Epes's Adm'r. v. Dudley

5 Va. 437
CourtSupreme Court of Virginia
DecidedAugust 21, 1827
StatusPublished

This text of 5 Va. 437 (Epes's Adm'r. v. Dudley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Epes's Adm'r. v. Dudley, 5 Va. 437 (Va. 1827).

Opinion

Judge Care.

On the merits, there is no question about this case. The whole estate, both real and personal, being devised to the widow for life, and the crop being made on her land with her slaves, the year after the testator’s death, is, without doubt, of right hers, and may be properly recovered by her husband, as her administrator. The evidence stated and demurred to, is abundant to make out the case of the plaintiff. The only doubt in the case is, on the demurrer to the declaration.

It is objected, that there is a misjoinder of counts; the two last being incompatible with the three first, because the three first charge the defendant as administrator of A. Epes, upon promises of 'the intestate; and the two last charge him upon his own promises; so that upon the first three, the proper judgment would be de bonis testatoris, and on the two last, de bonis propriis. If this be true, if the counts be so framed, that the proper judgment on the first set, would be against the goods of the intestate, and on the second, against the proper goods of the administrator, it must be acknowledged that the declaration is bad on general demurrer.

The first count is a general indebitatus assumpsit for $ 784 for wheat sold by the plaintiff’s intestate, while sole, to the defendant’s intestate. The second count is for the [439]*439¿ame sum as money laid out, paid and expended, by the plaintiff’s intestate, while sole, to the defendant’s intestate, and for money had and received. The third count was a quantum vaiebat for the same parcel of wheat mentioned in the first count, sold and delivered by the plaintiff’s intestate, while sole, to the defendant’s intestate. The fourth count states, that the defendant’s intestate, being indebted to the plaintiff’s intestate, while sole, for wheat sold, money had and received, and money lent and advanced, died so indebted, and in consideration thereof, the defendant, as administrator, assumed to pay the same to the plaintiff’s intestate, while sole. The last count is an insimul computassent, between the plaintiff as administrator aforesaid, and the defendant as administrator of «4. Epes, of and concerning divers sums, by the defendant as administrator as aforesaid, to the plaintiff as administrator as aforesaid, due and unpaid; upon which account stated, it was found that the defendant, as administrator as aforesaid, was indebted to the plaintiff, as administrator as aforesaid, the sum of $784; in consideration thereof, &c.

Now, these counts seem to me all consistent, all seeking ilie same sum of the defendant, in the same character of administrator, and not at all in his own character. Nor ean I see how a judgment in this case, and on this declaration, could be given against him de bonis propriis. This is very different from the case in Hobart, 88, of Hurrenden v. Palmer, where the widow was sued as administratrix of her husband, and the declaration charged, that, the intestate had bought, of the plaintiff gold and silver and pearl, to the amount of 200/., and that after his death, the, defendant had bought of him pearl to the amount of 27/., and that upon account, she was found indebted both these sums, and promised to pay. Judgment for the plaintiff’, and reversed on error, because the defendant was charged in two manners; one, in her own right, and the other, as administratrix. But here, the whole charge against the defendant is as administra for: and the last count1;: [440]*440charging a promise of the administrator, and an accounting with him, are frequently thrown in to avoid the statute of limitations; 2 Saund. 117, c., and does not change the character in which the defendant is charged, nor authorise different judgment. It might have been better, (because more clear and explicit,) to have added in the last count, that they accounted together concerning money due from the intestate of the defendant to the intestate of the plaintiff; but, I cannot think the omission renders the declaration bad.

The judgment ought to be affirmed.

Judge Gkeen.

William Epes, who died in March or April, 1818, by his will, lent to his wife Eliza, his whole estate, real and personal, during her life. Archibald Epes, the executor of William, managed the estate, which was kept together, and in 1819, received the proceeds of the crop of wheat made that year, and passed it to the credit of his testator’s estate. He died, and Benjamin Cocke administered on his estate. Joseph Dudley intermarried with the widow of William Epes; and she dying, J. Dudley administered on her estate, and brought this suit in that character, against Cocke as administrator of Epes, for the purpose of recovering the money which Epes had received for the crop of wheat of 1819.

There are several counts upon the assumpsits of Epes to the intestate of the plaintiff, while sole, and a count upon the assumpsit of Epes’s administrator, to the intestate of the plaintiff while sole, to pay the debt of his intestate. The terms of the declaration in this count, are, after stating the debt to be due from Epes to the intestate of the plaintiHi, “The said defendant, as administrator as aforesaid, in consideration thereof, undertook, &c.” There is also a count upon an account stated between the plaintiff as administrator, and the defendant as administrator, concerning di[441]*441vers sums of money due by the defendant as administrator, to the plaintiff as administrator, upon which the defendant, as administrator, was found indebted to the plaintiff as administra!or; in consideration whereof, the defendant, as administrator, promised to pay whenever he, as trator as aforesaid, should be thereto required.

To this declaration, the defendant demurred generally; and pleaded, first, that his intestate did not assume as alleged. Secondly, that no assets came to his hands. Thirdly, that ho had fully administered. To these pleas, there were replications, and issues were joined. The demurrer was overruled; and upon the trial of the issues, the defendant demurred to the evidence, which consisted of an account rendered by the defendant to the plaintiff, in these words;

“Dr. Joseph Dudley in account with Archibald Epes, executor of William. Epes.”

“1819. By amount of crop of wheat grown on the Bermuda Hundred plantation this year, 0784 44. This amount appears to have been placed to the credit of Mr. William Epes’s estate by Mr. Archibald Epes; but, it is the wish of the parties, that it should be subject to the order of the Court of Chesterfield.

B. Cocke, jr. adm’r. of Archibald. Epes, deceased.” And proof was adduced that this crop of wheat was made in 1819, by the hands belonging to the estate of William Epes, and that assets of Archibald Epes came to the hands of the defendant, to the amount of 0 24,000 or 023,000. The Court gave judgment for the plaintiff.

There is no doubt upon the merits of the case. The proof is full, that Epes sold wheat to the amount of the plaintiff’s demand, which was raised on the plantation, and by the labour of the slaves, and use of the team and tools, devised to Mrs. Epes

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Bluebook (online)
5 Va. 437, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/epess-admr-v-dudley-va-1827.