Storlie v. Sachse

165 Wash. 291
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 20, 1931
DocketNo. 23219
StatusPublished

This text of 165 Wash. 291 (Storlie v. Sachse) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Storlie v. Sachse, 165 Wash. 291 (Wash. 1931).

Opinion

Parker, J.

— The plaintiff, Storlie, commenced this action in the superior court for Pierce county seeking-recovery from Arthur Weichbrod, as executor of the estate of Edmund H. Seidler, deceased. The executor having- died while the action was pending-, W. L. Sachse was duly appointed administrator of the estate with the will annexed, and as such duly substituted as the defendant. Thereafter, the cause proceeded to trial in the superior court, sitting- without a jury, resulting in finding’s and judgment denying to Storlie recovery, from which he has appealed to this court.

The record brought here from the superior court, which includes all of the evidence introduced upon the trial, we think leaves no room for serious controversy as to what are the controlling facts of this case. They may be summarized as follows:

On June 11, 1925, Seidler, a single man, became indebted to Storlie in the sum of four hundred dollars. To evidence that indebtedness, Seidler on that day executed and delivered to Storlie his promissory note for that principal sum, payable one year thereafter, with eight per cent interest per annum. To secure payment thereof, Seidler on the same day executed and delivered to Storlie a mortgage upon a tract of land in Pierce county, then owned by him.

On July 9, 1926, Seidler died in Pierce county, being-then a resident thereof and leaving property therein, including this mortgaged land. He had then paid to Storlie upon the principal of the note indebtedness one hundred and fifty dollars, and also had paid interest thereon up to June 26, 1926. No further payment has ever been paid upon that indebtedness. Seidler left a [293]*293non-intervention will which had been duly executed by him, wherein he named Arthur Weichbrod as executor,

“ . , . giving to him full power to sell, or in any manner dispose of any real or personal property, belonging to me, or in which I have any interest at the time of my death, at public or private sale, without the approval of any court,”

and leaving all his property to his sister living in Bohemia, subject to his debts, funeral expenses and expenses of administration.

On July 16, 1926, the will was duly admitted to probate in the superior court for Pierce county and the appointment of Arthur Weichbrod as executor confirmed, who then duly qualified and entered upon his duties as such. On July 17, 1926, the executor commenced publication of notice to creditors, in pursuance of the order of the court. On September 22, 1926, the court having theretofore duly appointed appraisers, the executor filed in the probate proceeding an inventory and appraisement of the property of the estate, showing it to consist of the land covered by the mortgage above noticed, appraised at six hundred dollars, two town lots in Tacoma appraised at one thousand dollars, household goods appraised at one hundred dollars, and cash amounting to $31.25.

On January 25, 1927, the six months’ period prescribed by statute for the presentation of claims of creditors having expired, the executor applied for and obtained from the court an order establishing the estate to be “fully solvent,” as prescribed by Rem. Comp. Stat., § 1462, relating to settlement of estates under non-intervention wills; thus fully enabling the executor to proceed with the settlement of the estate according to the terms of the will.

On July 23, 1928, Storlie presented to the executor his verified claim against the estate, claiming the estate [294]*294to be indebted to bim in tbe sum of two hundred fifty dollars and interest upon tbe note indebtedness above noticed. On July 30, 1928, tbe executor rejected and disallowed tbis claim, stating bis reason tberefor to be that it was barred by not having been timely presented, it not having been presented until over two years after tbe first publication of notice to creditors.

Prior to tbe presentation of Storlie’s claim and tbe commencement' of tbis action, tbe executor, then not knowing of tbe existence of Storlie’s mortgage, it being unrecorded, exercising tbe power conferred upon him by the terms of tbe will, sold and conveyed tbe land covered by tbe mortgage, warranting it to be free from all encumbrances, receiving tberefor seven hundred dollars. Tbe grantee so acquired title to tbe land free from all encumbrances, including tbe mortgage, because tbe mortgage bad not then been recorded and was not recorded until sometime thereafter. It appears by competent testimony, other than that of Storlie, that be was requested by Seidler, and agreed with him, that be, Storlie, would not place tbe mortgage of record. Tbe purpose of tbis is not made plain by tbe record before us, but tbe withholding of tbe mortgage from record enabled tbe executor to vest in tbe grantee title to tbe land free from tbe encumbrances of tbe mortgage; although, as between Storlie and Seidler and bis estate, tbe land was not free from tbe encumbrance of tbe mortgage.

Storlie did not learn of tbe sale and conveyance of tbe land by tbe executor until a short time prior to tbe presentation of his claim to tbe executor and the commencement of tbis action. Partial distribution of tbe property of tbe estate, or rather tbe proceeds thereof, has been made by tbe executor and tbe administrator to tbe sister devisee. Of tbe property of tbe estate, tbe town lots, appraised at one thousand dollars, and [295]*295some funds, proceeds of sold property, remain in the hands of the administrator undistributed.

On August 27, 1928, Storlie commenced this action in the superior court for Pierce county, seeking recovery from the executor as such in the sum of two hundred fifty dollars, with interest thereon from June 26,1926, resting his claim of recovery in the alternative upon two theories: (1) That his claim was timely presented because of insufficiency of and irregularity in the executor’s notice to creditors and the publication thereof; and (2) that his claim of recovery is not dependent upon its presentation to the executor and the executor’s action thereon, as a prerequisite to recovery in this action. On May 2, 1929, the executor, Weichbrod, died. This was followed by the appointment of Sachse as administrator with the will annexed, the substituting of him as the defendant, the trial of the cause, and the judgment as above noticed.

Viewing Storlie’s claimed right of recovery as resting alone upon the note indebtedness owing to him by Seidler prior to Seidler’s death, it seems plain to us that there could not be any recovery by Storlie in this action. As to the claim of insufficiency and irregularity in the notice to creditors and the publication thereof, we deem it sufficient to say that we do not find any substantial defect therein. Plainly, Storlie did not present his claim to the executor within the prescribed six months’ period following the first publication of that notice. This barred his right of recovery on that claim, it being only a claim upon the note given to him by Seidler as a simple indebtedness owing by Seidler prior to his death. Rem. Comp. Stat., § 1477; Davis v. Shepard, 135 Wash. 124, 237 Pac. 21.

Viewing Storlie’s claim of recovery as resting upon an obligation of the estate arising in the course [296]*296of its administration after the death of Seidler, it is plain that Storlie’s right of recovery is not dependent upon his presentation of a claim therefor prior to the commencement of the action. We have so held in the following cases: Fisher v. McNeely, 110 Wash. 283, 188 Pac. 478, 14 A.

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Bluebook (online)
165 Wash. 291, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/storlie-v-sachse-wash-1931.