Batchelder v. Tenney

Supreme Court of Vermont
Batchelder v. Tenney, 27 Vt. 578 (Vt. 1855)
Bennett

Batchelder v. Tenney

Opinion of the Court

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Bennett, J.

This is an action founded upon the 11th section *580of chap. 50 of the Compiled Statutes, and brought to recover the penalty given by that section for the embezzlement of property. But, we think, there was no evidence in the case to prove an embezzlement.

It is quite clear that, under the contract between the defendant and the intestate for carrying on the farm, the defendant was a tenant in common with the intestate in the property which he took away. The cases in our own reports abundantly show this. And» it also appeared that the defendant claimed to be joint owner of the crops with the estate of Cilley, and he did not deny the right of Cilley.

There was no secrecy in taking the property, and no concealment of it by the defendant, and no claim made to it, but as a tenant in common. The three calves were in the same situation. The butter he took by the consent of the widow of the intestate, and was to account to her for her share on the sale of it.

We think, to bring a case within this section of the statute, the act complained of must, at least, be done with the intent of wrongfully abstracting the property from the estate of the deceased, to the injury of its assets.

This, the evidence had no tendency to show. All, which the defendant did, was done under a claim of right, and the evidence in fact shows that his claim of right, as tenant in common, was well founded, and as such, h.e did not deny his liability to account to the estate of Cilley.

The judgment of the county court is affirmed.

Reference

Full Case Name
Daniel Batchelder, Administrator of Zachariah R. Cilley v. Hylos Tenney
Cited By
4 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
Property must be taken with, an intent of wrongfully abstracting it from tbe estate, to tbe injury of its assets, in order to constitute a case of embezzlement witbfn tbe meaning of § 11 of cbap. 50 of tbe Compiled Statutes. Tbe defendant leased bis farm, on shares, to tbe intestate,‘after whose death, be openly harvested and secured tbe products of tbe farm, then upon it, claiming a joint ownership of them, but without denying the title of the estate or his liability to account to them for their share. Held, that these acts did not amount to, and had no tendency to show an embezzlement.