Hickman v. Hickman

228 S.W.2d 565, 1950 Tex. App. LEXIS 1980
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 17, 1950
Docket2771
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 228 S.W.2d 565 (Hickman v. Hickman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hickman v. Hickman, 228 S.W.2d 565, 1950 Tex. App. LEXIS 1980 (Tex. Ct. App. 1950).

Opinion

COLLINGS, Justice.

This appeal is from a judgment setting apart a homestead of 200 acres and certain personal articles as exempt property and directing that $4,945.80 in cash, in lieu, of alleged exempt articles which had been sold, and $500 in cash in lieu of exempt, articles not on hand, be paid to appellee,. Mrs. Hazel Hickman for the use and benefit of herself and minor daughter as the surviving widow and child, respectively,, of Hector Hickman, deceased.

Hector Hickman died on November 26,, 1948, and left surviving his wife, Hazel Hickman, appellee herein, and Hope Hickman, seven months old daughter. He left a written will by which he devised all his property to three brothers, Roy N. Hickman, I. N. Hickman and Bernal B. Hickman, who were also named independent, executors of his will. On January 31, 1949, the County Court of Brown County appointed Bernal B. Hickman and Mrs. Hazel Hickman joint temporary administrators of the estate of Hector Hickman pending proceedings for the probate of the will which proceedings at that time had not been fined.. On February 21, 1949, the joint administrators duly filed their inventory and appraisement of said estate and it was on that day approved by the court. On March 7, 1949, the will of Hector Hickman was admitted to probate and on March 14, 1949, Roy N. Hickman, I. N. Hickman and Bernal B. Hickman qualified as executors under the-will. The probate of the will was contested in the County Court by Hazel Hickman, and her minor child, and an appeal from. *567 such probate was prosecuted by them to the District Court. Thereafter, on April 22, 1949, Mrs. Hazel Hickman, for herself individually and as next friend for her minor daughter, Hope Hickman, filed in the administration proceedings pending in the County Court, her application to have set aside to them the 200 acre homestead and “all such property of the estate as may be exempt from execution or forced sale by the Constitution and laws of the State of Texas.” Appellants’ motion to dismiss this application for want of jurisdiction was sustained in the County Court and Mrs. Hazel Hickman and minor child appealed to the District Court. A hearing on the application was had in the District Court and on May 17, 1949, judgment was entered setting apart for the use and benefit of Hazel Hickman and her minor daughter, Hope Hickman, a homestead of 200 acres and certain described articles of personal property as exempt property and directing that there should also be set apart for their use and benefit the sum of $4,945.80 in lieu of exempt articles which had been sold and $500 in cash in lieu of exempt articles not on hand. From such judgment Roy N. Hickman, I. N. Hickman and Ber-nal B. Hickman bring this appeal.

No appeal bond was filed by appellants and appellees contend that the appeal should, therefore, be dismissed. We can agree with this contention only in part. Article 2276, R.C.S. provides that “Executors, administrators and guardians appointed by the courts of this State shall not be required to give bond on any appeal or writ of error taken by them in their fiduciary capacity.” Appellants answered and contested the application of Hazel Hickman and minor daughter to set aside the exempt property and the money in lieu thereof both in their capacity as individuals and as executors of the will of Hector Hickman. As executors of such will, they were entitled under the terms of Article 2276, supra, to appeal without giving bond. The notice of appeal does not indicate the capacity in which the appeal is taken, except to say that “contestants * * * excepted and gave notice of appeal.” It will be presumed that the notice of appeal was in the same capacity as their appearance and the capacity in which judgment was taken against them, that is, individually and as executors. Insofar as the appeal is in the individual capacity of appellants, it is dismissed, but insofar as it is in their capacity as executors, the motion to dismiss is overruled. Erwin v. Erwin, Tex.Civ.App., 61 S.W. 159; Casey v. Texarkana & Ft. S. R. Co., Tex.Civ.App., 151 S.W. 856.

Appellants complain in several points of the trial court’s action in directing that the $4,945.80 in money derived from the sale of articles claimed as exempt under Article 3832 and 3485, R.C.S., Vernon’s Ann.Civ.St. arts. 3832, 3485, be paid to appellee, Mrs. Hazel Hickman, for the use and benefit of herself and minor daughter, Hope Hickman. The first objection to such action of the court is that the sale of such articles was voluntary on the part of Mrs. Hickman and that the proceeds therefrom, under the circumstances, do not constitute exempt property. Bearing upon the sale of the property in question, the following testimony was given: “ * * * it was agreed that the money received for the property would take the place of and be in lieu of the items sold, and it would be without prejudice to the rights of anybody concerned.” If the above testimony is accepted as true, and in support of the judgment we are obliged to do so, there was an agreement between the interested parties that the money received from the sale of the property would occupy the same position and have the same status as the property itself before the sale. There is no reason why this agreement, as between the parties, should not be binding. We overrule the contention that the exempt property lost its status as between the parties to said agreement by reason of such sale.

It is urged by appellants that Article 3487, R.C.S. limits the allowance for exempt property to $500 and that Mrs. Hickman and her daughter have received credit for this amount by another provision of the judgment. As above indicated, the agreement of the parties was that the proceeds from the sale of such exempt property would occupy the same status as the *568 property itself. Such agreement and the exempt status of the articles sold is the basis for the $4,945.80 payment to Mrs. Hickman. The payment is separate and distinct from the $500 allowance under Articles 3486-87, R.C.S. for exempt articles not on hand and is not limited thereby.

Appellants further contend that if it be granted that it was proper to substitute the $4,945.80 for the exempt articles, the surviving widow and minor child are entitled only to the use and benefit thereof and the use of the money should have been limited to the lifetime of Mrs. Hickman and/or the lifetime or minority of the daughter, and that security should have been required to assure the ultimate payment of the funds to the heirs or legatees. No such limitation on the use of the exempt property is imposed by the statute. Since the $4,945.80, by agreement, takes the place of and has the same status of such property, it is likewise free from such limitations. Pace v. Eoff, Tex.Com.App., 48 S.W.2d 956; Green et al. v. Raymond et al., 58 Tex. 80, 44 Am.Rep. 601.

In other points appellants attack the action of the trial court in holding certain articles to be exempt under the terms of Article 3832, supra, and in setting apart such articles for the use and benefit of Mrs. Hickman and her minor daughter as provided by Article 3485, supra.

Appellants contend that the court erred in awarding to appellees two diamond rings as exempt articles of wearing apparel under Subdivision 17 of Article 3832. The evidence indicated that the two rings were bought by Hector Hickman and worn by him as personal ornaments from time to time.

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Bluebook (online)
228 S.W.2d 565, 1950 Tex. App. LEXIS 1980, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hickman-v-hickman-texapp-1950.