Carrol v. Connet

25 Ky. 195, 2 J.J. Marsh. 195, 1829 Ky. LEXIS 69
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedOctober 8, 1829
StatusPublished

This text of 25 Ky. 195 (Carrol v. Connet) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carrol v. Connet, 25 Ky. 195, 2 J.J. Marsh. 195, 1829 Ky. LEXIS 69 (Ky. Ct. App. 1829).

Opinion

Judge Robertson,

delivered the opinion of the Court.

In July, 1796, William Connet was married to Sally Carrol,, a daughter of Demsy Carrol,.

[196]*196In October, 1796, William Connet died intestate, in Mason county, in this state, where he had settled with his wife, about twro months before his death. He left his widow pregnant, with the defendant, William C. Connet, who was born about eight months after his father’s death.

The widow was qualified as the administratrix of her deceased husband, and had his goods' and chattels appraised. The appraisement, without the signature of the administratrix, was returned to the Mason county court; a copy of which, certified by the clerk of that court, is exhibited in this case, as the principal evidence of the amount of the decedent’s estate. From which it appears, that the estate consisted of a female slave, (Chloe) and her infant son, Peter, about five years old at the date of the appraisement, in 1796, of seventy barrels of corn, some few articles of household furniture, and the clothes, and spurs, and sleeve buttons of the intestate. At his death, William Connet, was also in possession of a female slave, (Malinda) which had been brought into his family from his father-in-law, by his wife. But as D. Carrol, the father o.f Mrs. Connet, claimed this girl as his property, and took her into possession immediately after W. Connet’s death, she was not appraised. And as there is evidence in the record? tending to prove that Malinda was not the property of W. Connet, and showing clearly, that she died in a few month’s after his death, she will not be further noticed in this opinion. These facts in relation to her, have been suggested, only to show the reason why, in deciding on the claims of the defendant, she will not be considered.

On the day of W. Connet’s burial, the widow was removed to her father’s, whither she carried the slaves, Chloe and Peter, and where she and her son, (the defendant in error) after his birth, lived until 1804, when she was married to James Blinco.

Shortly after her last marriage, she left her father’s house, carrying with her, her son, who lived with her and Blinco, in Mason county, until 1809, when they removed to Hapdin county, whither he went with them, and where he lived with them, generally, until 1814, when his mother died.

[197]*197During the interval which elapsed from the death of W. Connet, to that of his widow, Chloe had borne four children, to-wit: Alfred, born in 1797; Cate ’99; Jordan, in 1802, and Joe, in 1806, all of whom were living and in Blinco’s possession at the death of his wife. During the life of the administratrix, some of the slaves were occasionally hired out.

No inventory was ever made to the county court, nor was there ever any assignment of dower, or settlement of the administration, or distribution of the estate.

Nor does it appear that any guardian was appointed for W. C. Connet, until after his mother’s death, when in 1816, Benjamin Bean being appointed guardian, made application to Blinco for the slaves, who, aboiit ten months after his wife’s death, surrendered them all. W. C. Connet, until 1815, seerns to have been under the control and tutelage of his mother, and natural guardian, and of Blinco, who acted towards him, in loco parentis. During most of this lime, W. C, Connet,performed services and labor asoné of the family, and was, occasionally, sent to school.

On the 12th of July, 18?4, this suit in chancery was brought for distribution of the personal estate, and for the hire of the slaves.

Alleging the death ”of Demsy Carrol, and that no administration had been granted on Mrs. Blinco’s estate, the bill is filed against Joseph Carrol, one of the executors of D. Carrol, and against Jane Carrol, administratrix with the will annexed, of Sandford Carrol, who was executor of Lawson Carrol, another executor of Demsy Carrol, and who was also one of the securities for the executors of D. Carl-ol, and against Surge Curtis and Henry Small, two other securities for said executors, and also against Daniel Lee, William Porter and Jeremiah Martin, securities for the administratrix, Jane Carrol. Añ amended bill suggests Small’s death, and makes his administrators, William Reid and Elisha Cogwell, defendants.

Some of the defendants answered, and resisted the right of the complainant to any decree against them, on three grounds. 1st. That they were not liable. 2d. That the proper parties were not made. 3d. [198]*198That the complainant had received as much as he was entitled to.

Bill in ohan-eery,the appropriate remedy against adm’x. and securities, to obtain distributive share, and securities may be sued alone, if adm’x. dead, and unrepresented.

Against others of the defendants, who did not answer, the bill was taken for confessed.

On the final hearing, in 1827, the circuit court decreed in favor of the complainant below, defendant here, $1317 90 1-2 cents, against the defendants below, plaintiffs here, jointly, and to be levied, dt bonis propriis.

This aggregate is compounded of three items. 1st. The amount of the inventory, after deducting the value of the slaves. 2d. The value of the use of the slaves, from W. Connet’s death until ten months, after Mrs. Blinco’s death. 3d. The labor of W. C. Connet, whilst living in the family of his mother. On all of which interest is charged by the decree,, from 181 b, when the slaves were surrendered to the guardian. Compensation to the administratrix is set off against the interest accruing before 1815, and no Mrefunding bond” i's required,

The plaintiffs assign various errors to this decree. We shall not notice them in regular order. But they will all be embraced in the scope of the opinion, which we are about to give. We shall first notice the principles of the decree, and next its minuter details.

Under the first head, the first and most radical objection which is presented, by the plaintiffs is, that they are not liable in this suit, to any decree in favor of the defendant in error. This objection is untenable. No authorities need be cited to show that a suit in chancery is an appropriate remedy by a distributee against the administratrix and her securities. They may be sued alone, when she is dead, and is unrepresented, as in this case. Graves et al. vs. Downey et al. III. Monroe, 354; Spotswood vs. Dandridge, IV. Munford, 296; Taliferro and Gaines vs. Thornton et ux.-Call,-Coxe’s heirs vs. Strode, II. Bibb, 276.

These authorities establish the still more extensive principle, that “a court of equity may, at the suit of [199]*199a legatee (and of course a distributee) and without any previous suit having been brought against the executor (or administrator) to convict him of a devas-tavit, convene the securities or their representatives, and make the securities liable for any misapplication or wasting of the assets which shall be established in the suit above mentioned.”

If adm’x. marry, she cannot act without husband’s concurrence, and his estate is chargeable, in equity, for any waste committed, & her securities continue liable, for all acts done during cover-ture. Omission, in adm’rs. bona, of the stipulation usually inserted for benefit of creditors, will not protect securities, from suit by distributees.

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Bluebook (online)
25 Ky. 195, 2 J.J. Marsh. 195, 1829 Ky. LEXIS 69, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carrol-v-connet-kyctapp-1829.