Liverman v. Lee
Liverman v. Lee
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The chancellor ruled correctly on every important proposition of law presented for his consideration.
ITis ruling in suppressing the deposition of Sullivan is sustained by firmly established principles. It was manifestly incompetent as contravening the statute,, which forbids a claim against the estate of a deceased person which originated in the lifetime of the decedent being established by-the testimony of the person asserting the claim.
The chancellor correctly held that the sale made by virtue of the decree in the first partition suit was void, and passed no title out of the owners. Regardless of other causes, it appears that the terms of the decree directing sale were not complied with, the purchase money was not fully paid, the note for the deferred payment was not given, and no commissioner’s deed was executed in pursuance of such sale. But while it is true that the sale under the first partition vested no title, yet it appears from the testimony of the special commissioner that certain moneys paid by the bidder at said void sale were applied to the satisfaction of a tax lien which Anderson held on the land at the time of the sale, and this payment by operation of law subrogated him to the rights of Anderson. Therefore the decree here under review should have directed the payment of the $35 to W. V. Sullivan instead of G. W. Anderson, Anderson having already been paid in full with Sullivan’s money. And, as this sum was expended for the protection of the entire estate, he was entitled to a refund of the same. It also appears from the testimony of the special commissioner that $22.20 of the money paid by Sullivan under the void sale was paid to complainants in the original suit through their solicitors. This statement, being uncontradicted and unexplained, leads to the conclusion that Sullivan would be entitled to receive a credit for this amount as well, and that the same should be charged against the appellees who received this sum, and deducted
The chancellor correctly held that appellants were not entitled to credit for the money applied to tire payment of attorney’s fees and court costs in the original proceeding.
We would, as requested, modify the decree in this court without remanding the cause, but the record fails to disclose which of the complainants in the original suit received any portion of the proceeds of the first sale; hence we are unable to say to whose interest it should now be charged.
The decree is affirmed in all matters save as to the' application of the two items of $35 and $22.50, and the cause is remanded for entry of decree as to these sums in accordance with the views herein expressed.
Modified and remanded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Darius D. Liverman v. Ada Lee
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Evidence. Estate of decedent. Code 1892, \\ 1140. A defendant, claiming land as against the estate of a decedent, cannot, under Code 1892, § 1140, establish a claim, which originated in the lifetime of the decedent, by the testimony of a person through whom the title is alleged by him to-have passed and from whom the defendant purchased after the death of the decedent. 2. Paetition. Sale for division of proceeds. When void. Where the terms of a decree directing a sale in partition were not complied with, and the purchase money was not paid, and the note for the deferred payments required by the decree was not given, and no commissioner’s deed was executed in pursuance of the sale, the sale was void, and passed no title out of the owners. 3. Same. Bights of purchaser. Tax Hens. Subrogation. Where a payment by a bidder at a void sale under a decree in a partition suit was applied to the satisfaction of a tax lien on the land, the bidder became subrogated to the rights of the holder of the tax lien, and a decree for the sale of the land in a subsequent suit for partition should direct the payment of such sum to the bidder. 4. Same. Equities between partíes. Where a bidder at a void, sale under a decree for partition made a payment to the owners, he should be repaid out of the proceeds on a sale under a decree in a subsequent suit for partition. 5. Same. Solicitors fees. Where the sale under a decree in a suit for partition was void because the terms of the decree were not complied with, complainants in the suit are not entitled to credit for attorney’s fees and court costs, payable out of the proceeds of a valid sale, under a decree in a subsequent suit.