Cronan v. Holland

Supreme Court of Rhode Island

Cronan v. Holland

33 A. 872, 19 R.I. 368, 1896 R.I. LEXIS 7

DecidedFebruary 11, 1896

StatusPublished

This text of 33 A. 872 (Cronan v. Holland) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Cronan v. Holland, 33 A. 872, 19 R.I. 368, 1896 R.I. LEXIS 7 (R.I. 1896).

Pincite

Opinion

Matteson, C. J.

The second clause of the will directs the complainant, as executor, to take the charge and possession of the income of the testator’s property until such time as he can derive from it sufficient moneys to pay the testator’s funeral expenses, just debts, and the legacies bequeathed in the will. . The will thus, in effect, constitutes the executor a trustee, and provides for the payment of the legacies out of the income of the estate. We are of the opinion, therefore, that the. legatees are not entitled to maintain suits for the collection of the legacies against the executor, or to enforce the charge by bill against the estate, which would be their remedy except for the provision directing the payment of the legacies out of the income; Mathewson v. Arnold, 12 R. I. 145 ; or, at any rate, that they cannot maintain such a bill until it becomes apparent that the income of the property will not 'be sufficient in any reasonable time for the payment of the legacies. The only remedy to which they are entitled is a bill for an ac *369 count, if the executor unreasonably refuses to render them an account of the income.

Dennis H. Sheahan, for complainant. Warren JR,. Perce, Daniel JR. Ballou & Clifford S. Tower, for respondents.

An injunction restraining the prosecution of the suit at-law against the executor in the District Court of the Sixth Judicial District is granted.

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Matteson, C. J.

The second clause of the will directs the complainant, as executor, to take the charge and possession of the income of the testator’s property until such time as he can derive from it sufficient moneys to pay the testator’s funeral expenses, just debts, and the legacies bequeathed in the will. . The will thus, in effect, constitutes the executor a trustee, and provides for the payment of the legacies out of the income of the estate. We are of the opinion, therefore, that the. legatees are not entitled to maintain suits for the collection of the legacies against the executor, or to enforce the charge by bill against the estate, which would be their remedy except for the provision directing the payment of the legacies out of the income; Mathewson v. Arnold, 12 R. I. 145 ; or, at any rate, that they cannot maintain such a bill until it becomes apparent that the income of the property will not 'be sufficient in any reasonable time for the payment of the legacies. The only remedy to which they are entitled is a bill for an ac *369 count, if the executor unreasonably refuses to render them an account of the income.

Dennis H. Sheahan, for complainant. Warren JR,. Perce, Daniel JR. Ballou & Clifford S. Tower, for respondents.

An injunction restraining the prosecution of the suit at-law against the executor in the District Court of the Sixth Judicial District is granted.

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Bluebook (online)

33 A. 872, 19 R.I. 368, 1896 R.I. LEXIS 7, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cronan-v-holland-ri-1896.