In re estate Heinze

115 A. 534, 93 N.J. Eq. 321, 1921 N.J. Ch. LEXIS 30
CourtNew Jersey Court of Chancery
DecidedJuly 22, 1921
StatusPublished

This text of 115 A. 534 (In re estate Heinze) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Court of Chancery primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re estate Heinze, 115 A. 534, 93 N.J. Eq. 321, 1921 N.J. Ch. LEXIS 30 (N.J. Ct. App. 1921).

Opinion

GiurrjcnVV. C.

Mr. Wall, as substitution a ry administrator (ancillary) of the estate of F. Augustus Heinze, deceased, filed his petition, report and account, asking that the account be passed and he be discharged. His petition is not filed under section 146, Orphans-Court act (3 Comp. Stat. p. 3868), which applies to a discharge prior to the termination of the trust.

In the petition it is set forth under the caption—

“10: Tlie names and addresses of all persons interested in said accounting are as follows:
CLAIMANTS.
Union Bank of Brooklyn, c/o Joseph G. Dean, New York City (filed March 15, 1020)....... •870,832.91 with int.
United Copper Co., 51 Newark Street, Hoboken, N. J. (filed Dec. 22. 1010, with Arthur P. Heinze. Administrator) .................... 250.000.00
United Copper Co., 51 Newark St., Hoboken, N. J. (filed Dec. 22, 1016, with Arthur P. Heinze, Administrator) ..................... 200,000.00
Calvin P. Geer, East Orange, N. J. (salary; filed June 21. 1918)........................ 250.00
Assets Development Co., Englewood, N. J. (filed July 22, 1918)....................... 2,500.00 with int.
Assets Development Co., Englewood, N. J. (filed July 22,' 1918) ............................ 8.000.00
Luther Marlin. Jr., receiver United Copper Co.. c/o Geo. D. Hendrickson, 75 Montgomery St., Jersey City (filed Aug. 20, 1918)........... 000,000.00
George D. Hendrickson and Luther Martin, .Tr., (Receivers, United Copper Co., 75 Montgomery St., Jersey City (filed Aug. 20, 1018)...... 483,023.05
81,021,505. OG"

To this account and report exceptions were filed by Mr. Fullerton as domiciliary administrator, Assets Development Company, United Copper Company and, since the petition was filed, [323]*323by the Western. Development. Company, who filed its claim with Mr. Wall since his petition was filed. ' ' .

On. the day. set for the hearing the Assets Development Coni-.' pany filed supplementary exceptions, dealing with the situation . which arose after its original exceptions had been, filed, viz., the setting aside of the judgment which will be hereafter referred to.

The exceptions of all the parties, except Mr. Fullerton’s, are substantially addressed to the question of jurisdiction, the point being that "no special reason appears for interfering with the ordinary jurisdiction of the orphans court.”

I quite disagree with the views of these exceptants. The history of the litigation in this estate, and the things to be accomplished to make an end of it, present an appropriate case to be heard and determined in this court. Filley v. Van Dyke, 74 N. J. Eq. 219; reversed, 75 Idem. 571; Wyckoff v. O’Niel, 71 N. J. Eq. 681.

The exceptions of Mr. Fullerton, among other things, go to the point that none of the claimants above named are bona fide creditors in the State of New Jersey, and, therefore, their several claims should be rejected, and the account passed, to the end that the exceptant might take and receive the assets and administer them in the State cf New York. ■

In the absence of the judgment of the Assets Development Company on the claim cf Geer for two thousand fi,ve hundred dollars ($2,500), with interest, assigned by Geer to it, it seems perfectly plain that the presenting of these claims should not defeat the passing of the account, and on proper application to direct the substitutionary administrator to pay or turn over to the domiciliary administrator assets in his hands or claims to assets in this state, in view of the opinion of this court in Wall, Substitutionary Administrator, v. American Smelting and Refining Co., reported in 90 N. J. Eq. 469, and the reasons given for affirmance by the court of errors and appeals in the opinion by Mr. Justice Kalisc-h, reported in 91 Idem. 131. The only assets which can be said to be in this state are the royalties payable under the Silver Iving agreement referred to in said opinions. The other properly, consisting of stocks and bonds which, with [324]*324said agreement, were pledged with the American Smelting and Refining Company to secure a debt of the deceased, did not have their siti in this state. The bill in the suit in which the above opinions were filed, and decrees in accordance with said opinions were entered, sought to establish the right of the accountant to the royalties after the pledgee was paid, as w'ell as the title to the other properties above referred to. All of the claims above referred to, excepting that of the Union Bank of Brooklyn, were dealt with in the case, and Mr. Justice Kalisell in conclusion said:

“It cannot successfully escape notice that at the time of decedent’s death and of the appointment of an administrator in this state, there were no bona fide New Jersey creditors, and that the artificial process which has been resorted to for the creation of New Jersey creditors fails of its purpose.

“For the reason that there were no bona fide New Jersey creditors the decree below will be affirmed.”

In the face of this judicial determination, I must hold that the claimants under the claims 'above passed upon were not bona fide New Jersey creditors; and as to the claim of the Union Bank, its claim, which was filed. March 15th, 1920, after the decision of the comt of errors and appeals, and, therefore, was not considered, should not be allowed, because the bank is not a New Jersey creditor.

This decision went to the very root of the ease, and, in effect, held that the appointment of an administrator in this state was wholly unnecessary and improvident. This, if rendered in the suit originating in the orphans court, could only have resulted in vacating the appointment and thus ending all litigation in this state.

A circumstance, however, has arisen since the above case was decided, which leads me to pause in carrying into effect this conclusion as to the claim of the Assets Development Company (on the claim assigned by Geer) for two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), with interest.

On January 31st, 1920, the Assets Development Company (after the decision of our court of last resort had been an[325]*325nounced) began, suit in tlie Hudson circuit court against Mr. Wall as substitutionary administrator upon the note of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) upon which it is claimed there was due two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), with interest, being the claim (assigned by Geer) in that amount above referred to. The defendant pleaded, omitting, however, to plead the decree of the orphans court barring creditors, and on a trial of the cause a verdict was rendered on May 4th, 1920, in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendant for six thousand sixty dollars and eighty-three cents ($6,060.83) and costs, and judgment was accordingly entered.

Thereafter such proceedings were had in said cause, that on May 13th, 1921, said court set aside the judgment, gave leave to the defendant to amend by setting up the decree barring creditors, limiting the retrial to the issue framed on the amendment.

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Bluebook (online)
115 A. 534, 93 N.J. Eq. 321, 1921 N.J. Ch. LEXIS 30, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-estate-heinze-njch-1921.