Green v. Green

46 L.R.A. 525, 34 S.E. 249, 56 S.C. 193, 1899 S.C. LEXIS 172
CourtSupreme Court of South Carolina
DecidedNovember 8, 1899
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 46 L.R.A. 525 (Green v. Green) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Green v. Green, 46 L.R.A. 525, 34 S.E. 249, 56 S.C. 193, 1899 S.C. LEXIS 172 (S.C. 1899).

Opinions

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

Mr. Justice Pope.

This is the second time this action has been in this Court, involving, as it does, the disposition of questions arising from the receipt by a life tenant of $3,000, under a policy of insurance against destruction by fire of a dwelling house. The first appeal was disposed of in 50 S. C., 514. All that is now necessary to do', in referring to the first appeal, is to state that under it were disposed of: First, the demurrer of defendants to plaintiffs’ complaint on the ground that it did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action, which demurrer was overruled. Second, the demurrer of plaintiffs ho SO' much of the defendants’ answer as set up the defense that because the defendant, Lucy J. Green, had paid out of her own funds the insurance premium required to obtain the policy of insurance, taken in her own name, against loss by fire of the dwelling house in which, under the will of Lucy P. Green, she, Miss Lucy J. [204]*204Green, had a life estate, she was entitled to- hold the $3,000 as the proceeds of the policy of insurance when the said dwelling house'was burned, as of her own estate in fee simple, freed from any and all right therein on the part of the remaindermen named in the will of said Mrs. Lucy P. Green, deceased, and their respective heirs at law. This demurrer of plaintiffs was sustained. And third, by the defendants, that the Circuit Judge who heard the cause, so far as preceding demurrers were concerned, Judge Buchanan, had no right to refer the issues of fact to be repoi ted upon by the master of Richland County. This was also overruled. The other grounds of appeal do- no-t need a recital- thereof just here. After the action was remitted to- the Circuit Court of Richland, and when it came before John S. Verner, Esq., as master for Richland County, three things happened, that must be s-tated. First, Mrs. M. Caroline Jervey, who was a defendant, departed this life on the 16th of September, 1898, and by due process her heirs at law, consisting of her husband, the Hon. W. St. Julien Jervey, and his two- infant children, Amaryllis Jervey and Allen J. Jervey, were substituted as defendants in her stead, and they 'adopted her answer as their own. Next, the defendant, Miss Lucy J. Green, offered to allow judgment to- be taken in this cause to the effect that the $3,000 insurance money is held ‘by her in trust for herself for life, with remainder as provided in the first clause of the will of Mrs. Lucy P. Green, and requiring her to furnish such security for the safety of the fund as the’Court might direct, and for the costs of the action. Lastly, an amendment was offered, and allowed, to-the answer of defendants, by which it was alleged that the plaintiffs are not entitled to- the relief prayed for: “1. Be^ cause the investment of the insurance money alleged in the complaint, and all the facts and circumstances connected therewith, were, well known to and acquiesced in by the ancestors of plaintiffs, the remaindermen, under the will of Lucy P. Gr^en, prior to their death, and more than sixteen years prior to the commencement of this action; and that by [205]*205the acquiescence oí the said remaindermen and by the plaintiffs, the said remaindermen and plaintiffs have waived the alleged breach of trust, if any, and plaintiffs are now es-topped and 'barred from asserting the same. 2: Because the alleged cause of action-of the said plaintiffs accrued more than ten years before the commencement of this- action, and the said action is barred -by lapse of time and laches of the plaintiffs and their ancestors from who-m they claim.” - At the references before the master -both sides to- the controversy introduced testimony 'both oral and written.- .On-the 16th September, 1898,-thé master submitted his report containing hi-s findings of fact, to- which report neither side made any exception. So it stands as approved. Such report should be set out in full in the report of this cause, for the facts as there stated will be relied upon by us for a statement thereof, so- as to- avoid making this opinion top long. The cause then came on to- be heard before the Honorable Ernest Gary, as Judg'e of the Fifth Circuit. By his decree, among other things,'he maintained that the testimony failed to show that -any of the insurance money in the- hands of Miss Lucy J. Green was applied by her to the purchase of the brick yard tract, 417 acres of land (which Miss Green had sold for $10,000 in cash and $30,000 on a credit secured by bonds o-f the purchaser, nor to the purchase of the lot of land on Bull street) ; that the offer of Miss Green to- allow judgment in this action for $3,000 is all the relief the plaintiffs are entitled to; and having reached this conclusion, he declined to- consider the other defenses; but ordered the -complaint dismissed, reserving to- the plaintiffs a reasonable time to accept offer of judgment by Miss Lucy J. Green. From this decree of Judge Ernest Gary, the plaintiffs and the infant defendant, ,F. G. DeSaussure, by-John Kershaw, his guardian ad litem, have appealed, alleging error: “1. In finding that the Scott- and Brownfield judgments included one for $1,084.72, and in not holding that the money paid toN. Barnwell was applied as follows: $240.07 to- the Scott judgment, and $297.67 to the Brownfield judgment. 2. In [206]*206stating that ‘counsel for plaintiffs contend in the argument, that inasmuch as Miss Green, by her purchase with the insurance money of an interest in the decree of foreclosure (under which the brick yard was sold), placed herself in such a position that she could not bid up to the full amount of the decree of foreclosure;’ whereas the contention of plaintiffs was 'that by her control of the third lien Miss Green was enabled to acquire the property at a price far below its real value. 3. In holding that M'iss Green’s offer of judgment gives to the plaintiffs all the relief to which they are entitled, and is in strict compliance with the decision of the Supreme 'Court rendered in this case. 4. In holding that the plaintiffs have failed to show that this fund was invested in the brick yard. 5. In holding that ‘Having a right to lend the fund, she (Miss Green) can only be held accountable for the original amount.’ 6. In ordering ‘that the complaint of the plaintiff be dismissed1.’ 7. In not holding that the dwelling house on the devised lot of land was clearly traced through successive changes into a policy of insurance, and on down into the Pendleton street lot, with the improvements thereon, and a bond for $30,000, secured by a mortgage of the brick yard tract. 8. In not holding that the corpus of the trust fund, consisting of $3,000 in 1877, had simply grown up into a fund worth about $40,000, through an increase in the valuation of property. 9. In not holding that the lien which Miss Green acquired on the brick yard tract and Pendleton street lot, enured to' the benefit of the remaindermen; and that if by reason of her control of such liens she was thereafter enabled to acquire such property, she held such property subject to- the same trusts as attached to the liens before her purchase. 10. In not holding that Miss Green, as trustee, having a lien on property which was sold under such lien, could not purchase such property for her own use to- the exclusion of the remaindermen, even by reimbursing them, if they elect to follow the property. 11. In not holding that the brick yard tract and the Pendleton street lot were worth more than the amount bid for them [207]*207when sold, plus the trust money which she had previously lent on their security. 12.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
46 L.R.A. 525, 34 S.E. 249, 56 S.C. 193, 1899 S.C. LEXIS 172, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/green-v-green-sc-1899.