Murdock v. Browder
Murdock v. Browder
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of court. In this case the plaintiff sues to recover from the defendant a certain tract of land, (as described in his petition) which he alleges to be in the possession of the latter without title.
The district court gave judgment in favor of the defendant: from which the plaintiff appealed.
The appellant claims the property in dispute, under a probate sale of the estate of
On the part of the appellant it is contended, that an action, the object of which is to annul the judgment and sale under it, of the district court, should be commenced by all the heirs of John Murdock, and should have preceded any suit directly claiming the property alienated in consequence of a judgment pronounced by a court, alleged to be without jurisdiction. If the probate sale was considered in such a manner as to transfer to the plaintiff the right and title of all the heirs of John Murdock to the premises in dispute,
In proceeding to discuss the merits of the case, it is necessary first to inquire into the validity of the defendant’s title—whether it be of such force as to require that he should be maintained in his possession of the property, against the claim of the plaintiff.
According to the evidence of the case, (as shewn by the record) it appears that John Murdock died intestate, leaving no heirs within the state of Louisiana; and that his estate was administered by a curator for some time, as being one known in our laws under the denomination of vacant. The administration of the curator ceased by the interference of one Samuel Murdock, who claimed
The judgment in the suit of Browder vs. the Heirs of John Murdock, was rendered in
These proceedings were clearly correct and legal, so far as they related to the heirs of age; who had assumed that character without the protection of an inventory. By the acceptance of the inheritance, pure and simple, they became liable to pay the debts of the ancestor, proportionably to their interest in the succession; and, as they resided permanently out of the state, their rights in it were subject to be seized by attachment; and sold, after final judgment, in satisfaction thereof. They cannot claim for themselves any benefit of nullity in those proceedings. Nor can they for the minor heirs, even admitting that, with respect to them, the judgment and subsequent proceeding on it, by which the defendant in the present action claims title, are void, (which is by no means clear.) Should the minors, when they become of age, desire to set aside the judgment or sale under it, to the prejudice of the appellees, they will only be authorised to pursue him successfully, on payment of
It is, therefore, ordered, adjudged, and decreed, that the judgment of the district court be affirmed, with costs.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- MURDOCK v. BROWDER
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- Published