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79 Mass. 559

Bemis v. Bemis

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided September 15, 1859

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1859-09-15

Action of conteact, commenced on the 29th of March 1859, by a minor son of Martin Bemis, suing by E. J. Whittemore, his guardian, against the administratrix of the estate of Lewis Bemis deceased. The parties submitted the case to the decision of the court upon the following facts: Lewis Bemis was appointed the plaintiff’s guardian in March 1848, and continued in that trust until his death in November 1856.

Decided 1859-09-15

Shaw, C. J.

¶1This is a suit at law, founded on contract, in which the plaintiff, by his guardian, seeks to recover a judgment de bonis'intestati, and can have no other. Such a suit is expressly barred by St. 1852, c. 294, limiting the action to two years from the time of giving bond. In this case the administratrix was appointed and gave bond in December 1856, the two years expired in December 1858, and this suit was commenced in March 1859. The guardian by whom the plaintiff now sues was appointed on the 16th of February 1858, almost a year before the expiration of the two years’ limitation.

¶2*561If the cause of action did not accrue till the settlement of the guardianship account in the probate office, and that was not until after the lapse of two years, then no cause of action ever accrued against the administratrix, and the plaintiff’s remedy, if he has any, is against the heirs. If it was a debt, due upon the decease of the guardian, like that of other creditors, requiring only a settlement of the account at the probate office, to liquidate it and ascertain the amount, then it was barred by the two years’ limitation. In either case, this action against the administratrix cannot be maintained, and the remedy of the ward, if he has any, is against the heirs of the intestate, or by suit on the guardianship bond.

¶3Judgment for the defendamt.

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