Abrams Will

213 A.2d 638, 419 Pa. 92, 1965 Pa. LEXIS 474
CourtSupreme Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedSeptember 29, 1965
DocketAppeal, No. 100
StatusPublished
Cited by37 cases

This text of 213 A.2d 638 (Abrams Will) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Abrams Will, 213 A.2d 638, 419 Pa. 92, 1965 Pa. LEXIS 474 (Pa. 1965).

Opinion

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Jones,

On April 14, 1959, David J. Abrams (decedent), then aged 61 and a resident of Bucks County, died. Surviving him were two legitimate daughters,1 Bertha A. Moebius and Barbara A. Ballard, who are the present appellants; a woman named Minnie Bigger (Abrams) who claimed to be decedent’s lawful wife at the time of his death;2 two children, named David J. Abrams, Jr. and Eleanor Abrams Nolte, born to Minnie Bigger (Abrams) at a time when she was still married to John Bigger but living with decedent.3

On April 30, 1959, the Register of Wills of Bucks County admitted to probate as the last will of decedent a writing dated September 26, 1957. This writing— prepared by decedent’s lawyer — provided: (a) for the [95]*95erection of a suitable cemetery headstone for decedent and Edna M. Abrams; (b) a devise and bequest of the entire residuary estate to Girard College;4 (c) the appointment of the lawyer-scrivener of the writing as executor.

On September 18, 1959, decedent’s two legitimate daughters — unmentioned in the will — appealed from the probate of the will to the Orphans’ Court of Bucks County and requested a jury trial of the issue. The grounds of the appeal were that at the time the will was executed (1) decedent was (a) intoxicated and (b) lacked testamentary capacity and (2) that decedent was subjected to undue influence.

After hearings at which voluminous testimony was taken,5 the chancellor dismissed the appeal and sustained the probate of the will. From that decree this appeal was taken.

Two questions are presented: (1) whether thé chancellor abused his discretion in refusing to grant an issue d.v.n. and award a trial by jury? (2) whether the chancellor erred in refusing to set aside the will, in rulings as to burden of proof and presumptions, in disregarding uncontradicted evidence and in his findings of fact and conclusions of law?

Appellants argue that in a will contest which (a) involves decedent’s realty and (b) presents a substantial dispute of fact6 as to the validity of the will, there [96]*96is a constitutional right to a trial by jury. For the purpose of this argument we will assume the existence of a substantial dispute of fact and we recognize that the instant decedent’s estate consists principally of realty; under such circumstances were appellants entitled to a trial by jury?

Section 1 of the Act of July 14, 1961,. P. L. 610, 20 P.S. §2080.745, — the provisions of which were in effect when the hearings in the case at bar were held — provides, inter alia: “(c) Will Contest and Other Matters. When a contest shall arise concerning the validity of a writing alleged to be testamentary . . ., the court, in its discretion at any stage of the proceedings, may impanel a jury to decide any question of fact but the verdict of the jury shall be advisory only.”7

In Hunter Will, 416 Pa. 127, 136-138, 205 A. 2d 97, we have recently construed this statutory provision: “Further, appellant challenges the court’s conclusion that there was no necessity for a trial by jury. Appellant’s argument assumes the right to a trial by. jury, an assumption which is erroneous. This case came before the court subsequent to the effective date of the Act of July 14, 1961, P. L. 610, §1, 20 P.S. §2080.745, and is governed by its mandate. Prior to that Act, we held that the existence of a substantial dispute of fact in a will contest entitled the parties to a trial by jury under the then applicable statute. Murray Will, 404 Pa. 120, 128, 171 A. 2d 171, 175 (1961). But the Act of 1961 now limits the right to trial by jury to those instances where substantial disputes of fact exist as to [97]*97the decedent’s title to property, or where proceedings to establish incompetency have been instituted.

...

“Under the 1961 statute we need not determine whether any substantial question of fact existed in the case at bar. The only question we need ask is: Did the trial court abuse its discretion in refusing to submit the issues to a jury for an advisory opinion? A court’s unwillingness to avail itself of the' assistance of an advisory jury opinion does not constitute an abuse of discretion. To hold otherwise would be an unwarranted interference with the exercise of the discretion vested solely in the trial court by the statute.

“Appellant seeks to infer a right to trial by jury from the provisions of subsection (d) of the statute which reads: ‘(d) Waiver of Right. A person desiring a trial by jury shall make demand therefor, in writing, at least ten days prior to the initial hearing before the court, or, if the initial hearing is dispensed with as provided in section 746 (a.l), then at least ten days prior to the trial. The right to trial by jury is waived if such demand is not so made or, after having been made, the person claiming the right fails to appear.’

“This section does not create the right to trial by jury in and of itself. The provision simply sets forth the manner in which a trial by jury, where the right to a jury trial exists under the statute, may be requested or waived. It is clear from the language of the statute that the right to a jury trial does not exist here. See Dettra Will, supra, at 204, 202 A. 2d 831.”

Appellants now urge, however, that, if this section of the statute no longer makes mandatory a jury trial, this section of the statute violates the right to trial by jury guaranteed by Article I, §6 of the Pennsylvania Constitution and that section (a), rather than section (c), of the statute applies in the case at bar. Section [98]*98(a) provides, inter alia: “Title to Property. When a substantial dispute of fact shall arise concerning the decedent’s title to property, real or personal, any party in interest shall be entitled to a trial of such issue by a jury” and then section (a) equates such jury’s verdict with a jury’s verdict in a common pleas case.

Neither of these questions was properly raised for determination in the court below and, therefore, we will not consider them on this appeal. “Matters not raised in, or considered by, the court below cannot be invoked on appeal even though they involve constitutional questions” : Montgomery County Bar Association v. Rinalducci, 329 Pa. 296, 298, 197 A. 924 See also: Archbishop O’Hara’s Appeal, 389 Pa. 35, 47, 131 A. 2d 587.

Appellant’s second question on appeal — “catch all” in nature — basically raises the issue whether the evidence of record — viewed in the light of the applicable legal principles as to burden of proof and presumptions — was such that the chancellor should have set aside the probate of this will and that, in refusing to do so, the chancellor abused his discretion.

We initially inquire where, under our decisional law, the burden of proof as to testamentary capacity and undue influence lies and what, if any, and under what circumstances, if any, a presumption arises as to testamentary capacity and undue influence.

When evidence of the probate of the will is offered in a will contest by the will proponent, then the “ ‘duty to come forward with evidence’ ” shifts to the contestant: Kerr v. O’Donovan, 389 Pa. 614, 623, 134 A. 2d 213; Paul Will, 407 Pa. 30, 38, 180 A. 2d 254.

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Bluebook (online)
213 A.2d 638, 419 Pa. 92, 1965 Pa. LEXIS 474, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/abrams-will-pa-1965.