McSwegin v. Howard
McSwegin v. Howard
Opinion of the Court
The character of this case will appear in a former decision in it. 63 W. Ya. 92. The decree there reversed in part was one dating 18th July, 1906. After the case returned to the circuit court another decree was entered,130th April, 1908. It is from this decree that Adolphus P. Howard and William Hewitt, as executors of Eobert Hewitt, and E. Brown Hewitt and William Hewitt, children and devisees, appeal. The appeal is not from the decree of 18th July, 1906; but I suppose this appeal would bring it before us, as this appeal was allowed within two years from its date, if there were any errors in it assigned, but there are not specifically. The assignment of error is only to the last decree. The decree of July 18, 1906, ascertained certain debts against the estate of Eobert Hewitt and decreed the land to be sold for their payment, and for the benefit of his children devisees, as his will directed. The last decree adjudicated nothing, but simply recognized the mandate of this Court, and directed the special commissioners for sale appointed by the decree of 18th July, 1906, to proceed to make sale of the land in accordance with that decree, and carry out its' provisions as far as not reversed by this Court on the former appeal. Our former decree reversed “so much and so much only” of the decree of 18th July, 1906, as decreed the sum of $764.32 personally against A. P. Howard and William Hewitt, executors, in favor of the administrator of Edwin McSwegin and Alice H. McSwegin, and remanded the cause for further proceedings. It is contended that our former decree operated to .affirm the decree of 18th July, 1906, so far as it did not reverse it. This could be so only by inference, as our decree does not affirm in terms. 'Were this the ease, we coiild dismiss the ease by saying we could not review that decree, because of res' judicata; and as the last decree adjudicates nothing, but simply executes the former decree, we could not consider even the last decree. But we do not proceed on this basis. We shall look into these two decrees. What is wrong in them? The former decree fixed debts, and decreed the land to sale to pay them, and for the benefit of the children, as Eobert Hewitt’s will directed. No
It is said that the order of sale violates our former decision. By no means. If our decision operates further than to reverse the personal decree against the executors, it warrants the sale
It is said the land will no more than pay debts, and leaves-nothing for the McSwegins. How have they been paid, as E. B. Hewitt says they have been ? Out of the land ? Then there would be something for the McSwegins. But in advance of sale we cannot, in a legal point of view, say that the land will no more than pay the debts.
We affirm the decree.
Affirmed.
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