Bell v. Altheimer

138 S.W. 993, 99 Ark. 529, 1911 Ark. LEXIS 287
Supreme Court of Arkansas·Decided June 26, 1911·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

Kirby, J.

This suit was brought by plaintiff to surcharge and falsify the accounts and settlements of the executors. The complaint is long, voluminous, indefinite and uncertain. It alleges that John Miles died in Jefferson County on November 6, 1903, and on June 16 before executed his last will, a copy of which was set out. By its terms, after directing the payment of the testator’s debts, he gave to his grandson, Johnnie Bell, and the heirs of his body certain lands, describing them, “his home place in Lincoln County, known as the 'John Williams plantation,’ and five hundred dollars, also the west half iy%) of lot one (1), block nineteen (19), Tannehill & Owen’s Addition to the city of Pine Bluff.” To his wife,. Matilda Miles, all of his stock and interest in the American Building & Loan Association under certificate No. 65 and five hundred dollars in money, and the east half (}4) of lot one (1), block nineteen (19), Tannehill & Owen’s Addition to the cityr of Pine Bluff, Ark., “and all of my household furniture and any and all of my personal property owned by me now or that I may hereafter acquire not.mentioned herein that I may die seized and possessed of. I also give and bequeath to Matilda Miles one-fourth interest in the rent from my home place in Lincoln County, Arkansas, during her life, and that the said Johnnie Bell shall not sell his home place during the life of Matilda Miles.” Then follows the bequest of a feather bed and one hundred dollars to Howard McCay, and next he devised to his sister his plantation in the' State of Mississippi known as the Aaron Miles place. The will concludes:

“I direct that the property bequeathed herein to said Jonnie Bell shall not be turned over to him until he becomes twenty-five years of age, and, should I die before he arrives at the age of twenty-five years, then I direct that the property conveyed by the terms of this will to the said Johnnie Bell be rented out to the best advantage, and the rents arising therefrom, or so much thereof as will be necessary, to be used and applied to the education, support and maintenance of the said Johnnie Bell. Should I die before the said Johnnie Bell arrives at the age of twenty-five years, and should the said George W. Bell survive me, .then and in that event the rents and profits arising from said property, nor no part of the same, shall be applied to the education, support and maintenance of the said Johnnie Bell, but shall remain in the possession of the executors hereinafter named. It is my desire that the property and its rents be turned over to the said Johnnie Bell at the time he arrives at the age of twenty-five years, except I direct my executors shall pay to him one hundred dollars annually from the date of my death until he arrives at the age of twenty-five years. I direct that the executors herein shall, so far as it-is in their power, forbid the said George W. Bell from having possession, control or in any way exercising any control or management of the property conveyed to the said Johnnie Bell by this will. ******** I hereby appoint S. J. Altheimer and Matilda Miles, of the City of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, executors of this, my last will and testament, and that the said executors give the required bond, upon talcing possession of the property mentioned in this will.”

The complaint further alleged that the said John Miles was the grandfather of the minor, Johnnie Bell, and the owner of the property referred to in the will at the time of his death; that the will was duly probated, and S. J. Altheimer and Matilda Miles duly qualified as executors thereof; that they failed to charge themselves with certain personal property shown bj7 the inventory set out to be household and kitchen furniture, except a buggy, mare and colt, and some books, and valued by the appraisement at $324.50, the mare, colt, buggy and books being appraised at $75, $25, $30 and $20; that they should have first paid the debts against the estate out of the personal property ■thereof, and then divided the remainder pro rata among the legatees named in said will; that' they paid all the legatees in the will except the appellant in full, the executrix, Matilda Miles, receiving the whole amount except one hundred dollars; that said payments were made partially out of the rents received from 'tine plantation and house belonging to appellant; that, in violation of the terms of said will, they had paid to Matilda Miles, one of the executors, one-fourth of the gross rents derived from .the plantation in Lincoln County, when she was entitled only to one-fourth of the net proceeds of the rents of said plantation, thereby paying her $332.55 according to settlement more than was due, and not leaving the amount of the rents in their hands for him to which he was entitled under the will. It was alleged further that they had paid out of the rents derived from the -house situated upon the half lot in Pine Bluff given to him the taxes and assessments due upon the whole of the lot, the east half of it belonging to and in the possession of Matilda Miles, as well as the portion belonging to him. That, because of these wrongful payments and credits, said executors did not have in their hands to foe paid over to him upon his arrival at twenty-five years of age, -the following amount, to wit:

First: His pro rata of five hundred dollar bequest......$ 294.00
Second: Due from rents of Lincoln County lands, deducting the annuity............................ 741.73
Third: Due from rents of said west half of lot 1 block 19-..................................... 226.15
Total amount due plaintiff ................................................$1,261.88

and that “said defendants as executors of said estate, with a view of wronging, cheating and defrauding this plaintiff, have so made their accounts and their settlements with the probate court of the said county that he has been wronged, cheated and defrauded as aforesaid, and, unless relief be granted him by this court, said sum wil-1 have been squandered and lost as to him entirely, inasmuch as plaintiff, as to all of said settlements so made and filed, and which have been approved by the probate court of said county, has lost his right of appeal, except probably as to the fourth annual settlement.”

“And plaintiff states that executor, Matilda Miles, as will be seen, has been overpaid, and she has received from the estate of deceased, in fraud of the rights of plaintiff, and not of the rent moneys and amount due him, the sum of ten hundred and eight dollars and one cent ($1008.01), for which sum she should be made and compelled to account to this plaintiff.

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Bell v. Altheimer, 138 S.W. 993, 99 Ark. 529, 1911 Ark. LEXIS 287 (Ark. 1911).

138 S.W. 993 (Bell v. Altheimer) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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