Case ID: monaghan_1/html/0463-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "Per Curiam,", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

Towanda Bank’s Appeal. [Manville’s Estate.]
    A widow, six months and seven days after the death of her husband, presented her petition to the orphans’ court averring that there had recently come to her knowledge the existence of a sum of money in the hands of a third party, exceeding §300, which belonged to her husband prior to his death. The petition further stated that, at the time of his death, her husband was insolvent, and that no letters of administration had been issued upon his estate. The widow prayed that §300 should he set apart for the use of herself and family. Upon a rule to show cause, a national hank, which had issued an attachment execution against the fund in question, filed an answer, denying the right of the petitioner to the widotv’s exemption, alleging that the rights of the respondent had attached more than two years previous to the death of the decedent. The court made the rule absolute. No appraisement was asked for or made. On appeal to the supreme court, the hank contended that the orphans’ court had no jurisdiction as the Acts of April 14,1851, and April 8, 1859, require an administration, and the Act of June 4, 1883, applying to estates not exceeding §300, requires an appraisement; and that the delay in applying for the exemption were such laches as would operate as a waiver of her right to the exemption. Held that the decree should he affirmed.
    March 21, 1889.
    Appeal, No. 190 July T. 1888, from a decree of the O. C. Bradford Co., making absolute a rule setting apart $300, widow’s exemption, at Dec. T. 1887, No. 31. McCollum and Mitchell, JJ., absent.
    On Jan. 23, 1888, Ella B. Manville presented her petition to the orphans’ court in which she averred as follows:
    Charles M. Manville died on or about July 16, 1887, intestate, leaving to survive him a widow, the petitioner, and a son, Charles B. Manville, of the age of seven years. No letters of administration have been taken on his estate. At the time of his death, he was insolvent. It has lately come to the knowledge of the petitioner, that there was in the hands of E. T. Fox,'prior to his death, a sum of money exceeding $300, belonging to the decedent. The petitioner prayed that $300 of said money, be set apart to her for the support of herself and family.
    A rule to show cause was thereupon granted.
    The First National Bank of Towanda filed the following answer:
    “ The First National Bank of Towanda hereby admits all the facts set forth in said petition, except the fact that there was in the hands of E. T. Fox prior to the death of the decedent, a sum of money exceeding $300, which belonged to the decedent, which fact the Bank denies, and alleges that it has no knowledge when said petitioner claims she first received information of said alleged fact.
    “As a further answer to said petition, said Bank alleges that, on January 26th, 1885, said O. M. Manville was indebted to it in the sum of about $7,000, as follows, viz: — a judgment in the court of common pleas of Bradford county, entered to No. 474, September Term, 1881, upon which there was a balance due at said date of about $6,000, and also another judgment in said court, entered to No. 589, February Term, 1885, against said Manville and one N. P. Hicks (said Hicks being then and still insolvent) for $1,004.40, both waiving exemption.
    “ On January 26th, 1885, said Bank caused an attachment execution to be issued, on said last mentioned judgment, to No. 590, February Term, 1885, and, on January 27th, 1885, one on said first mentioned judgment, to No. 593, February Term, 1885, in which said E. T. Fox and others were made garnishees, and which were served on said Fox upon the days they were respectively issued. '
    “ There is a balance of $3,422.91 with interest unpaid on the said first judgment, which has been revived, No. 446, September Term, 1886, and a balance of about $600 unpaid on the said second judgment.
    “ On April 26th, 1887, said Fox answered, inter alia, that he had in his hands at the time the said attachments were issued a certain judgment which had been assigned to him by said Manville as collateral security for his, Manville’s, indebtedness to him and that, after paying his, Fox’s, and other claims there remained in his hands the sum of $1,342.24, of which one Mrs. M. A. Lyman claimed $500 by virtue of an alleged assignment. '
    “ Said Bank alleging there was a greater balance in the hands of said Fox than he had admitted and denying the right of said Mrs. Lyman to the sum of $500 or any part thereof, prosecuted one of said attachments, which was put at issue and would have been tried at December Term of court, 1887, but for the death of said Fox, which occurred December 8th, 1887. His death has been suggested and his administrators substituted of record and the case is upon the trial list for the February Term of court, 1888.
    “Your respondent is advised and believes that, although the said Ella B. Manville is the widow of said C. M. Manville, deceased, she has no legal right to claim the sum of $300 or any part thereof from the moneys in the hands of the administrators, etc., of E. T. Fox, deceased, the rights of your respondent, the attaching creditor, having attached more than two years previous to the death of said C. M. Manville.
    “Your respondent therefore prays that said petition may be dismissed at the costs of the petitioner.”
    The order of the court was as follows, by Sittseb, P. J., of the 44th Judicial District specially presiding :
    
      “ February 15th, 1888, the within rule is made absolute and the $300 is set apart to the widow as prayed for.”
    
