In RE ROPP v. Glissman

232 N.E.2d 384, 142 Ind. App. 1, 1968 Ind. App. LEXIS 533
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 2, 1968
Docket20,589
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 232 N.E.2d 384 (In RE ROPP v. Glissman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In RE ROPP v. Glissman, 232 N.E.2d 384, 142 Ind. App. 1, 1968 Ind. App. LEXIS 533 (Ind. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinions

Faulconer, J.

— After the death of her husband appellantQuinlan put her money in a joint savings account with her son, appellee’s decedent. Upon her son’s death appellant went to the bank and learned for the first time that all of the money in the joint savings account had been withdrawn by her son prior to his death. Although an estate was opened in California with the widow of the son as executrix an estate was opened in Lake County, Indiana, since the son had title to real estate there. Margaret Glissman, decedent’s sister and daughter of appellant, was made executrix of the estate in Indiana. After the sale of the real estate by appellee as executrix, about two years after the estate was opened, appellant filed in the Lake Superior Court what she designated, “Petition for Order and Authority to Pay Claim.” In addition to the above facts she alleged that “immediately upon appointihent of Margaret Glissman, as Executrix ■ herein by this [3]*3[¶] onorable Court, your petitioner made a claim and demand upon said Executrix for .the payment of. said moneys' due her, as aforesaid and that said Executrix then- acknowledged said indebtedness of Lyle Culbert Ropp, as due and owing and agreed to pay same, or as much thereof as the assets of the estate would permit or would enable her to, as soon as the real estate of the decedent herein or his interest therein, is sold and the proceeds of sale are received by the Executrix herein, without the necessity of filing of formal claim therefor, which was considered by the Executrix unnecessary, under the circumstances.”

For the purpose of this opinion we deem it .unnecessary to set forth a lengthy rendition of the evidence. -Suffice to state that it shows that the appellee, as executrix, did, during the six months statutory period for filing claims, tell appellant that the debt was owed her, that it was just and would be paid when the estate received the proceeds from the sale of the real estate. There was also evidence from which the trial court could have found that, in reliance upon this information, the appellant did not file a formal claim prior to the petition referred to above. There is no dispute regarding the fact that no written claim was filed nor was the claim paid during the six months’ period after the appointment of the executrix and publication of notice thereof to creditors as provided by statute for such filing or payment. There is also no dispute that the petition which is the subject of this suit was filed many months after the statutory period had expired.

The court denied appellee’s motion to strike and overruled appellee’s demurrer. Although the record discloses no further pleadings the cause was tried by the court without a jury, and the trial court found against appellant on her petition and entered judgment that appellant “take nothing by her petition against the estate of Lyle Culbert Ropp, ■. . .”

Appellant’s motion for new trial was overruled, and such action is assigned as error on this appeal. The only proper [4]*4specification of the motion for new trial is that the decision of the trial court is contrary to law.

The section of our Probate Code, Acts 1953, ch. 112, § 1401, p. 295, § 7-801 (a), Burns’ 1953 Replacement, pertinent to the issues in this appeal, provides as follows:

“All claims against a decedent’s estate, other than expense of administration and claims of the United States, and of the state and any subdivision thereof, whether due or to become due, absolute or contingent, liquidated or unliquidated, founded on contract or otherwise, shall be forever barred against the estate, the personal representative, the heirs, devisees and legatees of the decedent, unless filed with the court in which such estate is being administered within six (6) months, after the date of the first published notice to creditors.”

We are not here concerned with the 1961 amendment to the above Act, nor does it affect the provision quoted above.

In 1 Grimes, Henry’s Probate Law and Practice, ch. 14, § 3, p. 440 (6th Ed. 1954), we find the following statement:

“The Indiana statute follows the great weight of authority making the nonclaim statute an absolute bar. It would appear that the Indiana theory is that all claims against an individual are buried with him except those that are filed within the time provided by the nonclaim statutes.”

Concerning that part of Acts 1953, ch. 112, § 1402, § 7-802, Bums’ 1953 Replacement, pertinent to this opinion, Professor Grimes, at page 394, 1 Henry’s Probate Law and Practice, ch. 13, § 1 (6th Ed. 1954), states:

“The statute now forbids the bringing of an action in the ordinary form against an executor or administrator, either personally or in his representative capacity, on a claim due from his decedent, and all claims against a decedent’s estate not filed as required by this statute, unless the claim falls within the exceptions, are barred. There is now no other method of conferring upon a court jurisdiction of such claims, except they be filed and placed by the clerk upon the appearance docket, and if not allowed they must be transferred to the issue docket for trial.”

[5]*5Claims against an estate can only be enforced in the manner provided by statute. Beasley’s Estate v. Rauch, Rec. (1937), 104 Ind. App. 312, 318, 11 N. E. 2d 60; Barnum v. Rallihan (1916), 63 Ind. App. 349, 363, 112 N. E. 561; Doddridge, Ex., v. Doddridge (1900), 24 Ind. App. 60, 62, 56 N. E. 112.

There are decisions of our Supreme and Appellate Courts which state or indicate that “just claims may be paid by an executor or administrator although not filed and allowed. . . .” Baker v. Happ (1944), 114 Ind. App. 591, 598, 54 N. E. 2d 123; Swift, Administrator v. Harley et al. (1898), 20 Ind. App. 614, 620, 49 N. E. 1069; Wysong, Executor, etc. v. Nealis et al. (1895), 13 Ind. App. 165, 174, 41 N. E. 388; Chase et al. v. Beeson, Administrator, et al. (1883), 92 Ind. 61, 64.

From a careful reading of these decisions we find that they were all decided under prior statutes and, in addition, can be distinguished on facts involved. In addition to the distinguishing features we are of the opinion that the law on this issue is now settled in Indiana and that a claim not filed or paid within the time and in the manner provided by the statute is barred. This was settled by the decision of this court in Donnella, Admrx. v. Crady (1963), 135 Ind. App. 60, 185 N. E. 2d 623 (Transfer denied, 191 N. E. 2d 499). In the Donnella case Judge Cooper stated, at pages 63, 64 of 135 Ind. App., page 625 of 185 N. E. 2d, as follows:

“The rule of waiver or estoppel has no application to a nonclaim statute. As pointed out above, the time element in a nonclaim statute is a part of the right of action itself and is not a defense. Such statutes are not extended by the disability, fraud or misconduct of the parties. The time to act cannot be waived by the parties or lengthened by the court. Unless the claim is filed or the action thereon brought within the time prescribed by said statute, any right of action then existing becomes unenforceable and the claim or action is forever barred.”

[6]*6In the Donnella

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In RE ROPP v. Glissman
232 N.E.2d 384 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1968)

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Bluebook (online)
232 N.E.2d 384, 142 Ind. App. 1, 1968 Ind. App. LEXIS 533, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-ropp-v-glissman-indctapp-1968.