Shyer v. Lockhard
Shyer v. Lockhard
Opinion of the Court
— Bill filed 10th of February, 1873, by complainants on their own behalf, and on behalf of all other creditors of Joseph Lowenheim, secured by a deed of' trust made by said Lowenheim to Max Dunkenspiel, on the 19th of December, 1866, in trust for creditors therein provided for, in a certain order of priority. The bill, after-stating the execution of the deed aforesaid, and the preferences therein made, alleges that Dunkenspiel, the trustee,
The defendants have demurred to the whole bill, assigning various causes of demurrer. The first cause is that the bill fails to state that the trust conveyance was bona fide, and accepted by the complainants. But the bill does allege that the trustee qualified as such according to law, which would be clearly an acceptance of the trust, rendering a separate acceptance by each beneficiary unnecessary. Halsey v. Whitney, 4 Mason, 214. The law, moreover, would ipresume acceptance in the absence of anything to the con
The second exception is that, the trustee having qualified, the right of action was in him to sue for a conversion, and not having done so for three or six years, the right of ^action is barred by the statute. This objection strikes me as perhaps well taken, so far as the original ‘conversion by the seizure in 1866, under the attachments at law, is concerned. That seizure might have been treated as a conversion, and any action based upon that ground would certainly be barred, and the cestuis que trust could stand in no better position in this regard than the trustee. But the parties might waive the conversion, and follow the goods or their proceeds, as trust property, in whosesoever hands they might come. Each transfer of the goods or of the proceeds would be a new wrong, for which the parties would have their remedy against the wrong-doer. The trustee and the beneficiaries under the trust deed might demand the proceeds of sale after they came to the hands of Love, and follow them, so long as they could be traced, into whose-soever hands they might come. These funds, it appears, were loaned on the 4th of March, 1867, and the notes mentioned in the bill taken therefor. Love was a mere stakeholder, holding, subject to the orders of the court, for whom it might concern. If the court subsequently declined to take jurisdiction of the fund, the parties entitled to the same had a right to claim it, and the statute would not run against them so long as there was no adverse holding. The makers of the notes would not be protected by the statute until the right of action of Love, as having the legal title, was barred, and, until the bar fully attached, any person having an equitable right to the funds might assert the same in this court. As six years had not elapsed from the execution of the notes to the filing of this bill, the bar
The third ground of demurrer is that the only remedy is¡ through the trustee, who is shown to have qualified according to law. But this is clearly not the law, the cestuis que trust being always entitled to come into equity to assert their rights under the trust deed, even if the trustee neglect his duty. Weir v. Tannehill, 2 Yerg. 57. If the trustee be-barred of his action, the cestui que trust is also. But, as. we have just seen, neither was barred at the filing of the bill, so far as the notes in controversy are concerned.
The fourth ground is that the trustee abandoned the proceedings in the circuit court, and Lowenlieim tacitly admitted that he had fraudulently disposed of, or was about to fraudulently dispose of, his property. But these facts, if true, would not affect the right of the cestuis que trust. The bill shows, however, that the court refused to allow the trustee to intervene to assert his rights, and that Lowenheim successfully contested the attachments.
Lastly, it is no answer to this suit that the complainants, have a remedy against the trustee and Lowenheim, for such remedy would not be inconsistent with their right to the-trust fund.
Overrule the demurrer.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.