Divine v. Skrotsky

8 Pa. D. & C. 717, 1926 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 139
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Schuylkill County
DecidedNovember 22, 1926
DocketNo. 1
StatusPublished

This text of 8 Pa. D. & C. 717 (Divine v. Skrotsky) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Schuylkill County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Divine v. Skrotsky, 8 Pa. D. & C. 717, 1926 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 139 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1926).

Opinion

Bergek, J.,

This is a bill in equity, praying, substantially, (1) for a decree to set aside a private sale of real estate which vested in the [718]*718minor children of Agnes Mistysyn, deceased, as her heirs or devisees, made pursuant to an order of the Orphans’ Court upon the petition of the minors’ guardian, and to direct the purchaser thereof, Y. M. Skrotsky, one of the defendants, to reconvey it to a trustee to be named by the court, in trust for the said minors, or else that he, Skrotsky, be declared a trustee ex maleficio for them; (2) for an order giving the trustee to be so appointed, or to be so declared, the power to rent the property pending its sale by the trustee by direction of the court, either privately or publicly, free and clear of all encumbrances, including those imposed upon the property by the purchaser, Skrotsky; and (3) for an order marshaling the liens of record entered against the property since its acquisition by Skrotsky, and distributing the proceeds of the proposed sale to those legally entitled thereto. A decree pro confesso, regularly taken against Skrotsky, and an answer raising preliminary objections to the bill filed on behalf of the other defendants, lien creditors of Skrotsky, raise the questions which are for determination.

Facts.

1. Agnes Mistysyn, a resident of Schuylkill County, died April 15, 1924, leaving to survive her seven children, ranging in age from six to sixteen years. Her estate, real and personal, was approximately $20,000 in value.

2. April 24, 1924, Y. M. Skrotsky was appointed administrator of the estate of Agnes Mistysyn, and furnished a bond for $10,000, with Michael Kudlick, John Kuzio, Alexander Kosh and Mike Suranczak as sureties.

3. April 26, 1924, Alex. Kosh was appointed guardian of each of the minor children of Agnes Mistysyn by the Orphans’ Court of Schuylkill County, and furnished bond in the sum of $2000 in each appointment. His sureties are Jerry Fetzenko, Mike Saraeczak or Suranczak, John Kuzio and Ellias Kosh.

4. With the exception of Michael Kudlick, one of the sureties for the administrator, the sureties for him and for the guardian are the same persons.

5. The bonds furnished by Skrotsky, as administrator, and by Kosh, as guardian, are insufficient.

6. June 9, 1924, Alex. Kosh, as guardian for his wards, presented his petition to the Orphans’ Court of Schuylkill County, setting forth, inter alia, “that the said Agnes Mistysyn was, at the time of her death, seized in fee (inter alia) of three contiguous lots of ground, situate in said Township of New Castle, in what is known as Amout’s Addition to Saint Clair, situate at the corner of Broad and Dick Streets, each lot containing in front 20 feet and in depth 120 feet, and known on the map or plan of said Addition as lots Nos. 23, 24 and 25, in Block A, which the said decedent purchased only recently, to wit, on Feb. 4th, for the sum of $1050, and which, in the judgment of your petitioner, are now worth about that sum. That the said lots are vacant, unimproved and unproductive, yielding no income for the benefit of the said minors, and are a burden upon their estates to the extent, at least, that taxes must be paid thereon,” and that Y. M. Skrotsky had “offered the sum of $1500 for the said above described lots,” whereupon the Orphans’ Court made an order as follows: “And now, June 9, 1924, the foregoing petition having been read and duly considered, and the court being of the opinion that it is for the advantage of said minors that the said proposed sale should be carried into effect, and that said sale may be made without injury or prejudice to any trust or charity, or any purpose for which the said lands are held, and without violating any law which may confer an immunity or exemption from sale or alienation, do now approve and decree a private sale and conveyance of said premises by the said Alexander Kosh, guardian, to the [719]*719said Rev. Y. M. Skrotsky, upon the terms and conditions in said petition set forth; and the said Alexander Kosh to give bond in the sum of $3000 for the faithful application of the proceeds of such sale. By the Court, Nathan J. Lutz, C. O. C.”

7. The real estate directed to be sold by the order of June 9, 1924, was acquired by the decedent Feb. 4, 1924, by purchase for the price or sum of $1050, and her expenses in connection with the purchase were $29. After its purchase and before her death, Agnes Mistysyn, the decedent, had expended the sum of $2026.42 in its improvement, which fact was not recited in the guardian’s petition praying for the order of sale.

8. After the death of Agnes Mistysyn, April 15, 1924, Y. M. Skrotsky, administrator of the estate of Agnes Mistysyn, expended the sum of $822.63 out of the funds of the estate for further improvements made on the said lots.

9. Pursuant to the order of sale made by the Orphans’ Court, June 9, 1924, Alex. Kosh, as guardian, on June 16, 1924, granted and conveyed to Y. M. Skrotsky the real estate covered by the order of sale, without requiring payment of the consideration by the grantee, and the grantee’s deed was recorded in the office for Recording of Deeds in and for the County of Schuylkill, in Deed Book 449, page 662.

10. After the delivery of the deed to him, Skrotsky proceeded with and completed the erection begun by Agnes Mistysyn, in her lifetime, of a hall and dwelling-house on the lots conveyed to him, and he claims that he was offered $28,000 for the property as so improved, which is its approximate value.

11. Alex. Kosh, as guardian, received $6000 insurance, payable to his wards as beneficiaries, and endorsed the checks for its payment over to Y. M. Skrotsky without any consideration.

12. Y. M. Skrotsky cashed the checks endorsed over to him by Alex. Kosh as guardian, and expended the proceeds in the erection and completion of the hall and dwelling-house aforesaid.

13. Y. M. Skrotsky, as administrator of Agnes Mistysyn, came into possession of bank deposits amounting to $1169.96, the property of the decedent, which he also used in the erection and completion of the hall and dwelling-house aforesaid.

14. Y. M. Skrotsky, before he took out letters of administration upon the estate of Agnes Mistysyn, deceased, was informed by her daughter, Anna Mistysyn, that her mother had died leaving a will, but both Skrotsky and his attorney told Anna Mistysyn that it was not necessary to probate the will and that they would look after her interests and those of her brothers and sisters.

15. Y. M. Skrotsky, as administrator of the estate of Agnes Mistysyn, and Alex. Kosh, as guardian of her minor children, conspired together to get possession of and to control the disposition of the estate of Agnes Mistysyn in a manner contrary to law.

16. Y. M. Skrotsky, as administrator, and Alex. Kosh, as guardian, were advised by the same attorney until Jan. 26,1926, and no inventory or appraisement of the estate of Agnes Mistysyn was ever made or filed by her administrator, Y. M. Skrotsky.

17. Agnes Mistysyn, at the time of her decease and for sometime prior thereto, conducted a general grocery store, and, after her decease, Anna Mistysyn, now Divine, the eldest of her children, continued the business and maintained her brothers and sisters from the proceeds of the business.

18. Anna Divine, sometime after Jan. 26, 1926, learned that Y. M.

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Bluebook (online)
8 Pa. D. & C. 717, 1926 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 139, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/divine-v-skrotsky-pactcomplschuyl-1926.