Chandler v. Chandler

Mississippi Supreme Court
Chandler v. Chandler, 111 Miss. 525 (Miss. 1916)
71 So. 811
Smith

Chandler v. Chandler

Opinion of the Court

Smith, C. J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

The sole question presented to us on this record is whether or not the land here in question is subject to partition at the suit of the children of Ann and Abe Chandler before the expiration of twenty years from the death of the testator.

By the will the legal title to the land was vested in B. C. Chandler and the equitable title thereto in the children of Ann and Abe Chandler. To B. C. Chandler was also given the power to sell the land “in his discretion,’’ *528from which we understand that he could sell or not as m his judgment was for the best interests of his cestuis que trust. The trust reposed in him, therefore, in so far as the power to sell is concerned, is a purely personal, one, and cannot be exercised by another, from which it follows that upon his death the power to sell became extinct.

“We are not called upon now to determine in whom the legal title to the land is vested, for, conceding that it is vested in some person or persons other than the children of Ann and Abe Chandler, such person or persons hold the land in trust without any duties to discharge relative thereto, but merely for the benefit of the children of Ann and Abe Chandler, who are entitled to the possession thereof, and against whom the legal title cannot be set up (Brown v. Doe ex dem. Weast, 7 How. 181), so that ..under section 3521, Code of 1906, they are entitled to a partition. The decree of the court below will be reversed, and the cause remanded, with leave to appellee to answer within thirty days from the filing of the mandate in the 'court below.

Reversed and remanded.

Reference

Cited By
5 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
1. Teusts. Termination. Personal trusts. Death of trustees. Partition. Land subject to partition. Statute. Where a trustee was invested with the legal title to lands for the use of certain children, with power to sell the same “in his discretion,” this means that he could sell or not as in his judgment was for the best interest of his cestui que trust. In such case the trust reposed in the trustee in so far as the power' to sell is concerned, was a pureiy personal one, and cannot be exercised by another, and upon the death of the trustee the power to Sell becomes extinct. 2. PAETmoN. Land .subject to partition. Statutes. .. In such ease although it may be conceeded that the legal title is vested in some person or persons other than the children, such person or persons hold the land in trust without any duties to discharge relative thereto, but merely for the benefit of the children, who are entitled to the possession thereof and against whom the legal title cannot be set up so that under section 3521, Code 1906, they are entitled to a partition.