Baily v. McElroy

186 N.E.2d 213, 89 Ohio Law. Abs. 289, 1961 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 257
CourtWarren County Probate Court
DecidedJuly 25, 1961
DocketNo. 3433
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 186 N.E.2d 213 (Baily v. McElroy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Warren County Probate Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Baily v. McElroy, 186 N.E.2d 213, 89 Ohio Law. Abs. 289, 1961 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 257 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1961).

Opinion

Ray, J.

This matter came on to be heard on the 23” day of June, 1961, as a result of a Motion filed by H. Z. Gray and Paul N. Herdman, Attorneys for Francis T. McCurdy, who moved that the Attorney General be removed as a party defendant in this action due to the fact that he is not a proper party to the action.

It might be well at this point to give a brief history of the development of this entire case for the benefit of the record.

The Will of the late Rice P. Steddom was admitted to probate in this Court on April 26, 1950. At that time, Judge Ralph H. Carey, now deceased, was Probate Judge for this County. After said Will was admitted to probate the following actions were filed.

On October 19, 1950, a suit was filed in the Court of Common Pleas, Case No. 19075, contesting said Will. 0-n the same date Case No. 19076 was filed in the same Court asking for a construction of the Will. The plaintiff in both cases was Francis [290]*290T. McCurdy, alleged to be tbe sole heir at law of Rice P. Steddom, deceased.

The suit contesting the Will resulted in the Court of Common Pleas ordering the question of the validity of the Will being put in issue. A jury found that the Will was the Last Will and Testament of Rice P. Steddom. An Entry to this effect was filed on or about October 13, 1955.

The suit for the construction of the Will was dismissed, 'with prejudice, by the plaintiff, McCurdy, at the cost of the defendants, on October 13, 1955.

On that same date, Charles J. Waggoner and Emmor D. Baily, Administrators With the Will Annexed of the Estate of Rice P. Steddom, deceased, filed an application in the Probate Court of this County requesting authority from the Court to pay Francis T. McCurdy the sum of Fifty Thousand ($50,-000.00) Dollars in settlement of his suits above referred to. The Probate Court ordered the Administrators W. W. A. to pay the sum of Fifty Thousand ($50,000.00) Dollars to Francis T. McCurdy and the suit to construe the Will was dismissed in the Court of Common Pleas.

No more action, with the possible exception of accounts filed by the Administrators With the Will Annexed, resulted in this estate until October 10, 1960. During that time Judge Carey had passed away and the present Judge had assumed the Probate Bench.

On the 10th day of October, 1960, an Application was filed in the Probate Court by Francis T. McCurdy, seeking a construction of the Will of Rice P. Steddom. Notice was served on the Co-Administrators W. W. A. and through their attorneys, C. Donald Dilatush and Marvin E. Young, a Motion to Quash Service was filed. The Court has never rendered a decision on that Motion, and the question has since become moot.

About that same time the attorneys for the Co-Administrators W. W. A. filed an action in the Court of Common Pleas of this County asking for construction of the Steddom Will. By agreement of all parties, this suit was subsequently dismissed and the Co-Administrators W. W. A., through their attorneys, brought the action for the construction of the Will in the Probate Court. This resume brings us to the present matter, the motion to remove the Attorney General as a party.

[291]*291Despite all the Code sections cited by the Attorney General, and the Court’s own feeling, the Court cannot overlook the very specific and definite language of Section 109.23, Revised Code.

Section 109.23, Revised Code. As used in Sections 109.23 to 109.33, inclusive, Revised Code, “charitable trust” means any fiduciary relationship with respect to property arising as a result of a manifestation of intention to create it, and subjecting the partnership, corporation, person, or association of persons by whom the property is held to equitable duties to deal with the property for any charitable, religious or educational purpose. There are excluded from this definition and from the operation of such sections, trusts until such time as the charitable, religious or educational purpose expressed in such trust becomes vested in use or enjoyment. Such sections do not apply to charitable, religious and educational institutions holding funds in trust, or otherwise exclusively for their own purposes nor to institutions created and operated as agencies of the state government or any political subdivision thereof.

This Court cannot see that there has been any vesting in use or enjoyment of this trust. No Trustee has ever been appointed, although this Will was admitted to probate in 1950, and contained instructions for the appointment of a Trustee. (A copy of said Will will be attached to this opinion.)

Section 2307.131, Revised Code, has been mentioned in defense of the Attorney General’s position, but the Court does not see how this section pertains to the facts in the case at hand. The Attorney General further cited Section 340, General Code, in support of his contention. We find that this section was changed to Section 109.11, Revised Code, and repealed in 1953. The current Section 109.11, Revised Code, deals with “Canal Land Disputes.”

Several cases have held that the Attorney General is not a necessary party to a will contest case, and numerous citations to cases ruling both ways on the question of the will contest were presented. The Court does not find in any of the briefs any interpretation of the language in Section 109.23, Revised Code. I feel that this language is so strong and so clear and definite in connection with the facts in this case, that I have no alternative but to grant defendant McCurdy’s Motion, even though the Court feels that the assistance of the Attorney Gen[292]*292eral in the hearing of the matter of the construction of the Will would be invaluable.

Decided June 19, 1962.

In view of the language of Section 109.23, Revised Code, the Court feels that the arguments as to the common law rights and duties of the Attorney General in a matter of this nature must bow to the specific provisions of the statute.

The defendant McCurdy’s Motion is therefore sustained, and the Attorney General is dismissed as a party to this action.

Baily and Waggoner, Co-Administrators, Plaintiffs, v. McElroy, Attorney General et, Defendants.

No. 3433.

[293]*293Bay, J.

This matter came on to be heard on the Petition of Emmor D. Baily and Charles J. Waggoner, Co-Administrators With the Will Annexed of the Estate of Bice P. Steddom, deceased, for the construction of the Will of the late Bice P. Steddom.

It might be well at this point to give a brief history of the development of this entire case for the benefit of the record.

The Will of the late Bice P. Steddom was admitted to probate in this Court on April 26,1950. At that time, Judge Balph H. Carey, now deceased, was Probate Judge for this County. After said Will was admitted to probate, the following actions were filed.

On October 19, 1950, a suit was filed in the Court of Common Pleas, Case No. 19075, contesting said' Will. On the same date, Case No. 19076 was filed in the same Court asking for a construction of the Will. The plaintiff in both cases was Francis T. McCurdy, alleged to be the sole heir at law of Bice P. Steddom, deceased.

The suit contesting the Will resulted in the Court of Common Pleas ordering the question of the validity of the Will being put in issue.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
186 N.E.2d 213, 89 Ohio Law. Abs. 289, 1961 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 257, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/baily-v-mcelroy-ohprobctwarren-1961.