Wiley v. Fuller

39 N.E.2d 418, 310 Mass. 597, 1942 Mass. LEXIS 621
CourtMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
DecidedJanuary 26, 1942
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 39 N.E.2d 418 (Wiley v. Fuller) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wiley v. Fuller, 39 N.E.2d 418, 310 Mass. 597, 1942 Mass. LEXIS 621 (Mass. 1942).

Opinion

Field, C.J.

The guardian (without custody) of George Harold Fuller, a minor, who has now become of age, presented to the Probate Court .a first and final account for the period beginning- July 15, 1938, and ending July 10, 1940, in which he charged himself with $213.13 and asked to be allowed for ten items of payments and charges aggregating $213.13, leaving no balance on hand. A decree was entered disallowing six of the items of payments and charges and $10 included in another item, amounting in the aggregate to $155, and leaving a balance on hand of $155, amending the account accordingly, and allowing it as a first account. The decree also provided that "it further appearing that the former ward has necessarily expended certain sums in connection with this accounting and owes his attorney for services; it is further decreed that the accountant pay to said distributee the sum of $134.10, as damages.” From this decree the accountant appealed. No evidence is [599]*599reported. At the request of the accountant, however, the judge made a report of the material facts found by him. See G. L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 215, § 11. It does not appear that any attempt was made to secure any change in these findings of fact or any further findings of fact. See Plumer v. Houghton & Dutton Co. 277 Mass. 209, 214-215; Merrill v. Everett, 293 Mass. 327, 328; Tracy v. Bishop, 298 Mass. 182, 185.

Procedure on this appeal in a probate proceeding follows that in equity so far as applicable and practicable. G. L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 215, § 9. Ensign v. Faxon, 229 Mass. 231. Gallagher v. Phinney, 284 Mass. 255, 257. The material facts found by the judge must be deemed to be all the facts upon which he acted in entering the decree and leave no room for further findings to be implied from the decree. Sullivan v. Quinlivan, 308 Mass. 339, 341, and cases cited. Sidlow v. Gosselin, ante, 395, 397. In the absence, as here, of any report of the evidence, the material facts reported must be taken as true unless “they appear on the face of the report to be mutually inconsistent or plainly wrong or incompatible with the pleadings or other documents set forth in the record.” Plumer v. Houghton & Dutton Co. 277 Mass. 209, 215. Macomber v. King, 288 Mass. 381, 383. Atwood v. Atwood, 297 Mass. 229, 231-232. The “findings of fact thus made are in the nature of documents to be interpreted.” Jones v. Clark, 272 Mass. 146, 149. The question for decision is whether, solely on the findings reported by the judge, considered as above stated, the decree was rightly entered. Nelson v. Wentworth, 243 Mass. 377, 378. Melville Shoe Corp. v. Kozminsky, 268 Mass. 172, 174. Sullivan v. Quinlivan, 308 Mass. 339, 341.

1. Disallowance of items of payments and charges other than compensation for services. — The burden of establishing the correctness of the account in respect to these items by affirmative evidence rested on the accountant. Wood v. Farwell, 195 Mass. 559, 560. Gallagher v. Phinney, 284 Mass. 255, 258. Merrill v. Everett, 293 Mass. 327, 329.

On the facts stated in the report this burden was not sustained as to any of these items — aggregating $145 in [600]*600amount. This is clearly true of the items disallowed aggregating $5 in amount, with respect to which it was found only that these items “were insufficiently supported.” Another item disallowed was “Wearing apparel — W. E. Atkinson 25.00.” The findings with respect to this item are these: “Wiley had a second-hand overcoat in his office of uncertain ownership. At the time in question the ward had three overcoats. Wiley forced the office overcoat upon the ward and charged him twenty-five dollars for it.” An inference cannot rightly be drawn from these findings alone that the amount charged for the overcoat was a proper charge against the estate of the ward for his “comfortable and suitable maintenance and support” as being for his benefit or advantage. G. L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 201, § 38; c. 205, § 1 (6) Second. Dolbeare v. Bowser, 254 Mass. 57, 61.

Two items disallowed were cash for “Medical Services rendered by Dr. James J. Grace,” one for $75 and one for $40. The specific findings as to these items are: “Fuller had visited one Dr. Grace and had been under treatment by the physician for several months before Wiley became guardian of the estate. Dr. Grace never asked for payment from Wiley, nor sent him a bill, but Wiley without investigation of treatments and with no particulars, sent Dr. Grace cash by messenger on one occasion and called the doctor to Wiley's office and gave him cash on the other. . . . Wiley instructed Dr. Grace to make his bill larger.” A guardian is required to “pay all just debts which are due from his ward out of the personal property, if sufficient, and, if not, out of the real property, upon obtaining a license for the sale thereof.” G. L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 201, § 37. See, as to a creditor recovering on the bond of a guardian for failure to pay such a debt, Long v. Copeland, 182 Mass. 332, and cases cited. It is apparent from the record that the personal property of the ward in the hands of the guardian was sufficient for the payment of the amounts paid. The facts found, however, fall short of showing that there was a just debt of the ward to the physician. The facts found show merely that the ward, before the accountant became guardian, “had visited” the physician and “had [601]*601been under treatment” by him “for several months.” Doubtless in some circumstances medical services furnished to a minor upon his own credit may be a necessary, the furnishing of which to him implies an obligation on his part to pay therefor what such services are reasonably worth — that is a just debt of the minor. Hoyt v. Casey, 114 Mass. 397. Trainer v. Trumbull, 141 Mass. 527. L. P. Hollander Co. v. Porter, 267 Mass. 378. Luster v. Luster, 299 Mass. 480, 484. Compare G. L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 106, § 4. No such circumstances appear. The facts reported do not show that the medical services were actually required by the minor or that they were furnished upon his credit. Nor do the facts show what, if anything, these services were reasonably worth.

2. Disallowance of compensation for services of the guardian. — With respect to an item in the account of $13.13 for “Guardian’s fee and disbursements,” allowed in the sum of $3.13, the report of material facts states that this item “included actual disbursements of three dollars and thirteen cents and ten dollars for services.” The guardian was entitled to “such compensation for services as the court may allow.” G. L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 206, § 16. But the court in making such an allowance can allow properly only such compensation as is “just and reasonable,” and the determination of the Probate Court as to what is “just and reasonable” is subject to review by this court on appeal in accordance with the ordinary principles applicable to review on appeals from the Probate Court. King v. Grace, 293 Mass. 244, 250-251. It maybe, however, that a guardian is not entitled to any compensation. Brackett v. Fuller, 279 Mass. 62, 71-73. Gallagher v. Phinney, 284 Mass. 255, 258. On the facts reported the Probate Court was not in error in refusing to allow any compensation for the services of the guardian.

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Bluebook (online)
39 N.E.2d 418, 310 Mass. 597, 1942 Mass. LEXIS 621, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wiley-v-fuller-mass-1942.