Parkes v. Parkes
Parkes v. Parkes
Opinion of the Court
William Parlies, Sr., died intestate, in Lawrence county, Tennessee, and the defendant was appointed b}^ the County Court of that county administrator of his estate, and qualified as such. The complainant, as a distributee of the estate, files this bill for a settlement of the administration, and to recover his distributive share. The bill alleges that the defendant has never made a settlement of his administration, but only a partial and ex parte settlement with the County Court clerk at the time specified. It further alleges that the defendant has settled with the other distributees, but refuses to settle with complainant. The bill states on its face that the defendant is a citizen of Lawrence County, temporarily in this county, and prays process against him, which has been executed in this county. The defendant has demurred to the jurisdiction of the court, the demurrers resting upon the ground that the jurisdiction of the subject-matter is either in the County Court of Lawrence County or in the Chancery Court of the district in which that county is situated, and not in this county.
It is also argued, in support of the demurrer, that the County Court of Lawrence County must be held to have jurisdiction by the settlement mentioned in the bill, and by its general jurisdiction under section 2312 of the Code. But even a complete settlement in the County Court is, by the express provisions of the Code, sec. 2305, only primó-facie evidence in favor of the accounting party. Elrod v. Lancaster, 2 Head, 575 ; Milly v. Harrison, 7 Coldw. 213. And certainly greater efficacy could not be conceded to a-partial and ex parte settlement. And the learned counsel
The demurrers are, therefore, not well taken to the jurisdiction of the court. And the complainant being entitled to the relief sought, he is, of course, entitled to the discovery, and the production of books and papers necessary to-that relief, and the demurrers directed to such discovery and production must be overruled also.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.