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142 Mass. 246

Libby v. Norris

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1886-07-02

Bill in equity, brought by the plaintiff, in behalf of himself and of all other creditors of Vital Roberts who might become parties thereto, against John Norris, Henry Norris, and Vital Roberts, alleging that, on April 28, 1882, Roberts was doing business in Lowell, and was possessed of certain personal property; that Roberts was indebted to twenty-five persons and firms named, including the plaintiff and the defendants Norris, in amounts specified; that, on said day,…

Relies on Sears v. Hardy · Smith v. Williams · Birmingham v. Gallagher

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1886-07-02

How this case has been cited

Cited by 6 later decisions — most recently September 1941

4 state decisions

401886189019001910192019301940decided

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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Morton, 0. J.

¶1It is at least doubtful whether exceptions taken in the course of the trial in a suit in equity in the Superior Court can properly be entered in this court until there has been a final decree in the case. But, waiving this, it is clear that these exceptions cannot be sustained.

¶2The bill is brought by the plaintiff, on behalf of himself and numerous other creditors of Vital Roberts, to enforce a trust. The interest of all the creditors in the question to be tried is •the same. It is well settled that such a bill may properly be brought, or at least that it is within the discretion of the court to entertain it. Sears v. Hardy, 120 Mass. 524. Smith v. Williams, 116 Mass. 510. Birmingham v. Gallagher, 112 Mass. 190. Bryant v. Russell, 23 Pick. 508. Story Eq. Pl. § 102.

¶3In such cases, the court will take measures to see that all the creditors interested have the opportunity to come in and protect their rights. This has been done by the interlocutory decree entered in the Superior Court, which guards the rights of all parties in interest. °

¶4Exceptions overruled.

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