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1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)
executor
    n 1: a person appointed by a testator to carry out the terms of
         the will

2. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Executor \Ex*ec"u*tor\, n. [L. executor, exsecutor: cf. F.
   ex['e]cuteur. Cf. Executer.]
   1. One who executes or performs; a doer; as, an executor of
      baseness. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. An executioner. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            Delivering o'er to executors paw?
            The lazy, yawning drone.              --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Law) The person appointed by a testator to execute his
      will, or to see its provisions carried into effect, after
      his decease.
      [1913 Webster]

   Executor de son tort [Of., executor of his own wrong]
      (Law), a stranger who intermeddles without authority in
      the distribution of the estate of a deceased person.
      [1913 Webster]

3. Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
EXECUTOR, trusts. The word executor, taken in its largest sense, has several 
acceptations. 1. Executor dativus, who is one called an administrator to an 
intestate. 2. Executor testamentarius, or one appointed to the office by the 
last will of a testator, and this is what is usually meant by the term. 
     2. In the civil law, the person who is appointed to perform the duties 
of an executor as to goods, is called haeres testamentarius; the term 
executor, it is said, is a barbarism unknown to that law. 3 Atk. 304. 
     3. An executor, as the term is at present accepted, is the person to 
whom the execution of a last will and testament of personal estate is, by 
the testator's appointment, confided, and who has accepted of the same. 2 
Bl. Com. 503; 2 P. Wms. 548; Toller, 30; 1 Will. on Ex. 112 Swinb. t. 4, s. 
2, pl. 2. 
     4. Generally speaking, all persons who are capable of making wills may 
be executors, and some others beside, as infants and married women. 2 Bl. 
Corn. 503. 
     5. An executor is absolute or qualified; his appointment is absolute 
when he is constituted certainly, immediately, and without restriction in 
regard to the testator's effects, or limitation in point of time. It may be 
qualified by limitation as to the time or place wherein, or the subject 
matters whereon, the office is to be exercised; or the creation of the 
office may be conditional. It may be qualified. 1st. By limitations in point 
of time, for the time may be limited when the person appointed shall begin, 
or when he shall cease to be executor; as if a man be appointed executor 
upon the marriage of testator's daughter. Swinb. p. 4, s. 17, pl. 4. 2. The 
appointment may be limited to a place; as, if one be appointed executor of 
all the testator's goods in the state of Pennsylvania. 3. The power of the 
executor may be limited as to the subject matter upon which if is to be 
exercised; as, when a testator appoints. A the executor of his goods and 
chattels in possession; B, of his choses in action. One may be appointed 
executor of one thing, only, as of a particular claim or debt due by bond, 
and the like. Off. Ex. 29; 3 Phillim. 424. But although a testator may thus 
appoint separate executors of distinct parts of his property, and may divide 
their authority, yet quoad the creditors of the testator they are all 
executors, and act as one executor, and may be sued as one executor. Cro. 
Car. 293. 4. The appointment may be conditional, and the condition may be 
either precedent or subsequent. Godolph. Orph. Leg. pt. 2, c. 2, s. 1; Off. 
Ex. 23. 
     6. An executor derives his interest in the estate of the deceased 
entirely from the will, and it vests in him from the moment of the 
testator's death. 1 Will. Ex. 159; Com. Dig. Administration, B 10; 5 B. & A. 
745; 2 W. Bl. Rep. 692. He acquires an absolute legal title to the 
personalty by appointment, but nothing in the lands of the testator, except 
by devise. He can touch nothing which was not personal at the testator's 
decease, except by express direction. 9 Serg. & Rawle, 431; Gord. Law Dec. 
93. Still his interest in the goods of the deceased is not that absolute, 
proper and ordinary interest, which every one has in his own proper goods. 
