Kerrison v. Stewart/Opinion of the Court

by Morrison Waite

United States Supreme Court

93 U.S. 155

Kerrison  v.  Stewart

The first question to be considered in this case is, whether the creditors of Kerrison & Leiding, who claim the benefit of the trust created by the deed to Charles Kerrison, are concluded by the decree against him in the State court. If they are, the decree of the Circuit Court must be affirmed.

It cannot be doubted, that, under some circumstances, a trustee may represent his beneficiaries in all things relating to their common interest in the trust property. He may be invested with such powers and subjected to such obligations that those for whom he holds will be bound by what is done against him, as well as by what is done by him. The difficulty lies in ascertaining whether he occupies such a position, not in determining its effect if he does. If he has been made such a representative, it is well settled that his beneficiaries are not necessary parties to a suit by him against a stranger to enforce the trust (Shaw v. Norfolk Co. R. R. Co., 5 Gray, 171; Bifield v. Taylor, 1 Beat. 91; Campbell v. R. R. Co., 1 Woods, 376; Ashton v. Atlantic Bank, 3 Allen, 220); or to one by a stranger against him to defeat it in whole or in part. Rogers v. Rogers, 3 Paige, 379; Wakeman v. Grover, 4 id. 34; Winslow v. M. & P. R. R. Co., 4 Minn. 317; Campbell v. Watson, 8 Ohio, 500. In such cases, the trustee is in court for and on behalf of the beneficiaries; and they, though not parties, are bound by the judgment, unless it is impeached for fraud or collusion between him and the adverse party.

The principle which underlies this rule has always been applied in proceedings relating to railway mortgages, where a trustee holds the security for the benefit of bondholders. It is not, as seems to be supposed by the counsel for the appellants, a new principle developed by the necessities of that class of cases, but an old one, long in use under analogous circumstances, and found to be well adapted to the protection of the rights of those interested in such securities, without subjecting litigants to unnecessary inconvenience.

Undoubtedly cases may arise in which it would be proper to have before the court the beneficiaries themselves, or some one other than the trustee to represent their interests. They then become proper parties, and may be brought in or not, as the court in the exercise of its judicial discretion may determine. But this was very clearly not a case in which such action was required; and so all the parties evidently thought, while the litigation was progressing. The trustee, as well as Kerrison & Leiding, appeared, and vigorously resisted the decree asked for. The report of the case in 3 Rich. (S.C..) N. S. 266, to which we have been referred, shows that they were represented by the same counsel who appear here for the creditors, that the argument was full, and the judgment carefully considered. In addition to this, Paton & Co. and Hutton, who are among the creditors now resisting the decree, were named as parties to the suit, and might have appeared to defend, if they had been so inclined. They seem, however, to have been then content to leave their interests in the hands of the trustee, who certainly could present their defence if he would, and against whom no charge of neglect even is now made.

It remains to determine whether Charles Kerrison was authorized to represent the creditors in proceedings against him to defeat the title he held for their security. This depends upon the intention of the parties, as expressed in the deed creating the trust and making him the trustee. Looking to that, we find that he was the 'approved trustee,' provided for in the arrangement between Kerrison & Leiding and the majority of their creditors, which was the foundation of the trust. He was to 'hold the premises' as security for the scheduled creditors who had already accepted the terms proposed, and also for such of certain other creditors named in a second schedule as should thereafter accept. If the debts so secured were not paid by Kerrison & Leiding, it was made his duty to provide the means for their payment, as well as the payment of all proper charges and expenses, either by a public or private sale of the property, or by mortgage, if practicable. If he should deem it best for the interest of all, he was authorized to sell the whole or any part of the property at any time for cash, or on such credit as would enable him to meet the debts at maturity; but if he did sell before maturity, the cash received, after deducting all proper charges, &c., was to be divided amongst the creditors in proportion to the amounts due them respectively.

From this it appears that he was not only invested with the legal title to the property, but that all parties relied upon his judgment and discretion for the protection of their respective interests. A clear intent is manifested of relieving the creditors from the necessity of looking personally to the conversion of the securities, or to the preservation of the trust. While the trustee is nowhere in express terms invested with the power to give receipts for purchase-money upon sales made, it is perfectly apparent that such must have been the intention of the parties. The wide range of discretion allowed him in making the security available for the payment of the debts is entirely inconsistent with the idea that purchasers or mortgagees must look to the application of their moneys after payment actually made to him. The creditors cannot interfere with his discretion in making sales, so long as he keeps within the general scope of his powers; neither can they prescribe the terms upon which he shall sell. In all these particulars he has been authorized to act in such manner as he shall deem best for the interests of both parties, debtors as well as creditors. The debtors rely upon his judgment to avoid unnecessary sacrifice; and the creditors must be satisfied, if, at the proper time, he is found to have done all that could reasonably be required of him to subject the securities to the payment of their several demands.

With these facts before us, it is impossible to come to any other conclusion than that, as to strangers, he did represent the trust and its property. Purchasers must go to him to make their purchases, and adverse claimants may properly look to him as the party against whom alone they are called upon to assert their rights. If the creditors, mindful of their interests, are dissatisfied with the manner in which he represents them in suits that are pending, they may, under proper circumstances, intervene, and ask to be made parties, so as to speak for themselves; but their adversary need not go after them, except under the direction of the court.

There is no need of inquiring whether this was a case in which one of the creditors might be brought in and made to represent all; for the trustee is himself the chosen representative of all, and whatever binds him must bind them.

It follows that the creditors are concluded by the decree of the State court; and that necessarily disposes of this case, without further inquiry as to the other important questions argued before us. The object of the suit in that court was to avoid the deed to Charles Kerrison, as against the judgment of Stewart & Co.; and the decree was in accordance with the prayer of the bill. The validity of the judgment was necessarily involved in the suit; and the decree, as rendered, could not have been given except by establishing it. This is expressly admitted by the creditors in their answer to this bill; for they say, 'That the said decrees were given upon the allegation of the bill of complaint of the said A. T. Stewart & Co., among which was the material allegation, without which his said complaint could not have been sustained, that they, the said A. T. Stewart & Co., had recovered, and at the time of their bill filed had, a judgment in this honorable court, upon which they had sued out an execution of fieri facias,' &c.

Decree affirmed.

Notes