Adelman v. Rosenblum

377 S.W.2d 549, 1964 Mo. App. LEXIS 692
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 6, 1964
DocketNo. 23986
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 377 S.W.2d 549 (Adelman v. Rosenblum) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Adelman v. Rosenblum, 377 S.W.2d 549, 1964 Mo. App. LEXIS 692 (Mo. Ct. App. 1964).

Opinion

BROADDUS, Presiding Judge.

The matters presented in this appeal involve the election of the surviving husband, William Adelman, to take against the Last Will and Testament of his deceased wife, Mary Pener Adelman. This attempted election was denied by the Probate Court of Jackson County. Thereafter an appeal was taken by the surviving husband to the Circuit Court where a judgment was entered affirming the order of the Probate Court entitled “Order Denying Election of Surviving Spouse.” From this judgment William Adelman appealed.

Appellant and his deceased wife were married on August 24, 1960. Prior to the marriage and on June 25, 1960, this elderly couple entered into an ante-nuptial agreement in which they listed their separate properties and each agreed that “a full disclosure of their respective properties and estates” had been made.

The contract then provided that each should continue to separately own his or her property possessed at the date of the marriage and have full right to dispose of it at any time during the marriage, and also the [551]*551full right of disposition at death free from any marital rights of the other spouse.

It further provided that beginning at the date of marriage they should establish a joint bank account with right of survivor-ship into which the wife should put one-half of the gross rentals of her real estate (at that time $337.50 per month) and the husband should contribute to said joint account all sums of money he earned from personal service or received as pensions. From this account they would pay their household and other expenses. In the event the wife sold her real estate she was to make monthly contributions to the joint bank account in sums equal to one-half of the gross rental value of said property at the time of sale.

The contract expressly excepted from its provisions “any property or estate which the parties hereto may acquire jointly or by the entireties during their marriage.” It also expressly excepted from its provisions “any property acquired or accumulated by the parties jointly from and after the date of the marriage.”

The contract further provided that in the event of divorce or separation neither party should have any claim against the property belonging to the other prior to their marriage.

It then provided that in the event the wife died first the husband should not share in any of her estate possessed by her at the time of their marriage “and by signing this agreement party of the second part (husband) waives and relinquishes and quitclaims any and all interests, rights, title or claims of every kind and nature, rights to inherit of every kind and nature, and all marital, statutory and dower rights and allowances as surviving widower under any laws providing for the same and any and all statutory rights, claims, allowances and awards as surviving widower or spouse, and rights of homestead and any and all rights in and to the estate of the first party.”

The wife in the event she survived the husband in similar fashion waived all her rights in his property owned at the time of the marriage. Mrs. Adelman died on May 27, 1961.

When this case reached the Circuit' Court on appeal from the order and judgment of the Probate Court holding appellant’s election as surviving spouse was of no force and effect because of the ante-nuptial contract of appellant and his deceased wife appellant filed his written motion for summary judgment on the pleadings, wherein he stated:

“Movant further states that the facts herein are admitted by all parties hereto and there is no dispute as to such; that the only issues before the Court are questions of law; that it is agreeable between all parties hereto that this case and all issues herein be decided by this court on motion.”

Respondent also filed a motion for summary judgment on the pleadings claiming the ante-nuptial agreement was a bar to any claims of appellant as surviving spouse as held by the Probate Court. The Circuit Court denied appellant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings and sustained respondent’s motion.

Appellant first contends that the case was not heard and decided by the Circuit Court de novo. From the above it is clear that appellant got exactly the kind of trial he solemnly requested in his pleadings and is in no position to complain.

The following quotation from 5 C. J.S. Appeal and Error § 1508a, page 943 was copied with approval by this court in the cases of Lankford v. Arnold, 225 Mo.App. 844, 33 S.W.2d 995, 998 and Charlsworth v. Jacob, 224 Mo.App. 1014, 24 S.W. 2d 671, 672.

“Where a party voluntarily adopts a certain form of procedure or agrees to the manner in which his rights shall be submitted for determination in the trial court, he will not be permitted to complain, on appeal or error, that proceedings had in conformity thereto were erroneous.”

[552]*552Appellant also complains that the Circuit Court did not make definite findings and directions for procedure in the Probate Court. Appellant made no request for such findings until his motion for new trial was filed. Civil Rule 73.01, V.A.M.R. provides unless one of the parties requests findings of fact and conclusions of law before final submission the court need not make such specific findings of fact and conclusions of law. See, also, Bonnot v. Tackitt, Mo.App., 265 S.W.2d 748, 750.

Appellant further contends that the ante-nuptial agreement does not fulfill all the requirements of Section 474.120 V.A.M.S. 1949 (as amended) and, therefore, does not constitute a valid bar to his rights of inheritance and other statutory rights. Said section is as follows:

“474.120. Inheritance and statutory rights barred by ante-nuptial contract.
“If any person prior to and in contemplation of marriage in agreement or marriage contract with his intended spouse, or other person, receives any estate either real or personal, to take effect after the death of his spouse, or any other time, as a provision for his support during life, and expressed to be in full discharge of all his rights of inheritance or any other statutory rights in the estate of his spouse, such estate shall be valid, and a bar to his rights of inheritance and other statutory rights in the estate of his spouse. (L.1955, p. 385, § 247.)”

The cases upon which the appellant husband relies were based upon Section 469.160 RSMo 1949, which reads as follows:

“469.160. Marriage contract, when a bar to dower.—
“If any woman prior to and in con- . templation of marriage, shall, in agreement or marriage contract with her intended husband, or other person, receive any estate, either real or personal, to take effect after the death of her husband, by way of jointure, as a provision for her support during life, and expressed to be in full discharge of all her claim of dower, such estate shall be valid, and a bar to dower in the estate of her husband. When any lands have been or hereafter shall be conveyed to the husband and wife, or to any other person and their heirs, and to the use of the husband and wife, or to the use of the wife,

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Bluebook (online)
377 S.W.2d 549, 1964 Mo. App. LEXIS 692, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/adelman-v-rosenblum-moctapp-1964.