Howell v. Dinneen

94 N.W. 698, 16 S.D. 618, 1903 S.D. LEXIS 134
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedMay 8, 1903
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 94 N.W. 698 (Howell v. Dinneen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Howell v. Dinneen, 94 N.W. 698, 16 S.D. 618, 1903 S.D. LEXIS 134 (S.D. 1903).

Opinion

Corson, J.

This is an appeal irom an order dissolving a temporary injunction. - It is alleged in the complaint, in substance, that the plaintiff is the widow of one Henry N. Howell, who died in December, 1899, leaving a will; that by said will he gave and bequeathed all of his personal property and certain lots in Sioux City, Iowa, and a life estate in ten quarter sections of land in Beadle county, in this state, to the plaintiff; that the lands in Beadle county, subject to the life estate of his widow, were bequeathed to his five sisters; that he appointed his said wife executrix, and one Fayant, of Lebanon, Mo., executor, of his last will; that said will was duly admitted to probate by the pounty court of said Beadle county on the 18th day of January, 1900, and the said widow duly qualified as executrix; that on the 17th day of December, 1900, the said county court of said county, by order, removed the said plaintiff as executrix, and the said Fayant as executor, of said estate, and revoked their letters testamentary; that on the 27th day of December, 1900, the county court reappointed the said plaintiff as [620]*620administratrix, and the defendant, Michael Dinneen, administrator; of the said estate, with the will annexed; that the said plaintiff and the said defendant duly qualified and entered upon the discharge of their duties as such administratrix and administrator. It is then alleged that the administration is closed, but that the said defendant threatens to dispossess the said plaintiff of her personal property, and to seize the rents, revenues, and profits of her said lands, and to assume the whole control of the estate of the deceased. The plaintiff demands judgment that the said defendant be enjoined from carrying into effect his threats and designs aforesaid until the further order of the said court, and upon the final hearing that the said injunction be made perpetual, and that the plaintiff recover her damages and costs.

The plaintiff served in connection with her complaint an affidavit setting forth substantially the facts set out in her com- - plaint. Upon the complaint and affidavit a temporary injunction was granted, without notice to the defendant. The defendant thereupon moved to dissolve the said temporary injunction upon his answer and the affidavit of one J. B. Coomer, and also upon' all the papers, records, and files of the county court referred to in his answer. The answer referred to and made a part of the same various findings and orders of the county court, including the order of date of September 10, 1901, the concluding portion of which is as follows: “It is ordered that the letters of administration with the will annexed, of said Addie Howell, be, and the same are hereby, revoked, and she is hereby ordered to turn over the property of said estate to her co-administrator with the will annexed, Michael Dinneen, and she is hereby removed from being administra[621]*621trix with the will annexed of the said estate of Henry N. Howell, deceased, and she is further directed and required not to in any way interfere with the administrator with the will annexed of the estate, Michael J. Dinneen, in his administration of said estate.” Also the order of the said court bearing date of the 17th day of January, 1902, the concluding part of which reads as follows: “It is therefore ordered that said Addie Howell within five days of the service of this order turn over to the said administrator with the will annexed of said estate, M. J. Dinneen, all of the personal property above enumerated specifically, also said certificates and tax receipts, and also that she fully account with said administrator for the money on hand belonging to said estate, and pay the same over into his hands. It is further ordered that said administrator take possession of said personal property, and proceed with the administration of said estate, and that, if it becomes necessary to sell or dispose of any portion of said personal property, he shall do so under the order and direction of this court. It is further ordered that said Addie Howell shall ■ not, prior to her compliance with this order, sell or dispose of, or in any manner incumber, any portion of said property.”

It will be seen that the plaintiff was removed as executrix of the said estate of the deceased on the 17th day of December 1900. From this order she took an appeal to the circuit court, where the order of the county court was affirmed May 9, 1901. Subsequent to her removal, and before the appeal was disposed of in the circuit court, tow it, on the 28th day of December, 1900, she was appointed administratrix, and the defendant appointed administrator, with the will annexed. It will be observed that subsequently, in September, 1901, she was re[622]*622moved by the county court as administratrix, and was directed to turn over to the defendant, as administrator, all the property in her possession or under her control as such, and that by i order of the county court of date‘of January 17, 1902, she was ordered to turn over said property to the defendant, as administrator, and he was directed to take possession of the same. So far as the record discloses, no appeal has been taken either from the order revoking the letters of administration, or from either of the orders of the court directing her to turn over the assets of the estate to the defendant. The appellant, in his brief, states: “The only contention in this action is, who shall pay the taxes levied upon the real estate of Henry N. Howell, deceased, for the year 1899?” In the view we take of the case this question is not properly before this court, nor was it properly before the circuit court. Whether the orders of the county court were authorized by the evidence before that court could only be determined by an appeal to the circuit court from the orders made. By section 5651, Comp- Laws 1887, relating to county courts, it is provided: “The proceedings of this court are construed in the same manner, and with like intendments, as the proceedings of courts of general jurisdiction, and to its records, orders, judgments and decrees there are accorded like force, effect and legal presumptions as to the records, orders, judgments and decrees of [circuit] courts.” It will thus be seen that to orders of that court in matters within its jurisdiction the same effect is given as is given to the records and'judgments of the circuit court. The orders of that court, therefore, were conclusive, and the circuit court was without jurisdiction to review the orders of the county court in an injunction proceeding. The county court [623]*623is authorized to remove executors and administrators for various causes specified in the statute (sections 5758 to 5762, Comp. Laws 1887, inclusive). The orders, therefore, of the county court removing an executrix or administratrix, and requiring her to turn over the property in her hands to her co-administrator, from which no appeal has been taken, are, like judgments of the circuit court, conclusively presumed to be made upon sufficient evidence, and are not ordinarily subject to collateral attack. It being clearly shown by the records of the county court in the case at bar that the defendant, in taking possession of the property of the estate, was acting in obedience to the orders of that court, from which no appeal had been taken, the circuit court was clearly right in dissolving the temporary injunction.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Van Ornum v. Smith
254 N.W. 925 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1934)
Brekke v. Waite
153 N.W. 901 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1915)
Fischer v. Dolwig
151 N.W. 431 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1915)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
94 N.W. 698, 16 S.D. 618, 1903 S.D. LEXIS 134, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/howell-v-dinneen-sd-1903.