Redding v. Boyd
Redding v. Boyd
Opinion of the Court
The three assignments of error relied on .by appellants relate to the same subject-matter. They complain that
This was the principle upon which the court acted in this case. Boyd had in possession the community property of the first marriage. Out of it he paid the separate debts of the husband. When he comes to divide the remainder between the heirs of the husband and the heirs of the first wife, the court compels him to pay over to
It is true that Boyd, in making the payments, misapplied the funds in his hands. He paid debts over which the exemptions had priority ; but they were debts chargeable upon the same interest and estate from which the exemptions were to be taken. They could in no event have been a charge upon the community estate of the first wife. Holding, as he did, joint funds intended for the payment of separate charges against each of its owners, out of his share, in a certain order of priority, and having misapplied the funds so far as to pay debts against one joint owner which should have been postponed to others having preference over them, the share of the other owner cannot be made to bear any portion of the loss caused by the misapplication. The share of the latter must remain intact, and the party whose interest has been misappropriated will have his recourse against the trustee for the loss thereby sustained by him.
This is the effect of the judgment below, and we see no error in it of which the appellants can complain, and it is affirmed.
Affirmed.
[Opinion delivered October 16, 1885.]
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Maggie S. Redding v. John H. Boyd
- Cited By
- 5 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Community property — Exemption — Executor.— A wife died leaving community property, and her husband married again; at his death he left an insolvent and exempt estate, which, with the community estate of himself and his first wife, was put into the hands of an executor. The executor used part of this community estate to pay debts contracted by the deceased husband after the death of his first wife. Held; (1) That the misapplied money should be charged to the husband’s portion of the community estate. The executor held the joint property of two persons ; if he paid out of the community property of the first marriage, separate debts of the husband, then, in dividing the remainder between the heirs of the husband and the heirs of the first wife, the share of the latter could not be decreased by such payments. It makes no difference that there would not be left in the husband’s estate sufficient to make an allowance in lieu of exempt property. That allowance must be raised from the estate of the decedent. R. S., title XXXVII, ch. 18. (3) That though the executor paid debts over which the exemptions had priority, they were chargeable upon the same interest and estate from which the exemptions were to be taken; they could in no event become a charge upon the community estate of the first wife. (8) That recovery for the misappropriation must be had against the executor.