In re Estate of Mitchell
In re Estate of Mitchell
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
This appeal by the surviving executor of Samuel Mitchell, deceased, is from the decree refusing an order to sell, for payment of debts, the real estate of which his testator died seized in June, 1887. The petition for order of sale was not presented until March 25, 1896, more than eight years and nine months after testator’s will was probated. At the time of his decease there was no unpaid debt that was then or ever had been a lien of record; nor was any action to recover unpaid debts commenced against the executors or devisees within five years, or at any time prior to presentation of the petition; nor was there any written statement of any such debt filed in the prothonotary’s office. In short, there was nothing in the case to justify the issuance of an order of sale unless such a charge or trust for the payment of debts was created by the will as had the effect of continuing their lien beyond the statutory period. Appellant’s contention in the court below, as here, was that the lien of testator’s debts was thus extended by the provisions of the will indefinitely and without limit, except only the limitation that may arise from the presumption of payment by lapse of
Our consideration of the question thus presented, has led us all to the conclusion that there is no error in the record; and the decree might well be affirmed for reasons given in the opinion of the court below.
In order to create a testamentary charge on real estate it must be found that such was the testator’s intention, and while it need not be declared in express terms, it must be disclosed by the will itself, and cannot be inferred from the mere fact that at the time of its execution the testator owned no personal estate: Duvall’s Appeal, 146 Pa. 176; Dickerman v. Eddinger, 168 Pa. 240. A mere direction by a testator that a devisee shall pay a legacy does not thereby create a charge on the land: Cable’s Appeal, 91 Pa. 327. Nor is a direction that one devisee pay to another devisee so as to equalize them sufficient to charge the payment on the land : Sauer et al. v. Mollinger et al., 138 Pa. 338. In Duvall’s Estate, supra, it was said at page 185: “ The proposition that a devisee of land who acts as executor of the will must either refuse to accept the unconditional devise or render himself liable to pay pecuniary legacies is wholly untenable.” See Hackadorn’s Appeal, 11 Pa. 90.
While the blending of the real and personal estate in the residuary clause will create a charge on the land (Markley’s Estate, 148 Pa. 538; Bennett’s Estate, 148 Pa. 139), it has been decided that a devise of lands, followed in a subsequent clause of the will by a bequest of all the testator’s personal property to the same persons to whom the lands were devised, with a direction that the legatees shall pay testator’s debts and funeral expenses, is not such a blending of the real and personal property by the testator as will operate to create a charge on the real estate: Van Vliet’s Appeal, 102 Pa. 574. As to the question of testamentary charge, that case appears to be decisive of the one under consideration. It is quite clear from all the authorities that there is no such charge in this case.
But it is not sufficient merely to show a charge on the real estate. To convict the court of error in this case it is necessary not only to show that the debts were made a charge upon the
The provision for testator’s wife after his honest debts were paid, was held in Miller & Bowman’s Appeal, 60 Pa. 404, not to create a special charge. Mr. Chief Justice Thompson, speaking for the court in that case, said: “Ibis argued that herein is an express trust created of real estate, to be concurrently liable with the personal estate for the payment of debts. That it is express is utterly untenable. If it be anything it is but the implication of a' trust. But would that supplant the charge created on the realty for the payment of debts ? Certainly I think not; and this the case of Agnew v. Fetterman, 4 Pa. 56, shows.”
In Trinity Church v. Watson et al., 50 Pa. 518, the subject is exhaustively discussed. That case decides that a general charge on real estate by devise for the payment of debts does not create a testamentary lien of unlimited duration, subject only to the presumption of payment by lapse of time. Mr. Chief Justice Agnew there said: “It is true there is a trust, and the devisee takes nothing till the creditor is paid. But the title of the creditor to be let in upon the trust lies in his debt, and his relation to the trust is indefinite and unknown until this title be shown. But in doing this, clearly his debt is subject to the law which regulates its recovery. The very feature which distinguishes the debt here is its indefinite, secret and dormant character, requiring to be individuated by proof to
“ The act of 1834 was passed to curb all liens of record or not, and why, upon the mere reasoning of cases decided before its passage, suffer a door to be opened to the intrusion of unknown and unnumbered liens raked up from the ashes of the past within the period of twentj*- years. If it be asked why distinguish between a devise for specified ■ debts and one generally for creditors, I answer, that the former are equivalent to legacies charged upon land, indeed to the devise of the land itself to the creditor, who being thus known and recognized by the testator stands in no need of proof of his debt, which can be ascertained and removed by payment or sale. He is well known and upon equal footing with the devisee of the land; while one who claims but as belonging to a class is neither known nor recognized even by the will, except upon proof that he belongs to the- class. His case is clearly adversary until lie has maintained his right to seat himself upon the trust. He falls within the mischief the act of 1834 intended to remedy, and should be governed by its terms, which literally include him.”
Citations to the same effect might be multiplied, but inasmuch as the principle controlling the case at bar has been sufficiently elaborated, further reference to authorities is deemed unnecessary. Tbe principle is unimpaired by recent decisions. One of these is Seitzinger’s Estate, 170 Pa. 581. In that case our Brother Dean, recognizing the principle, states the rule with much force and clearness.
The foregoing considerations rule this case and make it unnecessary to consider the numerous authorities relied on by the learned counsel for appellant as to what constitutes a charge of debts upon the land. The assignment of error is not sustained.
Decree affirmed and appeal dismissed at appellant’s costs.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- In re Estate of Samuel Mitchell, Appeal of Thomas Mitchell
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Will— Testamentary charge on real estate. In order to create a testamentary charge on real estate it must be found that such was the testator’s intention, and while it need not be declared in express terms, it must be disclosed by the will itself, and cannot bo inferred from the mere fact that at the time of its execution the testator owned no personal estate. Therefore, where the attempt is made to establish the fact that the debts of a testator are a charge upon his land eight years after his death, it must be shown, not only that the debts were made a charge upon the land by will, but also that an express trust was created for their payment; because, unless such trust were created, the lien of the debts, though made a charge upon the land by the will, would be lost by statutory limitation. Testator directed as follows : “ It is my will and I so order that all my just debts and .funeral expenses be fully paid and satisfied as soon after my decease as can be conveniently done.” He divided his personal property among his children in equal shares, and gave his real estate to his sons T. and J. He further directed as follows: “It is my will .... that my son T. shall pay throe fourths of all my debts ” and that “ my son J. shall pay the remaining fourth of said debts.” There was no direction to sell the land or any part thereof. Held, (1) that there was no express trust to charge the debts as an indefinite lien on the real estate; (2) that even if the will contained an implied trust, such a trust would not be sufficient to charge the debts as an indefinite lien on the real estate.