Carter v. Davis

164 S.E. 264, 174 Ga. 824, 1932 Ga. LEXIS 153
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
DecidedMay 13, 1932
DocketNos. 8728, 8729, 8732
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 164 S.E. 264 (Carter v. Davis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carter v. Davis, 164 S.E. 264, 174 Ga. 824, 1932 Ga. LEXIS 153 (Ga. 1932).

Opinion

Gilbert, J.

These three bills of exceptions assign error on the several portions of the decree rendered, and all grow out of the equitable proceeding filed by the superintendent of banks against “0. A. Carter as trustee succeeding the late T. E. Atkins under the terms and provisions of the last will and testament of Fannie A. Sanders,” and Maynard B. Sanders as administrator cum testamento annexo de bonis non of the estate of Mrs. Fannie A. Sanders. They will all be considered together.

By her will, item 3, Mrs. Fannie A. Sanders left to her daughter, Mrs. Montine Sanders Hinton, 184 shares of stock in the State Banking Company of Gainesville, “to be held in trust . . for and during her natural life, and at her death to be divided equally between the surviving children of the said Montine Sanders Hinton, share and share alike.” To each of three grandchildren, Maynard B., Helen J., and Marie Armontine Sanders (children of her deceased son B. J. Sanders), she left 61 shares of stock in the same institution. The will, item 8, also provided that a parcel of real estate described as “the State Bank Building, located on the public square of Gainesville, Hall County, Georgia,” should be “held in trust by my executor . . until the death of my daughter, Montine Sanders Hinton, and at her death to be sold at public or private sale, and to be divided equally, share and share alike,” between the “living children” of B. J. Sanders and Montine Sanders Hinton. The executor named in the will, and [826]*826who it was provided should hold in trust the property mentioned, was T. E. Atkins. Mrs. Sanders died on September 1, 1924. Atkins immediately took possession of the 184 shares left by the will to Mrs. Hinton and her children, and in 1925 they were transferred on the books of the bank to him as “such trustee.” Mrs. Hinton died on February 7, 1930. Atkins died on May 1, 1930. On petition to the superior court of Hall County, Oliver Carter, on July 5, 1930, was “designated as new trustee to hold the property described [the parcel of real estate], . . and to execute the trust designated by the said 8th item.” Maynard R. Sanders became administrator with the will annexed of the estate of Mrs. Fannie Sanders.

On May 5, 1930, the affairs of State Banking Company were surrendered to the superintendent of banks for liquidation. During the incumbency of Atkins as executor, the petition alleges, the estate of Mrs. Sanders became indebted to the bank, for money advanced for the benefit of the estate, on two promissory notes, one for $1666.66, the other for $653.03. The superintendent of banks made an assessment of 100 per cent, against the stock bequeathed to Mrs. Hinton and held by Carter as successor trustee, and also the stock held by Maynard R., Helen, and Armontine Sanders. Executions were levied on the real estate above referred to. The superintendent of banks filed a petition which, in addition to what is set out above, alleged that property belonging to the estate of Mrs. Sanders was, after the payment of debts of the estate, subject to the payment of the liability fixed by law for the stock in the State Banking Company bequeathed to the daughter and grandchildren of Mrs. Sanders; that Carter, as trustee for the children of Mrs. Montine Sanders Hinton, was in possession of the real estate; that he represented only such children, was interested only in their behalf and not in behalf of the creditors and others similarly situated, and refused to pay the assessment; that M. R. Sanders, administrator, refused to take any steps to recover possession of said property for the purpose of paying the debts due by said estate; that petitioner was entitled to have said property administered for the purpose of paying the debts of said estate; that the estate was without funds other than said building with which to satisfy said obligations; that the only asset in the possession of Carter, trustee, was the [827]*827bank building; that said building was not worth the amount of assessments upon the stock; that it was necessary for a court of equity to intervene in order to protect the interests of petitioner and the depositors represented by him; and that he was without adequate remedy at law. He prayed for decree determining the liability of the estate, and/or the trust created by the will in the real estate mentioned, to the stock assessments; that the real estate be sold and the proceeds applied- first to the payment of debts due by the estate of Mrs. Sanders on the notes, and then to the payment of the stock liability referred to; that a receiver be appointed to take charge of and sell the real estate; and for general relief.

In h'is answer Carter, as trustee, contended that the execution issued against him was wholly illegal, and that it could not be lawfully levied upon the real estate held by him as trustee; that, promptly after the will of Mrs.' Sanders was probated, Atkins as executor took charge of the estate and consented to the vesting of the legacy concerning the real estate; that he at once commenced paying the income from the real estate to Mrs. Hinton and continued to do so until her death; that upon consenting to the vesting of the legacy Atkins ceased to hold the property as executor and held it as trustee under the will; that Carter then held the property as successor trustee by appointment of the court; and that he was “informed and believes that the said notes do not represent legal or valid debts of the estate of Mrs. Fannie A. Sanders.” Sanders, administrator, admitted that the notes mentioned “represented advances of money made to said estate and for its benefit.”. He set up that the will did not authorize the executor to execute the notes, but admitted that the estate was indebted to the banking company in the sums as represented by said notes, and that the estate received benefits in that amount from plaintiff: bank; that he had no funds to employ counsel to maintain litigation or pay the expense of administration; that he had made diligent investigation and had been unable to find any property belonging to the estate, except an undivided half interest in two vacant lots; and that if the bank building referred to was not a part of the assets of the estate, the estate was insolvent.

The matter was submitted to the court, without a jury, on an [828]*828agreed statement of facts and on evidence taken. The interests of M. R., Helen, and Armontine Sanders in the real estate have been surrendered under the levy of the execution, and are not involved. The court found that the real estate in which the eighth item of Mrs. Sanders’ will created the trust should be sold by O. A. Carter, successor-trustee; that of the amount represented by the note for $653.03 the evidence authorized the finding that $314.57 was used for the purpose of paying taxes on the trust property; and that from the proceeds of the sale of the real estate this amount, with interest, should be paid to the superintendent of banks. There was a finding “against any recovery on behalf of the plaintiff on the note” for $1666.66, because “the executor was not authorized to borrow money,” and “the evidence not being sufficient” to show that any portion of the money represented by that note went to pay taxes. The decree further provided, that, after payment of the costs of litigation and the amount above mentioned, the balance of the proceeds from the sale should be applied in payment of the stock assessment against the children of Mrs. Montine Hinton.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Graves v. Carter
64 S.E.2d 450 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1951)
Field v. Manly
195 S.E. 406 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1938)
Wakem v. Duff
183 A. 128 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1936)
Wynne v. Mixon
176 S.E. 637 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1934)
State Banking Company v. Hinton
172 S.E. 42 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1933)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
164 S.E. 264, 174 Ga. 824, 1932 Ga. LEXIS 153, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carter-v-davis-ga-1932.