Remick v. Luter

Texas Supreme Court
Remick v. Luter, 32 Tex. 797 (Tex. 1870)
Morrill

Remick v. Luter

Opinion of the Court

Morrill, C. J.

Plaintiff sued defendants in the District Court, upon an administrator’s bond, in which they were sureties of one Biscoe, administrator of the estate of Harmon, deceased.

The petition alleges that the administrator received the property of the estate, sold it principally on time, never settled up his business as such administrator, and has left the State; also, that there are some debts against the estate, and that plaintiff is one of the heirs of the intestate. Defendants demurred or excepted generally to the petition, and the District Court sustained the exceptions.

We have decided that, when there are no claims against an estate, the heirs of an intestate are entitled to the property, and if the property is held adversely, that suits can be instituted in the District Courts for its recovery, in the name of those entitled to receive it, without the intervention of an administrator. But when it is shown that an estate is indebted, the property of an estate is first used to pay its debts. Should *800there be no administrator, or, as is alleged in this case, should an administrator be faithless, those interested in the estate can be substituted as administrators de bonis non, and thus secure and preserve the estate, as particularly pointed out in the statute.

The bond given by the administrator, which is the basis of the suit in this case, is primarily liable to the creditors of the estate, or to an administrator de bonis non for their benefit,, and lastly to the heirs. (Art. 1376.)

The District Court did not err, and the judgment is affirmed.

Affirmed.

Reference

Full Case Name
J. Remick v. E. Luter and another
Cited By
2 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
1— An heir of an intestate brought suit in the District Court against the sureties of the administrator, alleging as breach of their bond that the administrator had received assets and had left the State of Texas without settling up his accounts as administrator. But the petition further showed that there were debts still outstanding against the estate. Held, that a general demurrer to the petition was correctly sustained. 2— The sureties of an administrator are primarily liable to creditors of the estate, or to an administrator de bonis non for the benefit of creditors; and so long as there are creditors, the sureties are not liable to the heirs or distributees in an action on the bond. 3— In the state of facts presented by the petition in this case, the heir should have become administrator de bonis non, and in that capacity have proceeded upon the bond of the original administrator.