Barnes v. Bartlett

47 Ind. 98
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedMay 15, 1874
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 47 Ind. 98 (Barnes v. Bartlett) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barnes v. Bartlett, 47 Ind. 98 (Ind. 1874).

Opinion

Buskirk, J.

The errors assigned call in question the action of the court in sustaining demurrers to the first, third, and fourth paragraphs of the complaint. When the ruling of the court was announced, the appellant dismissed the second paragraph, and refusing to plead further, final judgment was rendered for the appellee.

The first, third, and fourth paragraphs of the complaint, and the deed mentioned therein, are as follows:

“Par. 1. The plaintiff complains of the defendant, and says that on the 31st day of December, 1866, said defendant and Opha Barnes executed to said defendant a deed, a ■copy of which is herewith filed, marked ‘ A,’ and made part ■of this paragraph; that at the time of the execution of said ■deed, it was not the agreement or intention of the parties to convey to said defendant the personal estate inherited from his said son, Thomas B. Barnes, deceased, who died on or about the 23d day of December, 1866; that at the time of [99]*99the death of the said Thomas B. Barnes, the said defendant was the guardian at law of the said Thomas B. Barnes, and held in his hands as such guardian the sum of one thousand five hundred dollars, to which, after the death of the said Thomas B. Barnes, the said plaintiff was sole heir at law; that at the time of the execution of said deed, it was expressly agreed, by and between said plaintiff and defendant, that the word ‘ personal,’ as applied to estate mentioned in said deed, was not to convey to said defendant the personal estate in his hands as such guardian; but said defendant falsely and fraudulently represented to said plaintiff that he only wished the conveyance so made that it might operate as a receipt to him in settling his guardianship with the court; and that said defendant would pay to the plaintiff the amount in his hands, as such guardian aforesaid, after the payment of all claims against said estate and the expenses of said guardianship ; that the representations so made by defendant were wholly false and fraudulent, and made with fraudulent intent to cheat the plaintiff out of his right by inheritance to said personal estate; wherefore plaintiff prays that said deed may be so reformed as to make it conform to the intention and agreement of the parties thereto as aforesaid, and he prays judgment against said defendant for the sum of one thousand five hundred dollars, the amount in his hands as such guardian, belonging to the estate of said ward, which is now due plaintiff, and remains wholly unpaid, there never having been any administrator appointed for the estate of said decedent; and he prays for all other proper relief.

Par. 3. And plaintiff further complains of said defendant, and says that on the 31st day of December, 1866, the plaintiff and his wife, Opha A. Barnes, executed a deed to* defendant purporting to convey certain real estate to defendant, a copy of which is filed as an exhibit to the first paragraph herein, marked ‘ A,’ and also made a part of this paragraph ; and plaintiff avers that the said Thomas B. Barnes mentioned in said deed was the son of plaintiff, and died on the 23d day of December, 1866, leaving surviving him as [100]*100his sole heir at law the plaintiff; that said Thomas B.. Barnes died seized in fee simple of an undivided interest in the following real estate in Warren county, Indiana, to which plaintiff is entitled by virtue of his inheritance from said Thomas B. Barnes, to wit(We omit description.)

“ And he further avers that said pretended deed was executed without any consideration, and is void because of such want of consideration and uncertainty; and he further avers, that said defendant is claiming to be the owner of said interest in said real estate by virtue of said deed; wherefore plaintiff prays that said deed, as to said real estate mentioned, therein, be set aside and declared void, and for all other proper relief.

" Par. 4. And said plaintiff further complains of said defendant, and says that on the 31st day of December, 1866,, said plaintiff and Opha A. Barnes, his wife, executed to> defendant a deed, a copy of which, marked exhibit ' A,’ is. filed as a part of the first paragraph herein, and also made part of this paragraph; that by the terms of said instrument, the real and personal estate of Thomas B. Barnes, deceased,’ was conveyed to Thomas Bartlett, defendant; that previous to the death of said decedent he was a minor, under the age of twenty-one years, a son of plaintiff, and nephew of defendant, who was also his guardian at law, and as such had in his hands the personal estate of said ward, of the value of one thousand five hundred dollars; and when said ward died, December 23d, 18Ó6, he left as his sole heir at law the plaintiff herein; that there never was any administrator appointed for said decedent’s estate, there being no claims-uncollected in favor of same, and no claims against the same except such as pertained to said guardianship. And he further avers, that a part of the consideration for said conveyance of said real and personal estate was the agreement then and there of defendant to settle up said guardianship as speedily as possible, and after paying all claims against the same, and taking to himself credit for all his expenses, and liberal compensation for his services as such guardian, to pay [101]*101over to the plaintiff a sum equal to the surplus of said moneys left remaining in his hands; that in violation of his said agreement, he fraudulently failed to charge himself with one thousand five hundred dollars then in his hands as such guardian, and falsely and fraudulently stated to the court in his only account current, that he had charged himself with all sums come to his hands; and he avers that said sum of ■one thousand five hundred dollars still remains in said defendant’s hands over and above all credits aforesaid, to which he was entitled; which sum, with interest thereon from the-day of-, 18—, is due plaintiff, and remains wholly unpaid; wherefore plaintiff demands judgment for one thousand five hundred dollars, costs, and other proper relief.

“ Exhibit A.

“This indenture witnesseth, that James W. Barnes and Opha A. Barnes, his wife, of Oxford, Benton county, Indiana, doth hereby convey, transfer, assign, and set over to Thomas Bartlett, of Warren county, state aforesaid, for and in consideration of one hundred dollars, and •other and further satisfactory considerations, all and singular all right, title and interest, claim and demand, in and to all the estate, real and personal, and of every name, nature, ikind, and description, divided and undivided, which it is or may be our right, to us or either of us to have, hold, or receive as heir at law of Thomas Barnes, lately deceased, who was the son of the said James W. Barnes, and the only child surviving Elizabeth Barnes, deceased, the mother of the said Thomas Barnes. The said Elizabeth, deceased, being one of the children deceased, and heir at law of Thomas Bartlett, Senior, and Salvina Bartlett, late of said county of Warren, deceased. Hereby vesting in the said Thomas Bartlett all the right, interest, and estate, real and personal, or otherwise, that we or either of us have or can have as heir at law of the said Thomas Bartlett, deceased, son of the said Elizabeth Barnes, deceased, and said James W. Barnes, grantor herein,

“ In witness whereof) the said James W. Barnes and Opha [102]*102A. Barnes, his wife, for and on account of the consideration, herein mentioned, hath hereunto set their hands and seals, this ■ 31st day of December, 1866.

“ James W. Barnes. [Seal.]

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Bluebook (online)
47 Ind. 98, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barnes-v-bartlett-ind-1874.