Estate of Snively
Estate of Snively
Opinion of the Court
Opinion,
This was an appeal from the decree of the Orphans’ Court of Franklin County, distributing the estate of Martha J. Snively, deceased. The principal question was the effect of the recognizance given by the decedent within a year before her death, for the real estate of her deceased father, awarded to her by the Orphans’ Court under proceedings in partition. The auditor held that inasmuch as the decedent was a married woman when she took said land and gave said recognizance, the recognizance was a lien only upon that portion of the real estate which the recognizor acquired by the decree of the court awarding the. same to her, and that it was not a lien upon that portion of said real estate which she- took in her own right by descent. Distribution was made accordingly. The Orphans’ Court, upon exceptions filed, reversed the auditor and held that the recognizance was a lien upon her whole interest in the land, both as to the share she took under the proceedings in partition, and the share she took by descent. In this we think the learned judge was right.
No question arises here as to the respective rights of the husband and wife to bid for the property at the time of the partition. Nor does any other question arise as to the regularity of those proceedings. No appeal was taken and we have, therefore, the difinitive 'decree of the Orphans’ Court settling that matter. The only question left is the effect of the recognizance.
The decree is affirmed, and the appeal dismissed at the cost of the appellant.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- ESTATE OF MARTHA J. SNIVELY
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. A recognizance for the payment of owelty upon land taken by an heir in an Orphans’ Court partition, is a lien upon the entire estate in the land thus taken, including the interest therein which passed to the recognizor by descent: McCandless’ App., 98Pa. 489, and cases cited. 2. A recognizance given by a married woman for owelty upon land awarded to her in such a proceeding, is no exception to the rule; the extent of the lien of her recognizance is unaffected by her coverture, and there is no analogy between the case and that of a purchase money judgment given by a feme covert. 3. Whether, in a partition proceeding, a married female heir has the right to bid for land independent of her husband, and whether the Orphans’ Court has power to award it to her without the consent and against the protest of her husband, and in disregard of his claim to be allowed to bid for it in her right, not decided. i. Even if such an award be erroneous, the error under the decree will be voidable merely, and upon distribution of the proceeds of the same real estate, sold after the married woman’s death, the regularity of the proceedings as affecting the recognizance given by her cannot be questioned.