He is a mere trustee to apply the goods for such purposes as are sanctioned 
by law. 4 T. R. 645; 9 Co. 88; 2 Inst. 236; Off. Ex. 192. He represents the 
testator, and therefore may sue and recover all the claims he had at the 
time of his death and may be sued for all debts due by him. 1 Will. Ex. 508, 
et seq. By the common law, however, such debts as were not due by some 
writing could not be recovered against the executors of a deceased debtor. 
The remedy was only in conscience or by a quo minus in the exchequer. 
Afterwards an action on the case in banco regis was given. Crom t. Jurisdic. 
66, b; Plowd. Com. 183: 11 H. VII. 26. 
     7. The following are the principal duties of an executor: 1. Within a 
convenient time after the testator's death, to collect the goods of the 
deceased, provided he can do so peaceably; when he is resisted, he must 
apply to the law for redress. 
     8.-2. To bury the deceased in a manner suitable to the estate he 
leaves behind him; and when there is just reason to believe he died 
insolvent, he is not warranted in expending more in funeral expenses (q.v.) 
than is absolutely necessary. 2 Will. Ex. 636; 1 Salk. 296; 11 Serg. & 
Rawle, 204 14 Serg. & Rawle, 64. 
     9.-3. The executor should prove the will in the proper office. 
    10.-4. He should make an inventory (q.v.) of the goods of the 
intestate, which should be filed in the office. 
    11.-5. He should ascertain the debts and credits of the estate, and 
endeavor to collect all claims with as little delay as possible, 
consistently with the interest of the estate. 
    12.-6. He should advertise for debts and credits: see forms of 
advertisements, 1 Chit. Pr. 521. 
    13.-7. He should reduce the whole of the goods, not specifically 
bequeathed into money, with all due expedition. 
    14.-8. Keep the money of the estate safely, but not mixed with his 
own, or he may be charged interest on it. 
    15.-9. Be at all times ready to account, and actually file an account 
within a year. 
    16.-10. Pay the debts and legacies in the order required by law. 
    17. Co-executors, however numerous, are considered, in law, as an 
individual person, and; consequently, the acts of any one of them, in 
respect of the administration of the assets, are deemed, generally, the acts 
of all. Bac. Ab. Executor, D; Touch. 484; for they have all a joint and 
entire authority over the whole property Off. Ex. 213; 1 Rolle's Ab. 924; 
Com. Dig. Administration, B 12. On the death of one or more of several joint 
executors, their rights and powers survive to the survivors. 
    18. When there are several executors and all die, the power is in common 
transferred to the executor of the last surviving executor, so that he is 
executor of the first testator; and the law is the same when a sole executor 
dies leaving an executor, the rights are vested in the latter. This rule has 
been changed, in Pennsylvania, and, perhaps, some other states, by 
legislative provision; there, in such case, administration cum testamento 
annexo must be obtained, the right does not survive to the executor of the 
executor. Act of Pennsylvania, of March 15 1832. s. 19. In general, 
executors are not responsible for each other, and they have a right to 
settle separate accounts. See Joint, Executors. 
    19. Executors may be classed into general and special; instituted and 
substituted; rightful and executor de son tort; and executor to the tenor. 
    20. A general executor is one who is appointed to administer the whole 
estate, without any limit of time or place, or of the subject-matter. 
    21. A special executor is one. who is appointed or constituted to 
administer either a part of the estate, or the whole for a limited time, or 
only in a particular place. 
    22. An instituted executor is one who is appointed by the testator 
without any condition, and who has the first right of acting when there are 
substituted executors. An example will show the difference between an 
instituted and substituted executor: suppose a man makes his son his 
executor, but if he will not act, he appoints his brother, and if neither 
will act, his cousin; here the son is the instituted executor, in the first 
degree, the brother is said to be substituted in the second degree, and the 
cousin in the third degree, and so on. See Heir, instituted, and Swinb. pt. 
