WPC C9kIJ9Oϐ{08XV+ ݝ"u]|I 4.ǵ"96raR쀒j|0ð(lKfʆ8AX_ 3jɸs1(߲euNIxdN |EU+2Y)jz(wd(WK qr&szv`et~k`E~A BSåKxqvTWL”eds4ɉ$2u31wHs 0t'=#V w{[MCYOu3^#+a9 (Od*.H9H~Q*ݹq)+)4}p4F7&)F v3_҇\]5JS{ yM}H}T3T<;M[,%ߚsuuЄNb %\^ b 0nUNwD4H\ zk m #  W   0DNEb 0 B 0 D3 D- 0K AS= 0V 0D A>t{,s (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular9,Q)3|x C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wptUHP LaserJet 4050 Series PCL 6,,,,0Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(#$  0   R$      1    _Thefeeagreementandthetrialcourtsfindingswithrespecttoitarenotissuesonthisappeal.- -(|G2$ !.8dd8         0   d(|3t$ !.8dd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3t$ !.8dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8dd8     _  8LqXXdd8  @ lINTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @kk$ATNASHVILLE#l #Ԉ &   ӀAssignedonBriefsJune27,2002 L XLqX #XXLq#INRE:ESTATEOFVIVIANK._McSWAIN_XLqX  J @@ AppealfromtheCircuitCourtforDavidsonCounty  J @@No.93P258FrankG.Clement,Jr.,Judge  6 @@*AV) ` dE<` A   @@TTNo.M200102309_COA_ԄR3CVFiledJuly31,_2002_Ԁ   AV) ` dE<|` A }     RobertL.Poe,inhiscapacityastheexecutoroftheEstateofVivianK._McSwain_,filedamotionto x  sethisfeeandexpenses.Followingabenchtrialontheexecutorsmotion,thetrialcourtawarded d theexecutor$20,000.Theexecutorappeals,arguingthattheawardisinadequate.Weaffirm. P  Tenn.R.App.P.3AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourt (x Affirmed;CaseRemanded  d   #XLq#XLqX.CharlesD.Susano,Jr.,J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichHoustonM._Goddard_, < _P.J._,andD.Michael_Swiney_,J.,joined. ( ThomasF.Bloom,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheappellant,RobertL.Poe.  Larry_Edmondson_ԀandPhillipKirk,Nashville,Tennessee,fortheappellees,thebeneficiariesofthe  EstateofVivianK._McSwain_. t  OPINION #XXLq4#XLqX L    @)I. $"t!   VivianK._McSwain_ԀpassedawayonFebruary18,1993.Fivedayslater,onFebruary23, #L# 1993,Mr.Poe,theexecutornamedinthetestatorswill,filedapetitiontoprobatethewill.Thewill $8 $ wasadmittedtoprobatewithoutobjection. %$!%   OnMarch13,2001,morethaneightyearsafterthetestatorsdeath,theexecutorfileda '"' motionaskingthetrialcourttosethisfeeandexpenses.Ahearingontheexecutorsmotionwas (#( heldonJune12,2001.Attheconclusionofthehearing,thetrialcourtorallyruledonthemotion, )$) findingthattheexecutorwasentitledtoanawardof$20,000.Thecourtwentfurtheranddecreed p*%* thattotheextenttheexecutorhadmadepaymentstohimselfoutoffundsoftheestate,withoutcourt \+&+  approval,theestatewasentitledtoajudgmentagainsthiminanamountequaltoallsuchfundsin H,', _excessofhis$20,000award.Thecourtalsoawardedtheestateprejudgmentinterestontheexcess  fundsattherateof6% accruingfrom1994.     Thetranscriptofthetrialcourtsoralremarksweremadeapartofthefinaljudgment.That t judgmentreflectsthattheestatewasgrantedajudgmentagainsttheexecutorfor$94,788.13to ` compensatetheestateforfundspaidbytheexecutortohimselfwithoutcourtapprovalinexcessof L  theauthorizedpaymentof$20,000. 8  @)II.  `   Inthisnonjurycase,ourreviewisdenovoupontherecordoftheproceedingsbelow;but  8  therecordcomestouswithapresumptionofcorrectnessthatwemusthonor unlessthe $  preponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.R.App.P.13(d)#XXLq #XLqX.Thetrialcourtsconclusions   oflaw,however,aregivennosuchpresumption. Campbellv.FloridaSteelCorp. ,919S.W.2d26,   35(Tenn.1996); Presleyv.Bennett ,860S.W.2d857,859(Tenn.1993).#XXLq#XLqX   @vv(III. p   In McFarlinv.McFarlin ,785S.W.2d367(Tenn.Ct.App.1989),thisCourtaddressedthe H generallawregardingpersonalrepresentatives: 4 8  8`   ThelegalstandardsagainstwhichMr.McFarlinsperformanceas  \ executorshouldbemeasuredarewellunderstood.Heoccupiesa H fiduciaryposition,andmustdealwiththeestateandeachofits 4 beneficiariesintheutmostgoodfaith.Likeanyotherfiduciary,heis   requiredtoexercisethesamedegreeofdiligenceandcautionthat   reasonablyprudentbusinesspersonswouldemployinthe  managementoftheirownaffairs.` x` x 8  8`   Thelawfavorsthepromptadministrationofestates.Accordingly,an l executorhasadutytomarshalandcollecttheestatesassetswithin X  areasonabletime.Anexecutormustalsodischargeitsstatutory D! obligationsinatimelymanner.Finally,anexecutormustdistribute 0"  theestateinatimelymannerandcloseitsadministrationasquickly #l! aspossible.$X"` x` x  Id. at36970(citationsomitted). %0!$   Executorsareentitledtoreasonablecompensationfortheirservices,...andtopaymentfrom '#& theestateforreasonableexpensesincurredingoodfaithfortheexclusiveandnecessarybenefitof (#' theestate. InreEstateofWallace ,829S.W.2d696,70001(Tenn.Ct.App.1992)(citation )$( omitted);seeT.C.A.302606(2001).Thesefeesandexpensesmustbe reasonable,necessary |*%) andproper. InreEstateofCuneo ,63Tenn.App.507,515,475S.W.2d672,676(1971).The h+&* determinationofthereasonablenessoffeesandexpensesrequestedbyanexecutorisgenerally  withinthediscretionofthetrialcourt, and mustbemadeinlightofalltherelevantcircumstances,  includingtheextentoftheexecutorsresponsibilities,thenatureoftheservicesrendered,the  promptnessandadequacyoftheservices,andthevalueofthebenefitsconferred. InreEstateof t Wallace ,829S.W.2dat701#XXLq#XLqX. ` @ll)IV. 8    Therelevantportionsofthetranscriptofthetrialcourtsoralremarks #  1      #XXLq#XLqXԀmadeatthe  ` conclusionofthebenchtrialonJune12,2001,areattachedasanappendixtothisopinion.Wehave  L  reviewedtheevidencebeforethetrialcourtonthequestionofanappropriateawardfortheexecutor.  8  Wefindthattheevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainstthetrialcourtsfactualfindingsassetforth $  initsjudgment.Wefindnoabuseofdiscretiononthepartofthetrialcourt.Accordingly,the   judgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.CostsonappealaretaxedagainstRobertL.Poe.Thiscase   isremandedtothetrialcourtforenforcementofthejudgmentandforcollectionofcostsassessed   below,allpursuanttoapplicablelaw.   #XXLq#XLqX   `     h     _______________________________ 4    `     h     CHARLESD.SUSANO,JR.,JUDGE