Fewlass v. Keeshan

88 F. 573, 40 W.L.B. 271, 1898 U.S. App. LEXIS 2098
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedJuly 5, 1898
DocketNo. 533
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 88 F. 573 (Fewlass v. Keeshan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fewlass v. Keeshan, 88 F. 573, 40 W.L.B. 271, 1898 U.S. App. LEXIS 2098 (6th Cir. 1898).

Opinion

TAFT, Circuit Judge.

This is an appeal from the decree of the circuit court against Howard Ferris, the administrator of Samuel Cooper, deceased, and Hannah Cooper Fewlass, his sole heir and next of kin, on a cost bond entered into by Cooper shortly before he died for the amount of the costs adjudged to be due from the complainants in the case, most of which accrued after Cooper’s decease. The bond was in the form following:

“In the Circuit Court of the United Stales for the Southern District of Ohio.
“Sarah B. McCloskey et. al. v. Samuel Barr et al. Cost bond.
“I hereby acknowledge myself security for costs in this case.
“Samuel Cooper.
“Taken and acknowledged before me this 15th day of September, 1887.
“Itobort 0. Georgi,
“Deputy Clerk United States Circuit Court, Southern District of Ohio.”

After a decree for costs was rendered against complainants in the action, the administrator and the heir and next of kin of Cooper were duly notified of the filing of a petition by the successful parties for a decree against them, and, after pleadings wrere filed raising various issues, evidence was taken, and the decree for the full amount of costs, now appealed from, was entered.

[574]*574The first point made in this court by the appellants is that the cost bond does not bind the estate of the surety for any costs accruing after his death. The rule as to the obligation of a guarantor in respect to transactions occurring after his death is that the obligation is not affected by his death if the contract of guaranty was one from which he might not withdraw upon notice, but that, if he could hare done so, then his death will be given the effect of a notice of withdrawal, at least from the time when the knowledge of the same has been brought home to the obligee. The former proposition is sustained by the cases of Lloyd v. Harper, 16 Ch. Div. 290; Calvert v. Gordon, 3 Man. & R. 124; Green v. Young, 8 Me. 14; Moore v. Wallis, 18 Ala. 458; and Voris v. State, 47 Ind. 345. The alternative proposition is illustrated in the cases of Jordan v. Dobbins, 122 Mass. 168; Hyland v. Habich, 150 Mass. 112, 22 N. E. 765; Coulthart v. Clementson, 5 Q. B. Div. 42; and Gay v. Ward, 67 Conn. 147, 34 Atl. 1025. A court cannot release a surety upon a cost bond without the consent of the party for whose benefit the security has been given. Holder v. Jones, 29 N. C. 191; Standard Publishing Co. v. Bartlett, 5 Wkly. Law Bul. 501. This feature of the obligation of a cost bond places it in the catégory of irrevocable guaranties, the obligations of which continue according to their terms, without regard to the death of the guarantor.

The second objection to the decree is based on the fact that some time after Cooper’s death, the complainants were required to give an additional bond for costs in the sum of $5,000. This they did, and one Nagel entered into such a bond. It is said that Nagel and Cooper thus became joint obligors, and that the death of one of two joint obligors releases the one dying from any liability for future transactions. It is a sufficient answer to this objection to say that, as Cooper and Nagel were not parties to the same contract, they were not joint obligors.

The third objection to the decree is that the claim is barred by an Ohio statute of limitations, which reads as follows:

“No executor or administrator, after Raving given notice of his appointment, as provided in this chapter, shall he held to answer to the suit of any creditor of the deceased, unless it be commenced within four years from the time of his giving bond as aforesaid, excepting in the cases hereinafter mentioned: provided, however, that any creditor whose cause of action shall accrue or shall have accrued after the expiration of four years from the time that the executor or administrator of such estate shall give or shall have given bond according to law, and before such estate is fully administered, may commence and prosecute such action at any time within one year after the accruing of such cause of action, and before such estate shall have been fully administered; and no cause of action against any executor or administrator shall be adjudged barred by lapse of time, until the expiration of one year from the time of the accruing thereof.” Rev. St. Ohio, § 6113.

The bond was given in September, 1887. Cooper died August 31, 1888. Howard Ferris was appointed his administrator and gave bond September 11,1888, and gave due notice of the same by publication. The administrator never filed an inventory or account, but on March 23,1892, he filed the following papers:

[575]*575Statement of administrator, filed as follows:

“Howard Ferris, administrator oí the estate of Samuel Cooper, deceased, makes oath, and says that he is the duly-appointed administrator of said estate, and that no assets have ever come into Ms hands as such administrator, and that no claims of any kind have ever been presented to him, except such as have been fully paid by the widow of Samuel Cooper, deceased. Having received no funds as administrator, and having paid out nothing, the said Howard Ferris flies this statement, under oath, as and for his final account herein, and for the discharge of his trust. Howard Ferris.
“Sworn and subscribed to before me, this 23d day of March, A. D. 1892.
“Chas. E. James, Justice of the Peace, Hamilton County, Ohio.”

Affidavit of widow as to settlement of estate, filed as follows:

“Hannah Cooper Fewlass, of lawful age, being duly sworn, makes oath and says on the 30th day of August, 1888, Samuel Cooper deceased, leaving no will, and that she, as his widow, was his sole heir, there being no issue a.t the time of his death; that Howard Ferris was appointed and qualified as administrator of said estate; and that she has read his statement to Hie effect that he received no moneys or asseis of any kind as such administrator, and disbursed none, and that such statement she knows and believes 1o be true, and she asks that said statement be taken asa final account, and that he be fully and finally discharged as such administrator, and his bondsmen be released from any and all liability on account of said bond. The said Hannah Cooper Fewlass further represents that all debts due and owing from said Samuel Cooper at the time of his decease have been fully paid by her.
“Hannah Cooper Fewlass.
“Sworn and subscribed to before me this 23d day of March, A. D. 1892.
“Howard Ferris, Probate Judge & Ex Officio Clerk,
“By Chas. E. James, Deputy Clk.”

These papers were filed under section 6190 of the statutes of Ohio, which is as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
88 F. 573, 40 W.L.B. 271, 1898 U.S. App. LEXIS 2098, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fewlass-v-keeshan-ca6-1898.