4, s. 19, pl. 1. 
    23. A substituted executor is a person appointed executor, if another 
person who has been appointed refuses to act. 
    24. A rightful executor is one lawfully appointed by the testator, by 
his will. Deriving his authority from the will, he may do most acts, before 
he obtains letters testamentary, but he must be possessed of them before. he 
can declare in action brought by him, as such. 1 P. Wms. 768; Will. on Ex. 
173. 
    25. An executor de son tort, or of his own wrong, is one, who, without 
lawful authority, undertakes to act. as executor of a person deceased. To 
make fin executor de son tort, the act of the party must be, 1. Unlawful. 2. 
By asserting ownership, as taking goods or cancelling a bond, and not 
committing a mere, trespass. Dyer, 105, 166; Cro. Eliz. 114. 3. An act done 
before probate of will, or granting letters of administration. 1 Salk. 313. 
One may be executor de son tort when acting under a forged will, which has 
been set aside. 3 T. R. 125. An executor de son tort. The law on this head 
seems to have been borrowed from the civil law doctrine of pro hoerede 
gestio. See Heinnec. Antiq. Syntagma, lib. 2, tit., 17, Sec. 16, p. 468. He 
is, in general, held responsible for all his acts, when he does anything 
which might prejudice the estate, and receives no, advantage whatever in 
consequence of his assuming the office. He cannot sue a debtor of the 
estate, but may be sued generally as executor. See a good reading on the 
liabilities of executors de son tort, in: Godolph. Orph. Legacy, 91, 93, and 
10 Wentw. Pl. 378, for forms of declaring; also, 5 Co. Rep. 50 31 a; Yelv. 
137; 1 Brownlow, 103; Salk. 28; Ham. Parties, 273; Imp. Mod. Pl. 94. As to 
what acts will make a person liable as executor de son tort, see Godolph. O 
ubi sup.; Gord. Law of Dec. 87, 89; Off. Ex. 181; Bac. Ab. Executor, &c., B 
3; 11 Vin. Ab. 215; 1 Dane's Ab. 561; Bull. N. P. 48; Com. Dig. 
Administration C 3  Ham. on Part. 146 to 156; 8 John. R. 426; 7 John. R. 
161; 4 Mass. 654; 3 Penna. R. 129; 15 Serg. & Rawle, 39. 
    26.-2. The usurpation of an office or character cannot confer the 
rights and privileges of it, although it may charge the usurper with the 
duties and obligations annexed to it. On this principle an executor de son 
tort is an executor only for the purpose of being sued, not for the purpose, 
of suing. In point of form, he is sued as if he were a rightful executor. He 
is not denominated in the declaration executor (de son tort) of his own 
wrong. It would be improper to allege that the deceased person with whose 
estate he has intermeddled died intestate. Nor can he be made a co-defendant 
with a rightful executor. Ham. Part. 146, 272, 273; Lawes on Plead. 190, 
note; Com. Dig. Abatement, F 10. If he take out letters of administration, 
he is still liable to be sued as executor, and in general, it is better to 
sue him as executor than as administrator. Godolph. 0. Leg. 93, 94, 95, Sec. 
2, 3. 
    27. An executor to the tenor. This phrase is based in the ecclesiastical 
law, to denote a person who is not directly appointed by the will an 
executor, but who is charged with the duties which appertain to one; as, "I 
appoint A B to discharge all lawful demands against my will." 3 Phill. 116; 
1 Eccl. Rep. 374; Swinb. 247 Wentw. Ex. part 4, s. 41 p. 230. Vide. 
generally, Bouv. Inst. Index, h.t.; 11 Vin. Ab. h.t.; Bac. Ab. h.t.; 
Rolle, Ab. h.t.; Nelson's Ab. h.t.; Dane's Ab. Index, h.t.; Com. Dig. 
Administration; 1 Supp. to Ves. jr. 8, 90, 356, 438; 2 Id. 69; 1 Vern. 302-
3; Yelv. 84 a; 1 Salk. 318; 18 Engl. C. L. Rep. 185; 10 East, 295; 2 Phil. 
Ev. 289; 1 Rop. Leg.' 114; American Digests, h.t.; Swinburne, Williams, 
Lovelass, and Roberts' several treatises on the law of Executors; Off. Ex. 
per totum; Chit. Pr. Index; h.t. For the various pleas that may be pleaded 
by executors, see 7 Wentw. Plead. 596, 602; 10 Id. 378; Cowp. 292. For the 
origin and progress of the law in relation to executors, the reader is 
referred to 5 Toull. n. 576, note; Glossaire du Droit Francais, par 
Delauriere, verbo Executeurs Testamentaires, and the same author on art. 
297, of the Custom of Paris; Poth. Des Donations Testamen taires. 



Thesaurus Results for executor:

1. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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