Thomas v. Scruggs
Thomas v. Scruggs
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
In 1805, Jesse Thomas, of the commonwealth of Virginia, made his last will and testament and died. The first clause of the will directed that his executrix and executors, or either of them, should sell as they might think fit, the land and plantation whereon the testator then lived, and the proceeds of the same, with a further sum, not exceeding four hundred pounds, should be by his executrix or executors, or either of them, laid out in a tract or tracts of land lying within the State of Tennessee, which said land so purchased should be to the use of his wife, the executrix, during her natural life, and
The bill charges that there was personal estate enough to pay all the debts and to raise the sum of four hundred pounds, to be invested in land in Tennessee as directed,' that the executors sold the tract of land’ devised to be sold for a large sum of money; that a part of the proceeds was by them invested in the purchase of land in Tennessee as directed; but that a large portion of the trust fund they omitted to invest and retained in their hands.
The bill also alleges that after the death of the testator, and before the death of the tenant for life, Anthony H. Thomas, one of the devisees in remainder, died intestate; his personal representative is not before the court. The'widow died before the filing of the bill. They claim two-thirds of the un-invested trust fund, and two-sixths of the other third, as the heirs at law of Anthony H. Thomas. The defendant, Phin-eas Thomas, has not answered the bill, and as to him it is taken for confessed.
The defendant Scruggs answers, that at the death of the testator he was residing in Tennessee, and some months af-terwards went on to Virginia and qualified, the other executors having previously qualified, and before his arrival, sold the land mentioned in the will. He insists that so much of the trust fund as he received he expended either in the purchase of Tennessee lands, according to the trust in the will, or in payment of the debts of the estate, and argues that he is not liable beyond the amount he actually received. And whether his liability should be so restricted, constitutes the main question which has been discussed in the cause. It has been strenuously insisted, that as by the terms creating the trust, the concurrent act of the co-trustees was not made necessary to give' validity to the transaction of either a sale or a purchase, they should not be made responsible for each other in either acting amiss or refusing to act. But the answer of Scruggs shows that he accepted this trust; that ho entered upon its discharge by receiving a portion of the trust fund, and by purchasing a portion of the land direclcd to bo
This is a much stronger case than that of Deaderick vs. Wharton’s Executors,
Auto page 263.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.