Adair v. Adair

90 N.W. 804, 11 N.D. 175
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 1, 1903
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 90 N.W. 804 (Adair v. Adair) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Adair v. Adair, 90 N.W. 804, 11 N.D. 175 (N.D. 1903).

Opinion

Morgan, J.

This proceeding was instituted by one Lillian Adair, as petitioner, in the county court of Ransom county. In a petition she prays said court to order the executors of the last will and testament of her father, James Adair, to pay to her the sum of $500-bequeathed to her in a codicil to said will. The petition states the following facts: That the testator, James Adair, died on the 19th day of April, 1897, in Presque Isle, in the state of Maine, and was at the time of his said death a resident of Ransom county, N. D. That Amanda M. Adair is her mother, and was the first wife of said decedent, and that John Adair and James Adair are her brothers, and the sons of said decedent and Amanda M. Adair. That Laurastina P>. Adair is the second wife of said James Adair, deceased, and that Birdie May Adair is the daughter of said deceased and Laurastina B. Adair. That Charles E. Pierson and Gilbert La Du are the executors of the last will and testament: of said James Adair, deceased. That said last will and testament of said James Adair and the codicil thereto was duly admitted to-probate in the county court of said county on June 21, 1897. That the codicil to said will was in part in the following words, to-wit: “In the name of God, Amen. This codicil, made this ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven, witnesseth: That I, James Adair, being of' [177]*177sound mind and body, but being about to start by next train for Ireland, and considering the uncertainity of life in such a case, do hereby order, devise, and bequeath that, should I, my wife Laura, or Laurastina Birdie, and my daughter Birdie May, all die on or in consequence of this trip, then all my estate, real and personal, after deducting lawful expenses for probating and fees of executors, as may be needed till division of my estate shall be made, shall be divided equally among my surviving children, James Adair, Lillie or Lillian Adair, and John Adair, irrespective of past behavior of any one of them towards me. Secondly. Should I alone die on this trip, or in consequence of'it, then of the one thousand dollars before willed to my wife, five hundred dollars of this money are to be deducted from her and given to my daughter Lillie or Lillian, before mentioned. I do not know whether she is married or not, but a letter of hers in my private drawer of dressing case at my residence will explain why I have not had intercourse with her in any way, though I have tried repeatedly to find her. Third. Should wife and I die on this' trip, or in consequence of it, then I devise and bequeath to my son James Adair the Burns property in Harris’ First addition to the city of Lisbon, in addition to what has already been willed him in the body of the will. To my son John Adair I devise and bequeath the .Burns farm, south of Lisbon. To my daughter Lillian I devise and bequeath the homestead on Main street, three lots and building, lots io, n, and 12 in Colton’s Third addition to the city of Lisbon, as laid down in plat of said city.” That said James Adair did thereafter take said trip to Ireland, and died while on his return to his home from Ireland. That sufficient moneys are in the hands of said executors with which to pay said legacy after payment of all debts against the estate of said James Adair. The executors named, Laurastina Adair, and Birdie May Adair, by her guardian ad litem, all appeared and answered, setting forth the last will and testament of said James Adair as follows, omitting formal parts: “ (1) I give and bequeath to my beloved daughter Lillie the sum of one thousand dollars out of the proceeds of my policy No. 50,170 in Massachusetts Benefit Life Association. But if my daughter Lillie or her rightful heirs do not appear and claim the same within 10 years from the date of my death, then and in that case said above mentioned $1,000 is to be paid to my daughter Birdie May, if she is then of age, and, if not, then she is to receive the same as soon as she attains her majority. (2) The balance of the proceeds of said above-described policy No. 50,170 I give and bequeath to my beloved sons James and John, share and share alike, but, should either die previous to my own decease, his portion to go to the survivor. (3) I give and bequeath to my beloved daughter Birdie May the proceeds of endowment certificate No. 63,873 of the Su[178]*178preme Court of Independent Order of Foresters, the same to be paid to her when she- attains the age of eighteen years; and I hereby request that my hereinafter mentioned executor Charles Wright invest the proceeds of the hereinbefore mentioned policy and certificate of insurance in Canadian county debentures or in some other Canadian securities. (4) I give and bequeath to Thomas Patterson, M. D., of Cogswell, North Dakota, all my books and instruments appertaining to the practice of my profession. (5) I hereby give, devise, and bequeath to my beloved wife, Laurastina Birdie, but whose name was written in our marriage certificate ‘Laura B.,’ and to my beloved daughter by my present wife, Birdie May, all the residue of my estate, real, personal, and mixed, of every name, nature, and description, share and share alike. (6) Should either my above-mentioned wife or my daughter Birdie May die previous to my own decease, the survivor is to receive the share of the other.” (7) The testator here nominated an executor under the will so far as it bequeathed property not situated in the United States. (8) Nomination of resident executors. (9) Revocation of all former wills. The will and the codicil were duly admitted to probate, and executors were duly appointed to carry out its provisions. There are no unpaid debts at present existing against said decedent’s estate. The estate amounts .to about $600 in personal property and certain real estate amounting in value to about $1,800. The facts were stipulated in open court at the hearing, and are as above recited. The county court made an order directing the executors to pay the petitioner, Lillian Adair, the $500 bequeathed by the testator in the codicil to the will. The defendants appealed to the district court, and such appeal resulted in an affirmance of' the order of the county court. The defendants appeal to this court, and request a trial de novo of all the issues raised by the answer to the petition.

The defendants contend that the petition should not have been granted for two reasons, viz.: (1) That it was not the intention of the testator, as gathered from the will and codicil, construed together, to bequeath said $500 to his daughter Lillian, but that it was the intention of said testator to bequeath $500 to his wife out of the policy bequeathed to his daughter in the will. (2) That the legacy of the $500 is a specific legacy, and the fund out of which it was to be paid having failed, such legacy cannot be paid out of the general property or assets of the estate. On reading the will and the codicil, it will be observed that the testator never bequeathed to his wife any legacy of $1,000, or any other specific sum. The wife and daughter Birdie May were joint residuary legatees of all the property left by the testator after certain other specific béquests had been made. The appellants' contend that the decedent never intended to bequeath $500 to his daughter Lillian in addition to the bequest of the $1,000 to be paid out of the policy in the Massachusetts Benefit Life Association. To determine what [179]*179his. intention was as to this matter, the will and codicil must alone be considered, and must be construed together, and extraneous facts not shown by these two instruments be disregarded. These two instruments must speak for themselves in ascertaining his intention.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
90 N.W. 804, 11 N.D. 175, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/adair-v-adair-nd-1903.