      The assignment of error specified the action of the court “ in making the rule absolute setting apart three hundred dollars to the said Ella B. Manville.”
    
      Rodney A. Mercur, for appellant.
    -The court below had no jurisdiction. The Acts of April 14, 1851, § 5, P. L. 613, 1 Purd. 518-19, pi. 64, and April 8, 1859, § 1, P. L. 425, 1 Purd. 519, pi. 65, contemplate administration, an election of realty or personality, and an appraisement for the widow. Lymans v. Byam, 38 Pa. 475; Vandevort’s Ap., 43 Pa. 462.
    The Act of June 4, 1883, P. L. 74, 1 Purd. 520, pi. 68-70, § 3, provides that “when any decedent shall leave to survive him a widow or children, and an estate not exceeding in value three hundred dollars, it may be lawful for such widow or children . . . to petition the orphans’ court of the proper county for the appointment of two appraisers, who may appraise and set aside any property of said decedent selected by such widow ... in the same manner and with the same effect as if letters testamentary or administration had issued and the appraiser been selected in the usual way.”
    While the former Acts contemplated an appraisement, it has been held, in a class of cases from Larrison’s Ap., 36 Pa. 130, to Sellers’s Est., 82 Pa. 153, that where there is administration and money as such, or money out of any security is retained, appraisement is not necessary. In the Act of 1883, appraisement is required without administration. There is no Act which permits property real or personal to the value of three hundred dollars to be set apart for the use of the widow and family, without either administration or appraisement.
    The right of the widow is a personal privilege, which may be waived; and it is waived when she neglects to demand an appraisement. Weaver’s Ap., 18 Pa. 309; Neff’s Ap., 21 Pa. 247; Davis’s Ap., 34 Pa. 256; Hufman’s Ap., 81 Pa. 329; Sellers’s Est., 82 Pa. 153; Williams’s Ap., 92 Pa. 69; Kern’s Ap., 120 Pa. 523.
    She must make her claim within a reasonable time after her husband’s death. Burk v. Gleason, 46 Pa. 297; Lawley’s Ap., 20 W. N. C. 28. In Williams’s Ap., 92 Pa. 69, the court held a delay of six months and twenty-six days after the death of the decedent was too late in making a claim. In that case there was no widow, and the claim was made by the guardian of the minor children twenty-two days after his appointment.
    She must make her claim before the interests of other parties shall have been effected by delay. Kirkpatrick’s Est., 5 Phila. 98; Silvius’s Est., 20 W. N. C. 389. And before the rights of creditors are impaired. Hurley’s Est., 5 W. N. C. 101.
    The widow has waived her privilege by her laches. And a waiver once made is past recall. Baskin’s Ap., 38 Pa. 68; Winchester v. Costello, 2 Parsons, 279; Bryan’s Est., 4 Phila. 233; Hunt’s Est., 11 W. N. C. 123.
    
      H. J. Madill, who was not heard, for appellee.
    The question raised by the answer is not new. An attachment execution cannot operate to defeat the claim for exemption, made by a debtor or widow of a decedent. Bancord v. Parker, 65 Pa. 337; Holmes v. Pentingill, 12 Phila. 378; Landis v. Lyon, 71 Pa. 473.
    The widow’s exemption has preference over an execution after levy. McMullin’s Est., 11 W. N. C. 562. Or a mechanic’s lien. Hildebrand’s Ap., 39 Pa. 133.
    The appraisement required by law is where the decedent has left property or chattels which cannot be calculated or counted, and which must be estimated and valued by appraisers, in order that the court may approve or set it aside. Larrison’s Ap., 36 Pa. 130; Kirkpatrick’s Est., 5 Phila. 98; Sellers’s Est., 82 Pa. 153; Baldy’s Est., 40 Pa. 328; Peterman’s Ap., 76 Pa. 116; Weckerly’s Estate, 11 W. N. C. 287. Act of 4th June, 1883.
    Our claim comes within the spirit and meaning of the Act of 1883. Manville at the time of his death had no property subject to administration, so far as lie was concerned. After the Bank had issued their attachment (conceding the indebtedness), he had no right to require of Fox the money in his hands; and dying, while the money was held by virtue of the attachment, it cannot be said that he left an estate exceeding in value three hundred dollars.
    Presumably a short time before the widow made her petition, she learned of the existence of this money, and, prior to that time, she knew there was nothing she could get.
    "Williams’s Ap., 92 Pa. 69, decided nothing more than that the neglect to make the application for the exemption, until after the sale of the personal property of the decedent, was negligence. ■
    The filing of the widow’s petition, and the rule thereon, caused the Bank no delay.
    March 21, 1889.
   Per Curiam,

Decree affirmed.