Fuller v. Fuller

124 S.E.2d 741, 217 Ga. 691, 1962 Ga. LEXIS 364
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
DecidedMarch 8, 1962
Docket21468
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 124 S.E.2d 741 (Fuller v. Fuller) 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
Fuller v. Fuller, 124 S.E.2d 741, 217 Ga. 691, 1962 Ga. LEXIS 364 (Ga. 1962).

Opinion

Grice, Justice.

Was the petition, seeking equitable relief and monetary damages for breach of a contract to will property, subject to the demurrers lodged against it? This question arises from a suit by L. A. Fuller and Mrs. Cogee Hunnicutt Fuller, for the use and benefit of their four named children, filed in the Superior Court of Muscogee County against Mrs. Ella Mae [692]*692Fuller, as executrix of the last will and testament of Ernest C. Fuller, deceased.

The petition alleged that, in November, 1920, the plaintiff parents entered into an oral contract with the defendant’s testator whereby the parents promised, during the testator’s lifetime, to take him into their home and provide him with food and a place to live as a member of their family. In consideration of this the testator promised that he would by his last will and testament devise and bequeath to the parents’ children the entire property owned by him at his death. The plaintiffs alleged that they fully performed their obligations under this contract, but that the testator married the defendant and then breached such contract on May 27, 1961, when he died leaving a will giving the defendant all- of his property, valued in excess of one hundred thousand dollars.

The petition further alleged that the defendant qualified as executrix of this will on June 12, 1961, upon its probate in solemn form; that the will relieved the executrix from bond, inventoi-y, appraisal, or returns, and gave her power to sell any part of the estate at private sale to such purchaser and at such price as she deemed proper and to make conveyances to the purchaser; that, as a result of the defendant executrix being thus relieved and empowered, plaintiffs were without an adequate remedy at law since the measure of their damages for breach of the testamentary agreement could not be ascertained unless the defendant provided an inventory, appraisal, and returns; that, unless these were provided, plaintiffs would suffer irreparable damage and would have to file a multiplicity of suits; and that, therefore, it was necessary to enjoin the defendant executrix in the particulars hereinafter set forth.

The petition prayed that the defendant be temporarily and permanently enjoined from continuing to serve as executrix unless she provided bond, inventory, appraisal, and returns to the court of ordinary; that she be enjoined from selling any part of the estate at private sale without order of court and from distributing the property to herself as sole legatee. The plaintiffs also prayed that they have judgment against the defendant executrix for the value of the property promised to be willed to [693]*693their children, viz., all property owned by him at his death, less taxes, expenses, debts, dower, and year’s support, with accrued interest, and for general relief.

The defendant executrix demurrered to the petition, the grounds now insisted upon being (1) that the petition failed to set forth a cause of action; (2) that the plaintiffs had an ample and adequate remedy at law; (3) that no grounds for equitable relief were set forth in the petition; (4) that it affirmatively appeared that the Court of Ordinary of Muscogee County had acquired jurisdiction of this estate and the allegations failed to show cause why equity should interfere; and (5) that the suit was premature in that it affirmatively appeared that it was filed within twelve months from the date of qualification of the defendant as executrix.

Al-1 of these demurrers were overruled and error is assigned thereon.

This review involves two issues. One is whether the petition alleged facts authorizing injunctive relief while the administration of this estate was still pending in the court of ordinary. The other is whether the portion of the petition seeking recovery of damages for breach of the testamentary agreement was premature because the suit was filed within twelve months from the qualification of the executrix.

1. In considering the equitable feature, the starting point is Code § 37-403. It admonishes that “Equity will not interfere with the regular administration of estates, except upon the application of the representative, either, first for construction and direction, second for marshaling the assets; or upon application of any person interested in the estate where there is danger of loss or other injury to his interests.” This provision requires a determination of whether these plaintiffs, persons interested in the estate because they are parties to a testamentary agreement, made sufficient allegations as to “danger of loss or other injuiy to [their] interests.”

The circumstances relied upon for the injunctive relief sought appear in paragraph 21 of the petition. After stating that they “have no desire to interfere with the regular administration” of this estate, the plaintiffs alleged that, as a result of the de[694]*694fendant executrix being relieved from requirements as to bond, inventory, appraisal, and returns, and being authorized to make private sales without order of court or advertisement, they “are without an adequate remedy at law in that [their] measure of damages suffered cannot be ascertained unless an inventory, appraisements and returns are made and filed by said defendant as required by law in the administration of said estate, will suffer irreparable damages and large property losses, and will have to file a multiplicity of suits,” unless the defendant is enjoined in certain stated particulars. These were: from serving as executrix without giving bond, from serving as executrix without making inventory, appraisement, and returns to the court of ordinary, from selling property at private sale, and from distributing any part of the estate to herself, as sole legatee.

Surveying these allegations, we note that significantly absent are any charges of insolvency, fraud, waste, or mismanagement by the defendant, or indeed of any act by her except qualifying as executrix. The petition is silent as to any allegations that the plaintiffs have submitted their claim to her for payment, or for any purpose; that the plaintiffs have even asked her for any information as to the estate, or that she has failed or refused to provide such information. The petition stands mute- as to any allegations that the executrix had threatened or was about to make any sales, pay any debts, claim year’s support or dower, make any distribution, or that she intended to do anything.

(a) At most, the allegations amount to mere apprehension of injury, which this court has repeatedly held insufficient as a basis for injunction. For example, in Elam v. Elam, 72 Ga. 162, 163, where insolvency of the executrix was alleged, the petition was held insufficient for injunction. The court ruled:

“1. There is no equity in the bill, because there is no- allegation as to any waste or mismanagement upon the part of the executrix. She has done nothing, nor is it alleged that she is attempting to do anything, by which the complainants’ interests are liable to injury. She may be insolvent, yet this does not constitute any equitable ground for relief, as her condition as to solvency or insolvency is the same now as it was when she was appointed and qualified as executrix.
[695]*695“2.

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Related

In Re Estate of Willis
713 S.E.2d 464 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 2011)
Brooks v. Jones
181 S.E.2d 861 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1971)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
124 S.E.2d 741, 217 Ga. 691, 1962 Ga. LEXIS 364, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fuller-v-fuller-ga-1962.