Seibel v. Bath

40 P. 756, 5 Wyo. 409, 1895 Wyo. LEXIS 33
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedJune 25, 1895
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 40 P. 756 (Seibel v. Bath) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Seibel v. Bath, 40 P. 756, 5 Wyo. 409, 1895 Wyo. LEXIS 33 (Wyo. 1895).

Opinion

Pottee, Justice.

In this case Paul E. H. Bath and Josephine D. S. Bath, minor heirs, by Charles Kuster, their next friend, brought suit in the district court of Albany County to enjoin Gustav A. Seibel, George Berner and Eli Crumrine from further proceeding to foreclose or enforce certain mechanic's liens claimed by Seibel and Berner, respectively, and two mortgages held by Crumrine upon certain property alleged to belong to the said heirs,-and to the end also that said encumbrances be declared void. .Restraining orders were issued pending the suit. ■

Separate demurrers were filed to the petition and overruled, and the rulings severally- excepted to. Separate answers were thereafter filed, which were met by replies, and trial was had before the court without the intervention of a jury. The court found the. facts specially, and these, with the conclusions of law, were entered upon the journal as part of the judgr ments or decree. The evidence is not before us. The findings, decision, judgment and decree were severally excepted to by the defendants in the court below. Motions for new trial seem to have been filed, presented and overruled, and time allowed for reducing exceptions to writing. No bill of except tions is in the record. ■ .

The petition alleged that one Frederick Bath, died intestate at Laramie City, Wyoming, October 24, 1881, leaving surviving him as sole heirs of his estate his wife, Johanna Bath, and his two. infant children; Paul F-. H. Bath-and Josephine D. S. Bath; that on November 2, 1881, the widow was appointed administratrix of said estate, and thereupon duly qualified and entered upon.the discharge of the duties thereof; that the estate was duly appraised at $11,818.12, and the total-indebtedness did not exceed $1,600.00, but that-the'-said estate was then‘worth more than $10,000:00 net, one-half of .which be[415]*415longed to the said infant heirs. It is further alleged in the petition that on November 2, 1882, J.ohanna Bath made a report as administratrix, showing that after the payment of the debts of the estate and all expenses of administration, there remained in her hands $3,324.24; that none of the real estate of said estate had been disposed of, and a part only of the personal property had been converted into money. It is also alleged that the real estate consisted in part of the “Laramie Brewery,” situated on parts of sections 20 and 21, in Tp. 16 N., 'of R. 73 W., in. Albany County, Wyoming; and parts of lots 20, 21, and 22, in block 192, in the Town of Laramie City, said brewery consisting of a- stone ice-house, stone malt house, a frame brewery building, and frame stable. That Frederick Bath in his life time made a pre-emption filing upon, certain described lands and made settlement thereon with his family; that after his death his widow, on July 21, 1882, made a cash entry of said land and paid therefor with moneys of the estate, and a patent from' the government was issued to her therefor. That, it being discovered the brewery was erected on lands title to which was not in Frederick Bath, the administratrix purchased the same, a part from the Union Pacific Railway Company, and a part, presumably, from some other person, paying for the same with moneys of the estate. That the deeds to said land were made to Johanna Burman, she being said widow, and having in the meantime remarried. It is charged that these lands and the titles thereto were and are held by her in trust for the heirs of said estate.

That said Johanna Burman caused' said Laramie Brewery to be rebuilded (they having been destroyed by fire as it later appears), expending thereon about $8,000.00 of the moneys of the estate, and it is charged this was unlawful; further, that she contracted with said Seibel for machinery for said brewery, and with said Berner for work, labor and materials, in the construction and repair thereof, and that each of them claim a balance due them for such material and labor — to Seibel, $2,256.32, and to Berner, $4,738.40 — for which balance each of them have filed-mechanic’s liens and have brought an [416]*416action in the district court to enforce and foreclose said liens upon the brewery and the lands upon which it stands, to the extent of one acre.

It is also stated that E. Crumrine holds two several mortgages for $6,000.00 and $4,000.00, respectively, covering the 1ST. \ of E. W. and lots 3 and 4 of Section 28, in Tp. 16 N., of Range 73 W., also the S. E. ^ of S. "W. \ of Section 21, Tp. 16 N., of R. 73 W., and a portion of Section 20, containing 6/10 acres; also lots 11,12, and 13, in block 164, and parts of lots 20, 21, and 22, in block 192, in Laramie City; said mortgages having been executed by said Johanna Burman: That Crumrine claims them as subsisting liens, and has appeared in the suit brought by Seibel and Berner and set up his liens, asking that they be'declared prior to the said mechanic’s liens. It is charged that.the property thus mortgaged was the property of the said estate. The mortgages were given in May and July, 1890, respectively.

It is further alleged that the district court, in April, 1891 (which, upon the admission of the State, assumed probate jurisdiction), had cited said administratrix to render an account and settlement of the estate, and' that she was at the time of filing the petition in this suit, preparing her statement of account.

The answers filed by the several defendants denied that any of the property belonged to the estate; admitted the purchase of the lands by the widow in her own name, but denied that she did so as administratrix ór with moneys of the estate, or that she took the lands in trust as alleged in the petition; denied that the brewery was rebuilt or repaired with any of the moneys of the estate or without authority of law. As a second defense, each answering defendant set up want of knowledge or notice of the trust, actual or constructive.

As the errors charged are predicated upon the conclusion of law reached by the court, and judgment or decree rendered upon the facts as found by it, it has been necessary to thus rather explicitly review the allegations of the pleadings, the evidence not being before us,1 and the findings of fact not being opposed by the plaintiffs in error; the sole contention [417]*417being tbat upon tbe findings of fact a different judgment should haye been rendered.

The court found the death of Frederick Bath as alleged and admitted, and that he left surviving him his widow and two infant children already named, the appointment of Mrs. Bath as administratrix; that she was remarried to one John A. Burman on the Ist'day of December, 1885, and that her letters of administration had not been revoked, but that she continued to act as administratrix until after the bringing of said action, and during all that time retained possession of the property of the estate.

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Bluebook (online)
40 P. 756, 5 Wyo. 409, 1895 Wyo. LEXIS 33, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/seibel-v-bath-wyo-1895.