Probate Court v. Matthews
Probate Court v. Matthews
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was pronounced by
— This was an action of debt upon an executor’s bond. The material part of the pleadings are as follows :
The first count in the declaration alleges, that defendant, together with one Elisha Cross, now deceased, at Bennington, on the 21st of December, 1811, duly executed to the probate court for the district of Bennington, his bond in the penal sum of $10,000, conditioned that “ if the said John Matthews, executor of all and singular the goods, chattels, rights, credits and estate of David Matthews, late of said Shaftsbury, deceased, should (among other things) well and truly pay all debts and legacies of the said deceased, agreeably to the last will and testament of the said deceased, as aforesaid, and recorded in the probate office in the district aforesaid, on the 2d day of December, 1812, then this obligation to be void' — otherwise in full force.”
And said John Stevens alleges, that he is duly authorized to prosecute,' and assigns for breach, that said David Matthews died possessed of personal estate to the value of $15,000, which came to the hands and possession of the defendant.— That he owed but ‡ 1000, and by his will devised all his estate, after paying his debts, to his children — share and share alike, to be paid them, when his executor should think proper. —That Suky, one of the children of the deceased, intermarried with said John Stevens, and has deceased; and that said John has taken letters of administration upon her estate. — That her share of said estate was over $2000; and avers, “that defendant, though often requested, has never paid said Sukyhror said John said sum before the 2d day of December, 1812, nor since.”
To this count, the defendant plead that said David Matthews, at the time of making his will, and until his death, and the said Suky Matthews, at the time of the death of said David, were inhabitants and residents of Hoosack, in the state of
To which plea, the plaintiffs replied, that said David Matthews died possessed of personal property of the value of $15,000, and that the same came into the hands and possession of the said John Matthews, as executor of the last will and testament of said David Matthews: To whi.ch replication the defendant demurred, and the plaintiff joined.
Several points have been made in the argument of the case, but we deem it not necessary to discuss any save two.
1st. Is the defendant estopped from averring in his plea, that David Matthews, at the time of his death, was a resident and inhabitant of the state of New-York ? And
2d. There being no estoppel, is the plea a good answer to this count in the declaration ?
The reason given why a party shall be estopped by his own former admission in a deed, is that no man ought to allege any thing but the truth for his defence; and what he has alleged once, is presumed to be true; and therefore, he ought not to contradict it, for dllegans contraria non est audiendum. But that every estoppel, because it copcludeth a man to allege the truth, must be certain to every intent, and not to be taken by argument or inference. That every estoppel ought to be a
Now to apply this ancient and sound authority upon this artificial branch of the common law to the case, and it will not conclude the defendant from averring the fact that the testate died an inhabitant of New-York. The plea, and the record therein made a profert of, shows that the original administration was taken out in New-York, and a copy filed in this state, where the bond declared on was given. This all but proves the fact; for upon what other ground could the probate here derive a secondary and not an original administration. And could the words “late of Shaftsbury, deceased,” have been intended to assert or admit, that the deceased was of Shaftsbu-bury when he died ? which fact would have rendered the doings of the probate in that form a nullity. May it not rather be descriptive of what David Matthews was intended, as the deceased might have formerlyresided in Shaftsbury ? But however this may be, it is not certain to every nor to a certain intent, and it is not to be taken by inference ; and as estoppels are not favored by law, as they tend to suppress truth, we consider, independent of the question, whether the plaintiff should have plead the estoppel, that the fact of David Matthews residence in New-York was well plead. Does the plea disclose a good defence to the action ? The 68th section of the probate act of 1797, under which the will was recorded, after directing that copies of foreign wills may be filed and recorded in the probate courts of this state, says, “ and the judge may proceed thereupon to take bond of the executor or executors, or grant administration of said testator’s estate, lying in this state, with the will annexed.” Under this clause, the bond in question was taken; and whether the condition to pay all debts and legacies, which is not rnentioned in the form of a bond given by the statute is a valid consideration, need not now be .considered. In Massachusetts, it has long been settled under
But it has been contended that the clause in the bond to pay debts and legacies, may be considered as inserted under the 15th section of the act aforesaid, which directs, that executors taking upon themselves that trust, shall give bonds to make an inventory and render an account to the probate court like administrators, “ unless such executor or executors are residuary legatees, in which case, bond may be given by him, her or them, to pay the debts and legacies of the testator.” The answer to this is, that this section evidently relates to the primary proof a will, and not to the filing a will already proved; and besides this, defendant and others the children of the testate, were to have the whole estate after the payment of debts; they were therefore not residuary legatees, but changed from heirs to legatees. A residuary legatee is he to whom the residuum of the estate is left by will. Legacy is a bequest of goods and chattels by will or testament. The person to whom it is given is styled the legatee. And if the gift is of the residue of an estate, after payment of debts and legacies, he is then styled the residuary legatee. — Jacobs’ Law Die.
It has also been argued, that the condition in the bond to pay the debts and legacies, is good at common law, as a substantive obligation. But this being an official bond-, and this condition not being provided nor authorized by law, is like the condition in a jail bond, that the prisoner should also pay for his board and washing, which was held void, as reported by Judge Chipman.
The plea being a sufficient answer to the declaration, and
The .judgment of the county court is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Probate Court, John Stevens Prosecutor v. John Matthews, Samuel Milleman Trustee
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published