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22 Ala. 673

Kyle v. Mays

Supreme Court of Alabama

Decided January 15, 1853

Supreme Court of Alabama · decided 1853-01-15

EreoR to the Circuit Court of Coosa. Tried before the Hon. JOHN D. PhelAN. This was an action of debt on an administrator’s bond against the plaintiff in error as tbe surety of William E. Hatchett, who was the administrator of Thomas Hatchett.

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently June 1867

2 state decisions

Relies on Turner Adm'r v. Dupree's Adm'r · Joseph v. Legatees of Joseph

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1853-01-15

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GOLDTHWAITE, JV

¶1We decided in the case of Kyle v. Mays, use &c. of Pond, at the present term, that when a decree is rendered against an administrator, on a final settlement, in favor of a distributee, the failure to pay such decree amounted to a breach of the administration bond; and that an action could be maintained against the obligors, without the issue of execution on the decree, or a demand of the administrator.

¶2The difficulty, however, in the present case, is, that the decree was rendered in favor of “ the legal representative ” of the distributee, without naming such representative; and under our previous decisions, this decree, as such, was void for uncertainty. Joseph v. Joseph, 5 Ala. 280; Turner v. Dupree, 19 Ala. 198; Hughes v. Mitchell, ib. 270. It is true, that, under the influence of the case last cited, the settlement might be regarded as evidence of a debt against the administrator, so as to authorize its recovery by the person entitled ; but the administrator cannot be required to pay it, until the party who is to receive it is judicially ascertained. *675The failure to pay, until then, is not a breach of the bond, and, as a consequence, no action could be maintained on it. The court, therefore, should have sustained the demurrer, and for that error, the judgment is reversed, and the cause remanded.

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