Lock Haven Hospital v. Irvin

40 Pa. D. & C.3d 585, 1986 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 320
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Clinton County
DecidedOctober 18, 1986
Docketno. 148-86
StatusPublished

This text of 40 Pa. D. & C.3d 585 (Lock Haven Hospital v. Irvin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Clinton County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lock Haven Hospital v. Irvin, 40 Pa. D. & C.3d 585, 1986 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 320 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1986).

Opinion

BROWN, P.J.,

On December I, 1983, Charles J. Irvin conveyed real estate to defendant Gregg D. Irvin. Plaintiff medically treated Charles J. Irvin throughout the year 1984. Charles J. Irvin died on December 17, 1984 and defendant Carl E. Irvin is the executor of his estate. Plaintiff seeks to recover $6,600 from defendant executor as the value of the services provided to Charles J. Irvin. Plaintiff alleges that decedent’s transfer of real estate on December 1, 1983 was a fraudulent conveyance and asks the court to exercise its equitable powers to declare the deed in that transaction void, to prevent defendant Gregg D. Irvin from conveying or encumbering those premises and to order that defendant reconvey the premises to the executor. Defendants agree that Charles J. Irvin received services from plaintiff. However, they assert that the estate is insolvent; therefore, the rules of priority in the Probate, Estates and Fiduciaries Code along with the amount of estate assets, dictate the liability of the estate and its executor to plaintiff. Defendants deny plaintiffs statement that Charles J. Irvin’s transfer of real estate was motivated by his [587]*587belief that he would incur debts beyond his ability to pay. Defendants also assert that plaintiff is barred from seeking its desired equitable relief because it did not commence this action within one year of the death of Charles J. Irvin as required by 20 Pa.C.S. §3532. Defendants filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings seeking to have the complaint in equity (Count II) dismissed because of plaintiffs failure to properly preserve its claim against the real estate of Charles J. Irvin.

Plaintiff contends that Charles J. Irvin’s transfer of realty was a fraudulent conveyance as defined by 39 P.S. §356, which states:

“§356. Conveyances by a person about to incur debts.

“Every conveyance made and every obligation incurred without fair consideration, when the person making the conveyance or entering into the obligation intends or believes that he will incur debts beyond his ability to pay as they mature, is fraudulent as to both present and future creditors.” Plaintiffs requested equitable relief would make that real estate available to pay plaintiff for its services by bringing the property into the Irvin estate.

In its answer to new matter, plaintiff alleges that it gave notice of its claim against the estate to the estate’s personal representative on May 17, 1985. This notice, in the form of a letter to Carl E. Irvin, executor, purported to be written notice under §3384 of the Probate, Estates & Fiduciaries Code.

“§3384. Notice of claim.

“(a) Written Notice. — Written notice of any claim against a decedent given to the personal representative or his attorney of record before the claim is barred shall toll the statute of limitations.

(b) Acts equivalent to written notice. — Any of the following acts by a claimant shall be equivalent [588]*588to the giving of written notice of a claim to the personal representative:

(1) Instituting proceedings to compel the filing of an account.

(2) Bringing an action against the personal representative in any court having jurisdiction of the claim and having the writ or pleading duly served on the personal representative.

(3) Substituting the personal representative as a defendant in an action pending against the decedent.

(4) Receiving a written acknowledgment by the personal representative or his attorney of record of the existence of the claim.” Plaintiff filed its complaint on March 13, 1986.

Plaintiffs brief suggests that a citation and petition which it filed with the clerk of the orphans’ court, stating that plaintiff was a creditor of the estate, satisfies the notice requirements of 20 P.S.§3532, which states:

“§3532. At risk of personal representative'

“(a) Rights of claimants against personal representatives —• A personal representative, at his own risk and without the filing, audit or confirmation of his account, may distribute real or personal property and such distribution shall be without liability to any claimant against the decedent who has not given notice of his claim as provided by this code within one year after the first complete advertisement of the grant of letters to such personal representative or thereafter but prior to such' distribution.

“(b) Rights of claimants against distributed property. —

“(1) Personal property. No claimant shall have any claim against personal property distributed by a personal representative at his own risk pursuant to subsection (a) hereof, unless such claimant has giv[589]*589en notice of his claim to the personal representative as provided by this code within one year after the first complete advertisement of the grant of letters, or thereafter but prior to such distribution.

“(2) Real property. No claimant shall have any claim against real property conveyed by a personal representative in distribution at his own risk pursuant to subsection (a) hereof, unless such claimant, within one year after the decedent’s death, files a written notice of his claim with the clerk. Such claim against real property shall expire at the end of five years after the decedent’s death, unless within that time the personal representative files an account or the claimant files a petition to compel an accounting.

“(3) Liens and charges existing at death. Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting any lien or charge which existed at the time of the decedent’s death on his real or personal property.”

However, the fact that a citation and petition were filed with the clerk of the orphans’ court was not pled by plaintiff; the first mention of it was made in its brief responding to defendant’s motion for judg-' ment on the pleadings. Plaintiff asks the court to take judicial notice of plaintiffs citation and petition. Plaintiff argues that the court may take notice of documents which are on public record, citing Reese v. Moshannon Coal Company, 7 D.&C. 3d 743 (1977). In the Reese case the court took judicial notice of documents filed with respect to a tax sale where that tax sale had been pleaded. The general rule advanced by defendant restricts the court from taking judicial notice in one case of the records of another, even though the content of those records may be known to the court, when the records or the acts which those records pertain to have not been pleaded. Callery v. Blythe Township, 432 Pa. 307, [590]*590243 A.2d 385 (1968); Naffah v. City Deposit Bank, 339 Pa. 157, 13 A.2d 63 (1940); Chorba v. Davlisa Enterprises Inc., 303 Pa. Super. 497, 450 A.2d 36 (1982). There are some exceptions to this rule, such as in divorce cases where the state has an interest in the outcome of the action. The only notice which plaintiff pleaded in this case was the letter to the executor dated May 17, 1985. The court will not take judicial notice of the record in the orphans’ court when the filing of that citation and petition were never pleaded by plaintiff.

As an aside, the court notes that plaintiffs characterization of defendant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings as a ‘speaking’ demurrer is incorrect and its discussion of the defects of a speaking demurrer is inapplicable to this case.

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Related

Callery v. Blythe Township Municipal Authority
243 A.2d 385 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1968)
Chorba v. Davlisa Enterprises, Inc.
450 A.2d 36 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1982)
Naffah v. City Deposit Bank
13 A.2d 63 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1940)
Tate v. Hoover
26 A.2d 665 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1942)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
40 Pa. D. & C.3d 585, 1986 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 320, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lock-haven-hospital-v-irvin-pactcomplclinto-1986.