Arnold v. Stambaugh

73 Pa. D. & C. 459, 1949 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 148
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, York County
DecidedJune 13, 1949
Docketno. 262
StatusPublished

This text of 73 Pa. D. & C. 459 (Arnold v. Stambaugh) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, York County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Arnold v. Stambaugh, 73 Pa. D. & C. 459, 1949 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 148 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1949).

Opinion

Sherwood, P. J.,

This matter is before the court on a motion for judgment by James J. Gerry, administrator of the estate of Philip Hugh Stambaugh, deceased, and against plaintiffs, Victor R. Arnold and Veletta M. Arnold, on the ground that Philip Hugh Stambaugh died on January 17, 1947, the date of the collision, and that suit against him was not instituted until July 30, 1948, more than one year after his death. In the answer of defendant, James J. Gerry, administrator of the estate of Philip,Hugh Stambaugh, he pleads the statute of limitations as barring the action instituted by plaintiffs.

All relevant facts necessary for a decision are found in plaintiffs’ complaint and their answer to new matter averred by James J. Gerry, administrator of the estate of Philip Hugh Stambaugh, deceased. The issue presented for the court’s determination is whether section 35(6) of the Fiduciaries Act of 1917, as amended, is a bar to the action.

On January 17,1947, Philip Hugh Stambaugh, aged 17 years, was operating an automobile owned by his father, Robert J. Stambaugh, northwardly on Route 24 from Spry to York, Pa., at a point south of York, Pa. The vehicle operated by Philip Hugh Stambaugh collided with a vehicle operated by Victor Arnold, as the result of which the Arnolds were injured. As a result of the accident, Philip Hugh Stambaugh died on January 17, 1947.

On July 30, 1948, suit was instituted in trespass by the Arnolds against James J. Gerry, administrator of Philip Hugh Stambaugh, deceased, and the latter’s parents. The administrator pleaded the law of the statute of limitations, the cause of action having arisen on January 17, 1947, decedent having died that day, and no action having been brought for more than one year thereafter.

The action in the case is trespass for personal injuries and property damage. The accident occurred on [461]*461January 17, 1947, at approximately 9:14 p.m. Philip Hugh Stambaugh, the operator of assured’s automobile, died as the result of the accident. The following cases stand for the proposition that the bringing of the action in the case at bar is limited to one year, as is provided in section 35(6) of the Fiduciaries Act, as amended:

In Thompson et al. v. Peck et al., 320 Pa. 27 (1935), 181 Atl. 597, Mr. Justice Drew stated:

“At the time of Peck’s death plaintiffs had a claim against him for personal injuries alleged to have been caused by his negligence. The action was a personal one, and at common law it would have perished with the death of the wrongdoer. To remedy the injustice that resulted from the common-law rule whereby an injured party was denied all relief in the event of the wrongdoer’s death prior to the commencement of suit against him, statutes were passed from time to time providing for the survival of the cause of action. The provisions of these statutes have been re-enacted and supplemented by section 35 (b) of the Act of June 7, 1917, P. L. 447, as amended by the Act of March 30, 1921, P. L. 55, and the Act of May 2, 1925, P. L. 442. That section, as so amended, provides in part as follows : ‘Executors or administrators . . . shall be liable to be sued ... in any (personal) action . . . which might have been maintained against such decedent if he had lived. All such rights of action which were not barred by the statutes of limitation at the time of the death of decedent may be brought against his executors or administrators at any time within one year after the death of the decedent, notwithstanding the provisions of any statutes of limitations whereby they would have been sooner barred.’ Upon Peck’s death plaintiffs’ rights became subject to the provisions of this statute and were measured by it, and, unless suit was brought against the personal representatives [462]*462within the time therein prescribed, it is now completely-barred. Plaintiffs instituted no proceedings against defendants within the year following December 8, 1933, the date of Peck’s death, and their action is therefore barred by the statute. . . .

“No proceedings were taken against defendants until after the expiration of the year provided for by the statute; it follows that the action is barred.”

Mr. Justice Drew, the same justice who decided the Thompson case, supra, recently confirmed his interpretation of section 35(6) in the ease of Stegner v. Fenton, 351 Pa. 292, 40 A. (2d) 473 (January 18, 1945). This was a wrongful death action brought by the administrator of deceased against a living defendant. It was brought after one year but before two years from the date of the accident. Defendant tried to invoke the one-year limitation of section 35(6) but Justice Drew stated:

“The statute fixes no limitation of time as to personal actions which are brought by executors or administrators. The limitation of one year mentioned subsequently in the same section of the Act refers only to rights of action brought against executors and administrators.”

Judge Iobst, of Lehigh County, followed the Thompson case, supra, in his decision in the case of Cunningham v. Horlacher, 17 Lehigh 189 (1936), stating:

“The second reason for the entry of the compulsory non-suit is sound in view of the construction of the law on this subject, laid down by our Supreme Court in the case of Thompson et al. vs. Peck et al., 320 Pa. 27 ... In the instant case the proceedings were initiated on January 11,1935. The action was brought against the estate of Frederick D. Horlacher, the alleged wrongdoer, who died on January 10, 1934. It is clearly evident that these proceedings were not instituted within one year after the death of the decedent [463]*463and plaintiff’s action is therefore barred by the statute. . . .”

In the case of Hoppl’s Estate, 27 Northamp. 299 (May 6,1940), the facts were as follows:

On July 23 (or 26), 1938 (these two dates are in dispute), decedent and plaintiff were riding in a car driven by decedent and an accident occurred, allegedly caused by the negligence of decedent, injuring plaintiff and killing decedent. Plaintiff failed to bring an action by July 26,1939, but after that time he cited the widow of the decedent to take out letters of administration in order that he might bring suit against the estate. The” petition for citation was denied by Laub, J., saying:

“. . . his right to bring an action was limited to a period of one year from either July 23, 1938, or July 26, 1938, or the statute of limitations barred his right of action on July 23rd or July 26, 1939.”

This case supports the position of defendant in the case at bar because, normally, had decedent lived, plaintiff would have had until July 23, or July 26,1910, to bring his action, but the court held that section 35(6) limited his right of action to one year.

In Beckman, Secretary of Banking, v. Owens, 135 Pa. Superior Ct. 404 (1939), the facts were that a few days before the expiration of one year from the death of decedent, a creditor brought an action in assumpsit against the executrix named in the will of decedent, and, approximately one week later, defendant executrix probated the will and letters testamentary were granted to her. The summons and statement of claim were served upon her. It was accordingly held that suit was properly brought and that service on the executrix was valid. It will be noticed that in this case the facts show the suit was brought before the expiration of one year from the date of the death of decedent. In this case, however, the court inferentially stated [464]

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Related

McGrann v. Allen
140 A. 552 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1927)
Thompson v. Peck
181 A. 597 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1935)
Stegner v. Fenton
40 A.2d 473 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1945)
Bangert v. Provident T. Co., Exr.
171 A. 564 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1934)
Beckman, SEC. of Bkg. v. Owens, Ex.
5 A.2d 626 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1939)

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Bluebook (online)
73 Pa. D. & C. 459, 1949 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 148, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/arnold-v-stambaugh-pactcomplyork-1949.