United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. Roberson

142 So. 321
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 11, 1932
DocketNo. 4150.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 142 So. 321 (United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. Roberson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co. v. Roberson, 142 So. 321 (La. Ct. App. 1932).

Opinion

TALIAFERRO, J.

In the year 1926 Bashie Fullwood was appointed administratrix of the succession ' of her deceased brother Stephens Fullwood by the district court of Bossier parish. Defendant acted as her attorney. The deceased was. an ex-service man. The only asset of his succession was $7.274.34 due by the United States for war risk insurance, which was collected and deposited by the administratrix in a bank in the city of Shreveport on May 26, 1927. The plaintiff herein signed the ad-ministratrix’ bond as surety, requiring a joint control' agreement whereby the funds of the succession could only be withdrawn from bank on checks of the administratrix, countersigned by its Shreveport agency. The account of the administratrix in said 'bank was closed on June 7, 1927, as during the short period of its existence, only 12 days, the entire fund was withdrawn by checks of the admin-istratrix, approved by plaintiff, without sanction of the court, and without any account whatever being filed.

The deceased, Stephens Fullwood, left no forced heirs, but. did leave two sisters, viz. the administratrix and Lueretia Wallace, and the issue of two predeceased sisters, as his sole heirs. One of the cheeks issued by the administratrix was in favor of Lueretia Wallace for $875 which she indorsed and collected. It was intended to cover her interest in the succession as one of the four heirs, but was in reality about half enough as will be seen hereinafter.

No account having been filed by the admin-istratrix, on March 29, 1928, Lueretia Wallace sued out a rule to compel her to do so, or show cause to the contrary. Answering this rule, inter alia, the administratrix avers that the defendant herein handled all matters for her pertaining to this succession; that he has, or should have, in his possession or under his control, all papers, documents, vouchers, canceled checks, etc., concerning the affairs of the succession; that she had called on him to deliver such papers, etc., to her, and he had failed to do so, and she is unable to file her account without same; that, according to her calculation, several hundred dollars of the money collected by defendant for the succession’s account remains undistributed and unaccounted for; that she is ready and willing to comply with the court’s orders when the desired papers are surrendered to her by defendant. She prayed for and secured a rule on defendant to show cause why he should not deliver to her the papers, documents, etc., above mentioned. This rule issued on May 30, 1928, and was returnable June 13th. No service could be made on defendant, due to his absence from Shreveport, and the rule was refixed for June 19th, but for lack of service, it was again refixed for October 22d; again *322 for November 12tb; again for'November 26tb, and finally for January 14th. Service was made on January 9th, and the rule was answered on January 14th. Defendant attached to his answer some receipts, canceled checks, and other papers having reference to the succession, which he avers are all he has in his possession or under his control. Before this answer was filed, however, the administratrix filed a provisional account whereon, as disbursements, among others, were listed $875 paid Lucretia Wallace as “heir’s portion”; $1,200 paid Rebecca Roach, as “fee”; $700 paid defendant, Chas. M. Roberson, as'attorney’s fee; and $168.09 paid Geo. J. Rushing, “account.” Lucretia Wallace opposed this account in many particulars, and, after trial, the district court found that only $800 had been paid to the opponent on account of her ■heir’s interest; and reduced the fee of defendant to $250; rejected and disallowed the item of $1,200 paid to Rebecca Roach, and that of $168.09 paid to Geo. J; Rushing. The account was recast by the court, and a net balance of $6,804.35 was found, after deducting legitimate charges, being $1,701.08 for each heir. The opponent was given judgment against the succession and the administratrix for $901.08, with interest. No appeal was prosecuted from this decree. Execution issued on the judgment and was returned unsatisfied. The surety company, plaintiff, then purchased the judgment from Lucretia Wallace.

Plaintiff brings this suit against Chas. M. Roberson to recover the amount thus paid to Lucretia Wallace. To disclose plaintiff’s position clearly we find it necessary to make somewhat extended reference to the allegations of its petition. After detailing the history of the succession to the time of deposit of the $7,274.34 in bank, it is alleged:

That on May 26, 1927, defendant presented a check of $2,804.74 of the administratrix to plaintiff for its approval, informing plaintiff that the money was being withdrawn under order of court for the proper purposes of the administration, and “that in pursuance to the customary procedure and in reliance upon the said Charles M. Roberson as an attorney at law of Shreveport, Louisiana, and as attorney for the administratrix and the said succession, and as an officer of the court, your petitioner signed said check for the purpose of complying with said purported court order and to enable the said Charles M. Roberson to pay said debt.”

That said defendant in like manner and with like representations and assurances presented other checks for signature, which finally absorbed all of said account, and in like manner, relying upon the said Roberson, as aforesaid, the checks were approved by petitioner.

That as a matter of fact no tableau of debts or distribution, nor provisional account, had been filed, and no order of court authorizing the withdrawal of said funds had been granted, and, while petitioner was ignorant of these facts, the defendant was not, but nevertheless made said statements in order to withdraw the funds from bank and joint control of petitioner so as to control the payments and distribution thereof as he saw fit. That due to the deception practiced on petitioner by defendant, and to that alone, said checks were approved by it.

’ That Bashie Fullwood is an old, ignorant, uneducated, and easily duped negro woman, and had not the ability nor understanding to act as administratrix, and her attorney (defendant herein) actually handled the succession business, collected the assets, and made the distribution of its funds. That all payments were made by him or under his direction, without court orders or authority. That the administratrix was merely the agency through whom he acted, and she relied implicitly upon his advice as to what debts should :be paid from the succession funds.

That 'defendant has refused to account for the amounts of succession money withdrawn by him or coming into his hands, and petitioner is informed and believes that the total thereof is in excess of $1,000, which has not been applied by him to the payment of succession obligations, but retained by him, or paid to strangers to the succession for purposes of defendant only.

That petitioner, having paid the sum of $957.35 under its bond, is subrogated to all the rights of the administratrix and of the succession to that extent and entitled to recover said sum from defendant.

That, in the alternative, as an attorney at law and an officer of the court, said Charles M. Roberson impliedly contracted with petitioner on applying for bond for the adminis-tratrix of the succession that he would use skill and diligence in carrying out the functions of his office and in conducting the administration of the estate and by reason of his breach thereof he is indebted unto petitioner to the extent of its loss on that account.

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Related

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Bluebook (online)
142 So. 321, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-fidelity-guaranty-co-v-roberson-lactapp-1932.