Thomson v. Peake

17 S.E. 45, 38 S.C. 440, 1893 S.C. LEXIS 68
CourtSupreme Court of South Carolina
DecidedMarch 17, 1893
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 17 S.E. 45 (Thomson v. Peake) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thomson v. Peake, 17 S.E. 45, 38 S.C. 440, 1893 S.C. LEXIS 68 (S.C. 1893).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Mr. Justice Pope.

The children of W. W. Thomson and Jessie, his wife, five in number, by their guardian ad litem, the said W. W. Thomson, have instituted this action against the defendants, Glenn D. Peake, and the said Jessie M. Thomson, to procure an account and settlement of the rents and profits of a certain plantation of land, situated in York County, in this State, known as “Beauty Spot,” containing 693 acres, from January, 1887, during the time when the defendant, Glenn D. Peake, controlled the same, and also for his removal from the office of trustee i n connection with said lands. The answer of Glenn D. Peake denies that he is indebted, or that the relation of trustee should be terminated until the debts and obligations of the parties to the suit, growing out of his connection with said lands as trustee, are fully paid. The answer of the defendant, Mrs. Jessie M. Thomson, is in accord with the allegations of the complaint.

By consent, all the issues of law and fact were referred to James Y. Culbreath, Esq., as special master. The matters were heard by him, and a report thereon was made to the Gir[447]*447cuit Court. Exceptions thereto were heard by Judge Hudson, and his decree pronounced. Thereafter an appeal was taken by Glenn D. Peake, and is now before this court, upon the following grounds: 1. That his honor erred in finding that this defendant could have rented the “Beauty Spot” plantation to advantage. 2. That his honor erred in not sustaining the method of accounting adopted by the special master — that is to say, that his honor erred in not holding that the receipts and disbursements of the defendant., trustee, were the true measure of his liability. 3. That his honor erred in holding that this defendant, by cultivating this plantation, rendered himself liable for a reasonable rental value, without reference to the result of the farming operations. 4. That his honor erred in not holding and finding, as a matter of fact, that this defendant did rent out all of this plantation that he was able to rent, and only cultivated, on shares, any part of it because he was obliged to, or allow that much of the trust estate to remain idle and entirely unproductive.

Financial embarrassment, consisting in an inability to utilize, as a matter of profit, a valuable plantation in the County of York, in this State, known as “Beauty .Spot,” bare as it was of provisions, work animals, and farming utensils, wagons, &c., without money, or the means of obtaining it, harassed by claims already in judgment, and others not yet sued upon, led the defendant, Mrs. Jessie M. Thomson, to apply to her uncle by marriage, the defendant, Glenn D. Peake, who was himself a large planter and a practical business man, with means and credit, to take charge of her lauded estate as her trustee, and from the proceeds pay her taxes past due, the demands against her already in judgment, and others not in judgment, as well as to supply the means for the support of herself and her children, the present plaintiffs. After much persuasion, the defendant Peake consented — the father and mother of plaintiffs both alleging that Mrs. Thomson was the owner of a life estate in said lands.

The terms of the trust deed were as follows: “All my right, title, and interest in all real estate and personal property owned by me or in my possession, or in- which I have any interest [448]*448whatever. Amongst said real estate is the 'Beauty Spot’ plantation” (then follows a description of it); “also, my homestead house and lot in Gaffney City. To have and to hold, all and singular the premises before mentioned, unto the said Glenn D. Peake, his heirs and assigns, forever; but, nevertheless, upon the following expressed trust, and to and for the uses, interests, and purposes hereinafter limited, described, and declared: that is to sajr, upon trust to receive the issues, rents, and profits of the said premises, and with leave, if necessary and expedient, to sell whatever is necessary and expedient, to pay the debts for which I am legally liable, and then to ajjply said property, or all the issues, rents, and profits, or proceeds in any way thereof, after paying all necessary expenses in making or using the same, as aforesaid, including payment of taxes, to the use of myself and my children now living or hereafter born; he, the said Glenn D. Peake, making the necessary outlay for said purposes during the term of his natural life, and then to convey said property, upon like trusts, to another trustee, to be selected by me, and upon my death that said Glenn D. Peake, or his successor, shall convey in fee to my children then living all of said property remaining in, or coming into, his hands or control by reason of (this) conveyance.” Immediately upon the execution of this trust deed, Glenn ’D. Peake paid the j udgment against Mrs. Thomson, held by E. C. Thomson, for $213.85, and the taxes past due in York and Spartanburg Counties, amounting to $85. All parties, Mr. and Mrs. Thomson, and Mr. Peake, exerted themselves to get tenants.for that year (1887). No doubt, handsome returns would have been the result of these joint efforts, but for the disastrous freshets in all the streams of the State in that year, whereby the labor and hopes of those tilling the soil — especially river and creek bottoms — were blasted. This was known to the parties as early as the 17th of August, 1887, for, at that date, Mr. Thomson writes to Mr. Peake, and admits notice of the effect of the floods of water. The crops only amounted that year to $232, while the account of the trustee for moneys paid out by him was $550.14. In 1888, receipts were $957.37, disbursements (including $59.30 on Gaddes judgment, S. M. [449]*449McNeil, bill for supplies to Mrs. Thomson and family, $322.81), were $652.32. In 1889, receipts were $965.36; disbursements (including supplies to family, $337.40,) were $735.66. In 1890, receipts were $912.80; disbursements were $352.91. In 1890, this action was commenced.

The plaintiffs having alleged that they were tenants in common with their mother, Mrs. Thomson, and this allegation being denied, it became necessary to inquire into the title in the lands known as “Beauty Spot.” The special master very properly submits as a part of his report so much of the will of the late Henry H. Thomson, who died after 1853, as bears upon this matter, as well as the deed of Albert G. Means and Jessie M. Thomson, and also the deed from Albert G. Means to Mrs. Jessie M. Thomson. The relevancy of these same instruments will be manifest when it is stated that William Waddy Thomson received “Beauty Spot” under the will of his father, H. H. Thomson; that he, William Waddy Thomson, mortgaged the said “Beauty Spot” to J. S. Rowland Thomson and Albert G. Means, each separately, and that Mrs. Jessie M. Thomson was the assignee of the mortgage held by J. S. Rowland Thomson; that the said mortgages contained a power of attorney to mortgagees to sell in case of default, and that upon default of payment they did sell said lands, and themselves became the purchasers (as was permitted by the terms of their deeds of mortgage), and title was made to them jointly; and that thereafter Albert G. Means conveyed his interest in said lands to his daughter, Mrs. Jessie M. Thomson, in trust for herself and children during her life, and at her death to vest absolutely in such children.

We will inquire (a) what estate in such lands W. W. Thomson took under the will of his father, H. H. Thomson; (6) what estate Albert G. Means and Jessie M. Thomson took under the deed from W. W. Thomson; (c) what estate Jessie M.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Turbeville v. Morris
26 S.E.2d 821 (Supreme Court of South Carolina, 1943)
Hood v. Cannon
182 S.E. 306 (Supreme Court of South Carolina, 1935)
Drummond v. Drummond
143 S.E. 818 (Supreme Court of South Carolina, 1928)
Thraves v. Greenlees
1914 OK 411 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1914)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
17 S.E. 45, 38 S.C. 440, 1893 S.C. LEXIS 68, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thomson-v-peake-sc-1893.