Martin v. Martin

68 Ill. App. 169, 1896 Ill. App. LEXIS 454
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided December 9, 1896·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

Mr. Justice Crabtree

delivered the opinion of the Court.

This was a proceeding in the County Court of Kendall County upon the petition of J. Fielding Martin, one of the defendants in error, against Serena M. Martin, Samuel Beers, and John O’Connor, executrix and executors of the last will and testament of Edward Martin, deceased.

The petition, which was duly sworn to, alleged that Edward Martin, late of Kendall county, Illinois, departed this life at Eed Hook, Dutchess county, Heiv York, on December 3, 1893, leaving a last will and testament, in wrhich said Serena M. Martin, Samuel Beers and John O’Conner were named as executrix and executors.

The said will was duly admitted to probate in the said County Court of Kendall County, on the 14th of December, 1893. That the executors on March 5, 1894, filed in said County Court an incomplete inventory, and the petition avers that said executors or some of them knew it was an incomplete inventory. Further avers that the petitioner had reason to believe that the executors or some of them, knowingly withheld and assisted in secreting part of the goods, chattels and credits of the said testator from such inventory. The petition prays for a citation against the executors and that they may be required to give additional bond as such executors, and to produce certain notes, mortgages, bonds and securities mentioned in said petition (and which will hereafter be more particularly described), and that they also be required to file a supplemental or amended inventory, or show cause why the same should not be done. Upon this petition a citation issued against the executors and executrix as prayed. The petition was dated and filed April 24,1894. The cause was continued from time to time until August 20, 1894, when the petitioner, Joseph F. Martin, filed an amendment to the petition by leave of the court, in which it was alleged that “ said Serena M. Martin has in her hands and possession certain notes, bonds, mortgages and school bonds, etc., that were the property of said deceased in his lifetime, and as your petitioner is informed, claims the same as her own property, which, as your petitioner states and charges the fact to be, is not the case or fact.” And he prays that she be required to bring into court all such papers, bonds, etc., to abide the further order of the court.

The executrix and executors answered the petition denying the allegations therein contained, and denying that as such executrix and executors they have in their possession, or under their control, any of the securities mentioned in the petition, and say they can not produce the same.

On a hearing of the cause the County Court found the securities in dispute to be the individual property of Serena M. Martin, and not a part of the estate of Edward Martin, deceased, but required the executors to file an additional inventory only as to the sum of $40.25 cash, belonging to the estate, and which they had omitted to include in their original inventory.

From this order of the County Court the petitioner, J. Fielding Martin, prayed an appeal to the Circuit Court, which was duly allowed.

After the cause reached the Circuit Court, plaintiff in error by her solicitors filed her separate answer as follows :

“ Answer of Serena M. Martin to the petition or applicar tion of J. F. Martin as amended.

How comes Serena M. Martin and saving all right of exception to the petition of J. F. Martin as amended, and protesting that the court has no jurisdiction to try the issue sought to be made against her therein, or to try and determine in this proceeding the title to said property so far as her personal interest is concerned, says that she denies that she has in her possession any notes, bonds, 'mortgages, school bonds, or other property which was the property of the deceased in his lifetime, which she claims as her own, but she says that the property, or no portion thereof, described in said petition as amended, is the property of said estate, but is her individual property.

Wherefore she prays that said appeal be dismissed and that she be hence dismissed with her reasonable costs and charges,” etc.

The court refused to dismiss the appeal and plaintiff in error excepted. Upon a hearing of the cause, the Circuit Court found against plaintiff in error, and held that all the securities in dispute belonged to and were a part of the estate of said Edward Martin, deceased, and that said Serena M. Martin, in her individual capacity, wrongfully retained the same and refused to deliver them to the executors of said deceased, and ordered her to turn over to said executors all of such securities, together with all moneys collected thereon, to be inventoried, accounted for, collected and distributed, under the direction of the County Court of said Kendall county, and that she have thirty days in which to comply with the order. Plaintiff in error excepted to this order and moved the court to set aside the findings and orders aforesaid, and for a new trial. The court denied the motion and plaintiff in error excepted. She brings the cause to this court by writ of error, and enters upon the record thirty-four assignments of error. We have not the time nor do we deem it necessary to discuss these assignments of error seriatim or in detail, but will consider such of them as we think have the most important bearing upon the correct determination of the questions involved. The first point made and most strenuously urged by plaintiff in error is that the Circuit Court was without jurisdiction, because it is claimed the order of the County Court was not a final order, and therefore not appealable, and also on the ground that the plaintiff in error was never brought into court in her individual capacity, but only as an executrix of the will. We think both points must be determined against her.

Sec. 124, Chap. 3, Rev. Stat. (1 Starr & Curtis, 247), provides that “ appeals shall be allowed from all judgments, orders or decrees of the County Court, in all matters arising under this act, to the Circuit Court in favor of any person who may consider himself aggrieved by any judgment, order or decree of such court.” * * * This provision was broad enough to allow the appeal to the Circuit Court in this case.

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Martin v. Martin, 68 Ill. App. 169, 1896 Ill. App. LEXIS 454 (Ill. Ct. App. 1896).

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143 Ill. App. 450 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1908)
Martin v. Martin
74 Ill. App. 215 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1898)