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14 Tex. 166

Parker v. Portis

Texas Supreme Court

Decided July 1, 1855

Texas Supreme Court · decided 1855-07-01

Execution in favor of John Parker against David Y. Portis ; levied on three slaves, Ky or Hezekiah, Orecy and Lidy ; the slaves claimed by Rebecca Portis, wife of David Y. Portis ; affidavit that the slaves were “ her separate property and in nowise liable for the debts of David Y. Portis ; bond by claimant payable to the Sheriff; answer by the claimant, answering with her husband, 1st. That the slaves were her separate property. 2d. That they were the common property of the…

Relies on Sweeney v. Jarvis

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1855-07-01

How this case has been cited

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently November 1956

2 state decisions

1018551860187018801890190019101920193019401950decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

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Wheeler, J.

¶1The property levied on was purchased with money collected by the appellee, Mrs. Portis, as administratrix of the estate of John Cummings. It was the money of the estate with which the property was bought and paid for. It therefore was neither community property of the appellees, nor the separate property of Mrs. Portis ; but was property held by her in trust, for the distributees and heirs of the estate of John Cummings. Though the titles were taken in the name of Mrs. Portis, and whether she was rightfully administratrix or not, still the property in her hands was trust property, held in trust for those interested in or entitled to receive the estate; *170Because purchased with their money. And consequently, it was not subject to the plaintiff’s execution.

¶2Holding the property as trustee, the appellee had the right, and it was legally incumbent on her, to assert the claim on behalf of the beneficiaries in the trust, and to maintain the exemption of the property from the execution. And where the fact was made legally to appear to the Court that the property was so held, the Court would not suffer the sale of it in satisfaction of the plaintiff’s execution.

¶3The issue made up by the parties presented, properly, the only material question arising upon the merits of the case; that is, whether the property was liable to sale upon the execution, or writ; and the Court very properly decided that it was not. The irregularity in giving the bond was amendable, (Sweeney v. Jarvis, 6 Tex. 36,) and is not now material, since the case has been decided rightly upon the merits.

¶4Whether the community property is liable for the debts of the husband, contracted before the marriage, it is not necessary in this case to decide. That question may be determined,' in another case before the Court, between those parties. If so liable, the community money mixed with the trust fund in this case, may be reached. But it can only be reached by a proceeding or a levy, to reach and dispose of that particular interest. It cannot be permitted, that a levy upon the entire trust estate, as community property, should be maintained, for the purpose of subjecting so inconsiderable a community interest ■mixed with the estate. The judgment is affirmed.

¶5Judgment affirmed.

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