Aten v. Tobias

220 P. 196, 114 Kan. 646, 1923 Kan. LEXIS 256
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedNovember 10, 1923
DocketNos. 24,707 and 24,841
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 220 P. 196 (Aten v. Tobias) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Aten v. Tobias, 220 P. 196, 114 Kan. 646, 1923 Kan. LEXIS 256 (kan 1923).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Dawson, J.:

These appeals pertain to an action to set aside a will and matters incidental thereto. The first was taken from a ruling on the pleadings; the second is from the judgment on the merits.

Most of the litigants are children or grandchildren of the late Cyrus Tobias of Rice county. Edwin E. Tobias, a son of the testator, is a defendant personally and also in his capacity as exec[648]*648utor. Defendant Emma Mason was a daughter of Cyrus by a former wife. Defendant Valentine 0. Enders was a son of Mrs. Tobias by a former husband.

Cyrus Tobias and his wife in their lifetime had accumulated considerable real estate, some 1,400 acres of land or more, and had a rapidly growing personal estate. The title to 320 acres known as their home place was held by the wife. In 1913 Cyrus Tobias made a will, disposing of all his property including the home place. In substance the will gave to his wife, Susan E. Tobias, their household goods, $10,000 in cash, and a life interest in the home place,- of which Susan was then the title holder.

The immediate family of Cyrus and Susan consisted of grown sons and daughters, Edwin, Katie, Bessie and Nora who were born to ■ Cyi’us and Susan; Emma, daughter of Cyrus; and Valentine, son of Susan. The will bestowed on these six persons a life estate in the rents and profits on the home place, if the testator should outlive Susan, and it also devised to them a life estate in all the other realty owned by Cyrus.

The remainder estate in all the lands of Cyrus, including the home place, was devised to the grandchildren, including the children of Emma Mason and the children of Valentine O. Enders, per capita and not per stirpes. Certain details in the will, specifying the executor’s powers, placing restrictions on the powers of life tenants to alienate, and as to thé disposition of the interest of any child or grandchild who might die before the time of entry and enjoyment of the remainder estate by the grandchildren may need little attention here.

The personal estate was bequeathed in equal shares to the daughter Katie and to son Edwin and to the stepson Valentine.

Susan gave her written consent to' the will at the time it was executed. She died intestate in 1920, and Cyrus died in 1921. Meantime the personal property of Cyrus vastly increased between the making of his will in 1913 and the time of his death in 1921. To develop the questions raised between the litigants, the will must be largely reproduced:

[649]*649“LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF CYRUS TOBIAS.
“It is my desire, and will in which my wife, Susan E. Tobias, has expressed and does express a cordial concurrence and approval, to reserve intact the bulk, body and substance of the real estate of which I may die seized or possessed for the grandchildren of either and both myself and my wife, now living or hereafter to be born and in the interpretation and execution of the terms of this will the foregoing condition of the minds of myself and wife shall be born in mind. To this end and with this view and purpose, I give, devise and bequeath all property both real and personal which I may own at the time of my death as follows:
“First: I give, devise and bequeath unto my wife Susan E. Tobias should she survive me, for and during the term of her natural life, our home farm, described [description] together with all the rents, issues, profits and proceeds of said half section of land. I further give, devise and bequeath unto my said wife if she should survive me, all our household and kitchen furniture.
“Second: I give, devise and bequeath unto my son Edwin E. Tobias, my stepson Valentine 0. Enders and my daughters Nora E. Jones, Kate V. Cherpital, Bessie E. Aten, and Emma S. Mason, share and share alike for and during term of their natural lives only as hereinafter, in this will, limited, defined and explained after the death of my wife Susan E. Tobias or after my death if I should survive my wife, the [home place]. Out of the rents and issues of said real estate there shall be first paid annually, by my executor, all taxes charges, and assessments thereon, and the residue of all rents, issues, profits, and proceeds shall be divided equally share and share alike between and among the six legatees, above, in this paragraph named.
“Upon the death of any or either of such six legatees, if he or she shall leave surviving a child or children, such child or children shall take the place and be entitled to the share of its or their parent, so long as any of the above named six legatees may live. ...
“Upon and after the death of all of said six legatees above named the said half section of land shall be and become the property in fee simple, of the grandchildren of myself and wife, or either of us, being children of any of the above named six legatees who may leave a child or children surviving.
“Upon the vesting of said real estate, in fee simple, in the grandchildren of myself and wife, or either of us, all such grandchildren shall take and receive equally, share and share alike per capita and not per stirpes.
“Third: I give, devise and bequeath unto my son Edwin E. Tobias, my stepson Valentine 0. Enders and my daughters Nora E. Jones, Katie V. Cherpital, Bessie E. Aten and Emma S. Mason, share and share alike for and during the term of their natural lives only, as hereinafter, in this Will, limited, defined and explained, all the rest residue and remainder of the real estate of which I may die seized or possessed, wheresoever the same may be situated.
“Out of the rents and issues of said real estate, there shall be first paid annually, by my executor, all taxes, charges and assessments thereon, and the residue of all rents, issues, profits and proceeds thereof shall be divided equally [650]*650share and share alike, between and among the six legatees above, in this paragraph named.
“Upon the death of any, or either of such six legatees, if he or she shall leave surviving a child or children, such child or children shall take the place and be entitled to the share of its or their parent, so long as any of the above named six legatees may live. . . .
“Upon and after the death of all of said six legatees above named all of the said real estate shall be and become the property in fee simple, of the grandchildren of myself and wife or either of us, being children or any of the above named six legatees who may leave a child or children surviving.
“Upon the vesting of said real estate in fee simple, in the grandchildren of myself and wife, or either of us all such grandchildren shall take and receive equally, share and share alike, per capita and not per stirpes.
“Fourth. It is my will that neither said Edwin E. Tobias, Valentine O. Enders, Nora E. Jones, Katie V. Cherpital, Bessie E. Aten, or Emma S. Mason, nor any nor all of them shall have any right, power, or authority to sell, convey, mortgage or otherwise encumber any of the real estate in this will disposed of devised and bequeathed, except as in the next succeeding paragraph of this will provided.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
220 P. 196, 114 Kan. 646, 1923 Kan. LEXIS 256, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/aten-v-tobias-kan-1923.