Administrator

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Administrator \Ad*min`is*tra"tor\, n. [L.]
     1. One who administers affairs; one who directs, manages,
        executes, or dispenses, whether in civil, judicial,
        political, or ecclesiastical affairs; a manager.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. (Law) A man who manages or settles the estate of an
        intestate, or of a testator when there is no competent
        executor; one to whom the right of administration has been
        committed by competent authority.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  administrator
       n 1: someone who administers a business [syn: {decision maker}]
       2: the party appointed by a probate court to distribute the
          estate of someone who dies without a will or without
          naming an executor
       3: someone who manages a government agency or department [syn:
          {executive}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  29 Moby Thesaurus words for "administrator":
     academic dean, administration, agent, chancellor, conductor, dean,
     dean of men, dean of women, deputy, directeur, director, exec,
     governor, headmaster, headmistress, impresario, intendant, manager,
     master, officer, official, president, principal, producer, provost,
     rector, responsible person, supercargo, vice-chancellor
  
  

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  ADMINISTRATOR, trusts. An administrator is a person lawfully appointed,
  with his assent, by an officer having jurisdiction, to manage and settle the
  estate of a deceased person who has left no executor, or one who is for the
  time incompetent or unable to act.
       2. It will be proper to consider, first, his rights; secondly, his
  duties.; thirdly, the number of administrators, and their joint and several
  powers; fourthly, the several kinds of administrators.
       3.-1. By the grant of the letters, of administration, the
  administrator is vested with full and ample power, unless restrained to some
  special administration, to take possession of all the personal estate of the
  deceased and to sell it; to collect the debts due to him; and to represent
  him in all matters which relate to his chattels real or personal.  He is
  authorized to pay the debts of the, intestate in the order dire ted by law;
  and, in the United States, he is generally entitled to a just compensation,
  which is allowed him as commissions on the amount which passes through his
  hands.
       4.-2. He is bound to use due diligence in the management of the
  estate; and he is generally on his appointment required to give security
  that he will do so; he is responsible for any waste which. may happen for
  his default. See Devastavit.
       5. Administrators are authorized to bring and defend actions. They sue
  and are sued in their own names; as, A B, administrator of C D, v. E F; or E
  F v. A B, administrator of C D.
       6.-3. As to the number of administrators. There may be one or more.
  When there are several they must, in general, act together in bringing
  suits, and they must all be sued ; but, like executors, the acts of each,
  which relate to the delivery, gift, sale, payment, possession. or release of
  the intestate's goods, are considered as of equal validity as the acts of
  all, for they have a joint power and authority over the whole. Bac. Ab.
  Executor, C 4; 11 Vin. Ab. 358; Com. Dig. Administration, B 12; 1 Dane's Ab.
  383; 2 Litt. R. 315. On the death of one of several joint administrators,
  the whole authority is vested in the survivors.
       7.-4. Administrators are general, or those who have right to
  administer the whole estate of the intestate; or special, that is, those who
  administer it in part, or for a limited time.
       8.-1. General administrators are of two kinds, namely: first, when
  the grant of administration is unlimited, and the administrator is required
  to administer the whole estate, under the intestate laws, secondly, when the
  grant is made with the annexation of the will, which is the guide to the
  administrator to administer and distribute the estate.  This latter
  administration is granted when the deceased has made a will, and either he
  has not appointed an executor, or having appointed one he refuses to serve,
  or dies, or is incompetent to act; this last kind is called an administrator
  cum testamento annexo. 1 Will. on Wills, 309.
       9.-2. Special administrators are of two kinds; first, when the
  administration is limited to part of the estate, as for example, when the
  former administrator has died, leaving a part of the estate unadministered,
  an administrator is appointed to administer the remainder, and he is called
  an administrator de bonis non. He has all the powers of a common
  administrator. Bac. Ab. Executors, B 1; Sw. 396; Roll. Ab. 907; 6 Sm. &
  Marsh. 323. When an executor dies leaving a part of the estate
  unadministered, the administrator appointed to complete the execution of the
  win is called an administrator de bonis non, cum testamento annexo. Com.
  Dig. Administrator, B 1. Secondly, When the authority of the administrator
  is limited as to time. Administrators of this kind are, 1. An administrator
  durante minore oetate. This administrator is appointed to act as such during
  the minority of an infant executor, until the latter shall, attain his
  lawful age to act. Godolph. 102; 5 Co. 29. His powers extend to administer
  the estate so far as to collect the same, sell a sufficiency of the personal
  property to pay the debts, sell bona peritura, and perform such other acts
  as require immediate attention. He may sue and be sued. Bac. Ab. Executor, B
  1 ; Roll. Ab. 110; Cro. Eliz. 718.  The powers of such an administrator
  cease, as soon as the infant executor attains the age at which the law
  authorizes him to act for himself, which, at common law, is seventeen years,
  but by statutory provision in several states twenty-one years.
      10.-2. An administrator durante absentia, is one who is appointed to
  administer the estate during the absence of the executor, before he has
  proved the will.  The powers of this administrator continue until the return
  of the executor, and. then his powers cease upon the probate of the will by
  the executor. 4 Hagg. 860. In England it has been holden, that the death of
  the executor abroad does not determine the authority of the administrator
  durante absentia. 3 Bos. & Pull. 26.
      11.-3. An administrator pendente lite. Administration pendente lite
  may be granted pending the controversy respecting an alleged will and it has
  been granted pending a contest as to, the right to administration. 2 P. Wms.
  589; 2 Atk. 286; 2 Cas. temp. Lee, 258. The administrator pendente lite is
  merely an officer of the court, and holds the property only till the suit
  terminates. 1 Hagg. 313. He may maintain suits, 1 Ves. sen. 325; 2 Ves. & B.
  97; 1 Ball & B. 192; though his power does not extend to the distribution of
  the assets. 1 Ball & B. 192.