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67 Ind. 541

Bowers v. Fleming

Indiana Supreme Court

Decided November 15, 1879

Indiana Supreme Court · decided 1879-11-15

<p>Glebe. — Sureties.—Action on Bond for Money Paid to Clerk by Administrator, — Neither the clerk of the common pleas court, nor his sureties, are liable on his bond, for money paid to him by the administrator of a decedent’s estate.</p> <p>Same— Remedy.--The remedy in such case is by an action against the clerk personally, as for money had and received.</p>

Relies on State ex rel. Arnold v. Givan · Scott v. State ex rel. Roberts · Hunt v. Milligan

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1879-11-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 10 later decisions — most recently October 1948

1 federal appellate · 9 state decisions

3018791880189019001910192019301940decided

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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•Scott, J.

¶1This was an action against Fleming and his sureties, on his official bond as clerk of the Madison Court of Common Pleas.

¶2The complaint is in the ordinary form, and alleges, as the breach of the bond, that Fleming, as clerk of said court, in December, 1871, and January, 1872, received from the administrator of Jacob Noble’s estate the sum of four hundred and ninety-nine dollars and thirty-two cents, belonging to the estate of Catharine Noble; and that the relator is the administrator of the estate of said Catharine Noble.

¶3There was a joint demurrer, by all the parties, for want of sufficient facts; also a demurrer by the defendants other than Fleming, and a separate demurrer by Fleming, for want of facts. These several demurrers were sustained, and exceptions entered, and judgment rendered against the relator, for costs. The rulings on the several demurrers are assigned as errors in this court.

¶4The rulings as to the sureties are most amply sustained by the decisions of this court. Scott v. The State, ex rel., 46 Ind. 203 ; The State, ex rel., v. Givan, 45 Ind. 267.

¶5The next question is, was the ruling of the court in sustaining the separate demurrer of Fleming correct? Ve think it was. If the plaintiff had sued Fleming for money *542had and received by the latter to the use of the former, he could unquestionably have recovered. Hunt v. Milligan, 57 Ind. 141. But, as the receiving of the money was no part of his official duty, he must necessarily have received it as an individual and not as an officer, and was therefore not liable on his official bond.

¶6We can see no error in the rulings of the circuit court.

¶7The judgment is affirmed, with costs.

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