Keaton v. Greenwood

8 Ga. 97
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
DecidedJanuary 15, 1850
DocketNo. 16
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 8 Ga. 97 (Keaton v. Greenwood) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Keaton v. Greenwood, 8 Ga. 97 (Ga. 1850).

Opinion

By the Court.

Warner, J.

delivering the opinion.

Two questions were made on the argument of this cause, by the plaintiff in error—

First — whether the allegations in the complainant’s bill are sufficient to give to a Court of Equity jurisdiction of the cause %

Second — whether the complainant’s right to call the defendant to account with her, concerning the money and property placed in his hands, and entrusted to his management, for her benefit, is not, according to the allegations made in her bill, barred by the Statute of Limitations?

[1.] In regard to the first objection, we are of the opinion the complainant has made, upon the record, a clear case for the jurisdiction of a Court of Equity. The bill charges, that the complainant placed a large amount of money and other property in the hands of the defendant, in the trust and confidence that he would so use it, and invest it for her benefit, as, in his discretion, should be most conducive to her interest; that he accepted the money and property, so placed in his hands and entrusted to him for the purposes stated, and has made large profits therefrom, by investing the money so placed in his hands, by the complainant, as well as the money.arising from the proceeds of the property [102]*102so turned over to him, in lands, negroes, negotiable securities and other property; that the particular numbers of the land, so purchased by defendant with the funds of the complainant, as well as the names and number of the negroes, the names of the obligors of the notes, bonds and specialties, and the respective amounts thereof, the defendant has fraudulently and in bad faith, withheld from the complainant, and concealed the same under his own name.

The plaintiff in error insists, that it is not alleged in the bill, that it is necessary to search the conscience of the defendant for a discovery, to enable her to obtain a decree against him. The reply is, that the complainant has made such allegations as make it affirmatively appear, on the face of the bill, that such a discovery is necessary. The allegation of such facts, as make it appear that a discovery from the defendant is necessary to enable her to obtain a decree, will give to the Court jurisdiction, and is equally as satisfactory as if the allegation, that it was necessary, had been inserted without the facts. The very nature and history of this transaction, as disclosed by the record, necessarily gives to a Court of Equity jurisdiction. It has been earnestly insisted before us, that the claim of the complainant is, by her own showing, barred by the Statute of Limitations, and that, if in the view of the Court, the defendant shall be considered as a trustee for the complainant, still it is such a trust as against which the Statute of Limitations will run.

There are two general classes of trusts — First, express trusts, created by the act of the parties, or by the appointment of the law. Under this head may be included executors and administrators, guardians of infants, bailees, factors, agents, persons who receive money to be paid to another, or to be applied to a particular purpose, and those who fill any fiduciary situation, created either by the act of the patties, or by the appointment of the law. Every deposit, says Chancellor Kent, in Kane vs. Bloodgood, (7 Johns. Ch. R. 110,) is a direct trust.

Second, implied trusts, as where persons claiming property in their otvn right, are, by the decree of a Court of Equity, founded on fraud or the like, held to be trustees by implication of law.

Many cases have been cited at the bar in relation to the application of the Statute of Limitations to trusts and trustees. Without attempting to reconcile and harmonize the apparent conflict[103]*103ing decisions to be found in the books, both in England and in this country, upon this question, we will endeavor to deduce from them the following general propositions:

[2.] First, that in cases of express trusts, created either by the act of the parties, or by the appointment of the law, the Statute of Limitations does not begin to run in favor of the trustee, so long as the trust continues, and is acknowledged to be a continuing, subsisting trust, for the reason, that the possession of the trustee is the possession of the cestui que trust; but when the trust is denied by the trustee, and he claims to hold the trust funds or the trust property as his own, adversely to his cestui que trust, the latter having knowledge of that fact, the Statute will begin to run in favor of such express trustee, from the time of such adverse claim or possession. Kane vs. Bloodgood, 7 Johns. Ch. R. 123. Boone vs. Chiles, 10 Peters’ Rep. 223. Willison vs. Watkins, 3 Peters, 52. Houseal vs. Gibbs, 1 Bailey’s Eq. R. 485. Baker vs. Whiting, 3 Sumner’s Circuit Court Rep. 466.

[3.] Second, in cases of implied trusts, where the party claims title to the property in his own right, and'is sought to be converted into a trustee by operation of law, the statute begins to run in his favor from the time of his possession, in the same manner as it would do in a Court of Law, for the reason, that his possession never was the possession of the alleged cestui que trust, inasmuch as the relation of trustee and cestui que trust never, in fact, exists between them, until the decree of the Court, establishing that relation ; until that time, the alleged trustee held, and claimed, in his own right. Boone vs. Chiles, before cited, 223. Edwards vs. University, 1 Dev. Batt. Eq. Rep. 326, ’7. When the cases to be found in the books, assert-the principle that the Statute of Limitations does not run against an express trust, it must be understood, that the Statute does not run, so long as the trust continues, as an acknowledged subsisting trust; but it must also be understood with the qualification, that if the trustee disavows the trust, and claims the trust funds, or the trust property, in his own right, adversely to his cestui que trust, with the knowledge of the latter, the Statute will begin to run from the time of such adverse claim and possession; otherwise, the Statute of Limitations would fail to accomplish one great object of its enactment.

Then let us apply the facts of the case before us, to the fore[104]*104going principles, which we have asserted for its control and government.

The complainant deposited in the hands of the defendant a large amount of money and property, to be used, managed and invested for her benefit, in the trust and confidence that be would so use, manage, and invest it, as would be most conducive to her interest, and that he would account to her for the same, and the profits arising therefrom, whenever requested by her to do so. The defendant accepted the trust, by receiving the money and property, for the purposes designated, and has made large profits from the same. Independent of the alleged settlement, which we shall hereafter notice, it appears that the trust continued as a subsisting trust

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Bluebook (online)
8 Ga. 97, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/keaton-v-greenwood-ga-1850.