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23 Mass. 481

Hooker v. Olmstead

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided September 26, 1828

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1828-09-26

<p>Where a creditor of an intestate estate represented insolvent, had his whole claim allowed by the commissioners, notwithstanding it was partially secured by a mortgage, and received a dividend upon the whole, he was held to have waived his security by the mortgage.</p> <p>Where an administrator appointed here takes out letters of ancillary administration in another State, and thereupon collects debts of citizens of such State, and sells land there situate, the administration of such assets is not covered by his bond given here, but he will be presumed to have rightly accounted for the same in such other State.</p> <p>But moneys received in another State, of debtors living here, are to be accounted for in this State.</p> <p>Where, in an action on an administration bond, a forfeiture was confessed and the parties were heard in chancery, it was held, that the execution against the administrator might include sums received by him since the commencement of the action.</p>

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently October 1970

1 state decisions

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Decided 1828-09-26

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By the Court.

¶1Inasmuch as the creditor filed his claim generally with the commissioners, and a distribution was decreed upon an allowance of the whole claim, we think he waived his right under the mortgage.

¶2It further appeared, that Asa Olmstead, after his appointment as administrator in this State, also took out letters of ancillary administration in the State of Connecticut, where he received assets by the collection of debts and the sale of land. The estate was there represented insolvent, and certain sums were returned by commissioners of insolvency as due to certain Connecticut creditors, which were paid in full by the administrator, as appeared by his first administration account settled in Connecticut. Upon an extension of the time for receiving claims, other debts (being those of the Massachusetts creditors) were allowed by the commissioners, upon which a dividend was decreed of the balance of the money received in Connecticut. The plaintiff contended, that the Connecticut creditors who were paid in full, ought not to have received more in proportion *485than the creditors in Massachusetts. To this point his counsel cited Stevens v. Gaylord, 11 Mass. R. 256, [Rand’s ed. 264, note a ;] Dawes v. Head, 3 Pick. 128, [2nd ed. 147, note 1.] The counsel on the other side referred to Austin v. Gage, 9 Mass. R. 395; Doolittle v. Lewis, 7 Johns. Ch. R. 45; Riley v. Riley, 3 Day, 74; Slocum v. Sanford, 2 Connect. R. 533, 535; Bush v. Sheldon, 1 Day, 170; Brown v. Lanman, 1 Connect. R. 467; Jacobs v. Hull, 12 Mass. R. 25; Stevens v. Gaylord, ubi sup.

Bates and G. Bliss junior, for the plaintiff. G, Bliss senior and Lathrop, for the defendants. By the Court.

¶3The plaintiff is not entitled to execution for the sums collected in Connecticut from debtors living there and from the sale of the real estate. They do not come within the bond,1 and it is to be presumed that the administrator has rightly accounted for them in that State. Two small sums however, which were accounted for there, were received of debtors belonging to this State ; and for those he is bound to account here, though he may have received the payment in Connecticut.2

¶4Some debts were collected by the administrator since this action was commenced, and it was contended by the defendants that the execution to be issued ought not to include these sums ; but the Court said, that as this was a hearing in chancery, they might be taken into consideration.

¶5 See Peck v. Mead, 2 Wendell, 471; Story’s Confl. Laws, 437, 438.

¶6 See Story’s Confl. Laws, 431, note 2, and cases cited, 423 • Revised Stat. t 70, § 23; Dawes v. Head, 3 Pick. (2nd ed.) 147, note 1.

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