Jackson v. O'Rorke

98 N.W. 1068, 71 Neb. 418, 1904 Neb. LEXIS 59
Nebraska Supreme Court·Decided March 17, 1904·No. No. 13,472·Published·Cited by 11 cases

Opinion

Oldham, C.

On the 6th day of February, 1893, George W. Jackson died intestate, seized in fee of 200 acres of land situated in Gage county, Nebraska. He left surviving him his vile, Minnie Jackson, now Minnie Jackson O’Rorke, and three minor children, Gertrude M., Edna L. and Leonard D. Jackson. His widoiv ivas appointed and duly qualified as administratrix of the estate, and also as guardian of each of the minor heirs. In 1894 the widow, as ad-ministratrix, made final settlement and distribution of the personal effects of the intestate, but was not formally discharged by the county court as administratrix. It appears that from the time of the death of the intestate, the widow, as guardian and administratrix, had leased the real estate from year to year until the year 1900, at [419]*419which time she executed a lease to John Harer and Elize Harer, defendants in the case at bar, for a period of 5 years beginning March 1, 1901, and ending March 1, 1906. The lease was signed by Mrs. O’Eorke in her individual name. At the time this lease was executed, Gertrude M. Jackson had attained her majority, being then 20 years of age; and shortly after the execution of the lease and before the institution of the instant suit, Edna L. Jackson attained her majority. ■ Thereupon, Edna L. and Gertrude M. Jackson begun an action for partition of the real estate, making Minnie Jackson O’Eorke and Leonard D. Jackson, who is still a minor, and John Harer and Elize Harer parties defendant. The petition for partition alleged, in substance, that the plaintiffs and defendant, Leonard D. Jackson, were each entitled to a one-third interest in the real estate of the ancestor, subject to the dower interest of Minnie Jackson O’Eorke. Minnie Jackson O’Eorke answered admitting the allegations of plaintiffs’ petition; Leonard D. Jackson, by his guardian ad litem, also filed an answer setting up the allegations of the petition and joining in the prayer for partition. The tenants, Harer and Harer, filed answer admitting the allegations of the petition as to the respective interests of the widow and heirs in the estate, but set up their rights as tenants to the occupancy of the premises during the term of the lease, and asked that Avhen partition be made, it be made subject to their leasehold interest in the entire estate. On the issues thus joined, the court decreed a partition of the estate as prayed for by plaintiffs and the answering defendants, Minnie Jackson O’Eorke and Leonard D. Jackson, and appointed commissioners to partition the estate according to the decree, and continued the hearing on the answer and cross-petition of the lessees until a succeeding term of the court. The commissioners appointed reported that the estate was not susceptible of division in kind, and found that the interest of all the partitioned would be best subserved by a sale of the property. Issues were [420]*420tlien joined on supplemental pleadings between the parti-iioners and the lessees on the question of the validity of the lease'. On the hearing of the cause, tin» court made1 certain findings of fact which are fully supported by the record, and which we adopt as our oato independent findings, for the purpose of the disposition of this case. The first of these findings is that tin1 administratrix of the ('state had made final settlement of the estate' in 1894, or (5 years before the execution of the lease to defendants Harer and Ilarer,but that she had never been formally discharged as administratrix until after the institution of‘the present suit. Second, that in the execution of the lease, Minnie', J. O’Rorke, the administratrix and guardian, had intended to convey both her personal and representative interest in the ('state to.the lessees for a period of 5 years. Third, that at the time of the execution of this lease, Gertrude M. Jackson was of full age, and never consented to the lease; that after the execution of the lease and before the institution of this suit, Edna L. Jackson arrived at her majority; that Leonard D. Jackson was, and still is, and will remain a minor during the full term of the leasehold (',stat,e; and that Minnie Jackson O’Rorke was possessed of a consummate, right of dower in the lands, which had not been admeasured at the time the lease was executed.

The court found, as conclusions of law from these facts, that the lease was null and void as to the interest of the plaintiff, Gertrude M. Jackson, and that it was terminated, so far as the interest of Edna L. Jackson was concerned, at the date of the bringing of this suit, but that the lease was still in full force and of binding effect so far as it concerned tin; undivided interest of defendant Leonard I). Jackson and the dower interest of defendant Minnie O’Rorke. The decree dosed with an equitable distribution of costs which we think should not be disturbed.

From this decree an appeal was taken by defendants Harer and Ilarer, and the case is now here for trial da nooo on the issues involved in their answer and cross-petition.

[421]*421The first contention of appellants is based on what wo regard as a very restricted view of the holding of this court in Lewon v. Heath, 53 Neb. 707, to the effect that an heir may bring a suit for the possession of the land of his ancestor against any and all persons, except the administrator of the estate and such as have a right thereto from the administrator. From this excerpt from the second paragraph of the syllabus of that case, appellants contend that the heirs can not maintain this action against the lessees of the administratrix. It will be remembered that the administratrix joined with the heirs in the petition for a partition and does not assert this assumed exemption; and an examination of the full text of tin decision in Laucón v. Heath, supra, shows that the court hold that lands of an intestate descend to his hears, and that the title vests in them subject only to the debts of the ancestor; and that under section 202 of the decedent’s act, chapter 23, Compiled Statutes (Annotated Statutes, 50(57), the administrator of the estate has a right to possession of the real estate of which his intestate died seized, and may collect the rents thereof until the debts are paid and the estate is finally settled, but the decision goes no further than this.

Now, it appears from the facts in the case at bar that all the debts of the estate had been paid, and distribution of the personal assets had been made by the administratrix nearly 6 years before the lease in dispute had been executed. We think, then, that under the doctrine set forth in Lewon v. Heath, supra, the right of the heirs to maintain an action for the possession of the real estate accrued on the payment of the debts and the final settlement of the administratrix, and that thereafter the administratrix, as such, was invested with no authority to further lease the real estate of her intestate. While it is true that an heir can not maintain an action against the administrator while rightfully in possession of the property of his intestate, or against one holding under him while in such rightful possession, yet, when the authority of the ad[422]*422ministrator to lease the estate has ceased by reason of his final settlement and payment of the debts, if he, or anyone under him, attempt to wrongfully hold possession, they may be proceeded against by the heirs as any other trespasser.

The next question arising is, what, if any, right Minnie Jackson O’Rorke had to lease the lands of her intestate as guardian of the minor heirs.

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Jackson v. O'Rorke, 98 N.W. 1068, 71 Neb. 418, 1904 Neb. LEXIS 59 (Neb. 1904).

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