Appeal of Sims' Estate

1933 OK 12, 18 P.2d 1077, 162 Okla. 35, 1933 Okla. LEXIS 486
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJanuary 24, 1933
Docket19777
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 1933 OK 12 (Appeal of Sims' Estate) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Appeal of Sims' Estate, 1933 OK 12, 18 P.2d 1077, 162 Okla. 35, 1933 Okla. LEXIS 486 (Okla. 1933).

Opinion

ANDREWS, J.

This is an appeal from a judgment and decree of the district court of Woods county on an appeal from an order of the county court. The district court denied the motion of the plaintiffs in error, Chris Sims and Eliza Chambers, to set aside and vacate the appointment of Gus Had-wiger as the administrator with will annexed of the estate of J. H. Sims, deceased, and to set aside and hold, for naught all the proceedings in the administration of said estate had after the appointment of said Hadwiger.

From, the record it, appears that J. H. Sims, a resident of Woods county, died on or about November 6, 1920, seized and possessed of certain real 'and personal estate situated in said county, and leaving no issue. Prior to his death he executed his last will and testament in which he bequeathed to his father, Henry Sims, the su'm of $10, and in which he devised and bequeathed the remainder of his property, as follows:

“* * * to Mag Hyatt, who was born in Washington county, Tenn., all the residue and\ remainder of any personal property, money, goods and chattels.
“Third. I devise to said Mag- Hyatt, during her natural life time, the southeast quarter of section thirty-two (3’2), township twenty-six (216). range fourteen (14) west in Woods county. Okla., and all of my real estate in the city of Avard. Okla., during her natural life and at her death to be devised to Ohris Sims and Eliza Chambers equally share and share alike or their heirs, should they not Survive Mag Hyatt.
“Fourtli. I devise to John Billings the north half (V2) of the northeast quarter (%) of section five (5j, township twenty-five (25). range fourteen (14) west, Woods county, Okla. ”

The record shows that each of the dev-isees named in the will survived the testator; that Mag Hyatt (sometimes called Mag Si’ms) was the wife of the testator; that the will was duly and legally admitted to probate by the county court of Woods county; that Mag Hyatt was duly and legally appointed administratrix with will annexed on the application of herself and Ohris Sims, and that she qualified as such. No attack is anacle herein on either the will, the probate thereof, or the appointment, of Mag Hyatt.

The record shows that on the day of the hearing of the petition for the probate of the will, Mag Hyatt filed in the county *37 court a formal election to take under tbe provisions of tbe will. Tbe record shows that thereafter, and on tbe 19th day of May, 1931, she filed an instrument by which she withdrew her election to take under tbe provisions of the will, asked for leave to make such election at the time of the settlement of the estate, and requested that she be granted a widow’s allowance of $40 per month pending .final settlement of the estate. She set out therein as her reason for withdrawing her election to take under the will thait at the time she made and filed that election it had been represented to her by various relatives that there were no debts against the estate, and that subsequently she had learned that J. TI. Sims had signed !a note as surety for one Frank Baergen for $1,500, and that he had signed another note for $200, upon which Chris Sims was principal, and that neither of said notes had been paid, a.ud that she had been informed that Baergen was unable to pay his note, and that she was likely to bo compelled to pay said note out of the estate, ■which would leave her in a bad financial condition in case slio took under the will.

The record shows thait on May 27. 1921, she filed her resignation as administratrix, in which she stated:

«i * * that reason of her ill health, she is unable to attend to her duties as such administratrix and that she hereby resigns as such administratrix and refuses to act any further as such.
“Applicant further states that she deems it to her best interest and to -the best interest of said estate, that Gus Iladwiger of Alva, Okla., be appointed as administrator with the1 will annexed to succeed this applicant.
“And this applicant Mag Hyatt hereby requests that Gus Iladwiger of Alva, Okla., be appointed as administrator with the will annexed of the estate of J. H. Sims, deceased, and that he act in said capacity from this date.”

No final account, report, or statement of property coming into her hands as: such administratrix was filed. No notice was issued or published of the application to have Ha.dwiger appointed.

On June 3, 1921, the county court made an order that letters of administration with will annexed be issued to Gus Hadwiger, in which it was recited:

“Now, on this 3 day of June A. D. 1921, at the time and place fixed by order of this court for hearing petition of Mag Hy-att, the widow of J. H. Sims, deceased, for letters of administration with the swill annexed to be issued to Gus Hadwiger, upon the "estate of the said J. H. Sims, deceased, comes said petitioner, and no person appears to contest or object to said petition, and it appearing to the court from proof, that d.ue notice of hearing .said petition at this time has been given according to law and the order of (the court herein, and the court after hearing evidence finds that all material allegations of said petition are true and thait the administratrix with the will annexed, to wit, Mag Hyatt, has resigned and requested in writing that Gus Hadwiger is a fit person and, entitled to be appointed administrator with the will annexed of said estate as prayed for in. said petition. ”

Letters were issued to him and he qualified on that date. An inventory and ap-praisement was made and filed showing no personal property, but listing all the real estate described in tbe will.

No further proceedings were had until January 31, 1924, at which time there was filed an instrument denominated “Widow’s Election to Take Under the Law,” which recited:

“Now, on this 31st day of January, 1924, I, Mag Hyatt, the beneficiary named in the will of J. I-L Sims, deceased, and the widow of the said J. IT. Sims, deceased, being fully informed as to the law and my rights under the laws of the state of Oklahoma, do now and hereby elect not to take under the will of J. H. Sims, deceased; buit do now and hereby elect to take under the law of the state of Oklahoma as the widow of j. IT. Sims, deceased.
“I expect and have no objections .to the enforcement of part of paragraph 2 in said will that portion of said paragraph which provides a bequest of $10 to Henry Sims, the father of the testator.
“I also have no objection to carrying into effect and enforcing paragraph four of said will which provides and devises to John Billings the north half of the northeast quarter, of section, five, township twenty-five north, range fourteen west of the Indian Meridian, Okla.”

On the same day the administrator filed his final account and petition for distribution, showing that- all debts, funeral expenses and expenses of the last sickness had been paid, and that the bequest of $10 to Henry Sims bad been paid, referring to the election of tbe widow to take under tbe law filed on that date, and praying:

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Bluebook (online)
1933 OK 12, 18 P.2d 1077, 162 Okla. 35, 1933 Okla. LEXIS 486, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/appeal-of-sims-estate-okla-1933.