bond, with such conditions as the circumstances of the case requires j say a bond requiring Parke to account for the money, either in the character of administrator, or as assignee, as he may, in either character, by other proceedings, be held properly responsible. He has, however’, not asked for any rule or order of this kind, and will not be precluded from so doing, upon the return of this case to the Court below.
We perceive no error in the action of the Chancellor, either in quashing the execution,-or in refusing to grant the rule, as asked for by Parke.
Wherefore, this order of the Court below is affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.