Muldrow v. Mixon
Muldrow v. Mixon
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court'was delivered by
This is an appeal from a decree of the Circuit Court affirming the judgment of the probate court of Barnwell county, adjusting the accounts of R. M. Mixon as administrator with will annexed of the estate of Willa I. Loud.
The exceptions present two- questions (1) whether the .administrator was justified in charging appellant with a piano-, at a valuation of $400 ; (2) whether the administrator had a right to take charge of the real estate of plaintiff, not acquired under the will of her mother, and to- charge commissions on the rents collected therefrom.
A court o-f equity may approve a parol partition of personal property followed by possession among minors who *554 have reached years of discretion if the circumstances were such as would have warranted the Court to- make such division on application. There is nothing iri the circumstances of this case to show any unfairness. The plaintiff, who- had been taking instruction in music, wanted the instrument in her own home and agreed to- take it at the valuation o-f $400, which the testimony sho-ws was reasonable, and did take and use the same for more than two years before any attempt was made to turn it back to- the administrator. A just consideration of the rights o-f the other beneficiary, who might sustain loss- by a forced sale of the piano- after such lapse of time, ought to- induce the Court to- sanction the parol partition fairly made between the parties.
Both the probate court and Circuit Court construed the will as authorizing the beneficiaries to- take their shares of the estate on- their marriage, not only as to real estate, but as to personal property, and that this involved authority to exercise some choice and agreement as to division, after marriage, although before reaching- full age. There is force in this view, and no doubt the administrator felt warranted in delivering the piano to- the plaintiff after her marriage upon the agreement between the parties interested. We, however, do- not rest o-ur conclusion upon this- construction of the will.
■The judgment of the Circuit Court is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Muldrow v. Mixon, Admr.
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Partition. — The Court may approve partition of personal property followed by possession, among minors who have reached years of maturity, if the circumstances were such as would have warranted the Court in making such division on application, notwithstanding objection by one participant. 2. Rents. — An administrator, with the will annexed is justly allowed commissions for collecting and paying out rent from lands’ belonging to the devisees not passing under the will, where he administered at their request and one provision of the will was that the devisees should be educated out of the income from the property.