Barlow v. Winters National Bank & Trust Co.

59 N.E.2d 212, 41 Ohio Law. Abs. 457, 1944 Ohio App. LEXIS 862
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 22, 1944
DocketNo. 1794
StatusPublished

This text of 59 N.E.2d 212 (Barlow v. Winters National Bank & Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barlow v. Winters National Bank & Trust Co., 59 N.E.2d 212, 41 Ohio Law. Abs. 457, 1944 Ohio App. LEXIS 862 (Ohio Ct. App. 1944).

Opinions

OPINION

By GEIGER, J.

This matter is in this court on appeal from a judgment of the Probate Court of Montgomery County upon the petition for declaratory judgment.

The petition below recites that the Winters National Bank & Trust Company is trustee under the will of Ray K. Barlow, deceased, being appointed by the Probate Court of Montgomery County; that under the last will and testament of Ray K. Barlow, deceased, he was to receive one-half of the net income [459]*459from the trust estate; that the defendant, Lillian M. Barlow was to receive the other half of the net income; that the defendant, Lillian, filed her election, electing to take under the law and not under the provisions of the last will and testament of said decedent.

The petition further recites that by the election of said Lillian M. Barlow to take under the law in pursuance to §10504-55, he is entitled to the entire proceeds of the net income of said trust; that the net income to date represents rentals received from the real estate of which the decedent died seized.

The prayer is that upon the hearing the court fin'd that he is entitled to the entiré net income from the real estate held in said trust pending the administration of the estate of Ray K. Barlow; that the court find that the defendant, Lillian M. Barlow, is not entitled to any part of said net income received from said real estate.

A number of answers and cross-petitions are filed, among them that of Lillian M. Barlow, which admits that the Bank is appointed trustee of the will. She denies that Clifford E. Barlow was to receive one-half of the net income from the trust estate, as asserted in his petition, but says that by the terms of the last will and testament, John H. Barlow, father of the decedent, was to receive.from the income of the trust estate the sum of $1200.00 yearly, and that the balance was to be divided equally between Lillian M. Barlow and Clifford M. Barlow during their lifetime. She admits that she filed her election in the matter of the estate of Ray K. Barlow, electing to take under the law and not under the provision of the last will and testament of said decedent. She denies that by her election to take under the law under the provisions of §10504-55, plaintiff, Clifford E. Barlow, is entitled to the entire proceeds of the net income from said trust. On the contrary, the answering defendant avers that the defendant, Lillian M. Barlow is entitled by virtue of her election to an undivided one-half of the net estate of Ray K. Barlow and to an undivided one-half of the net income from the assets of said estate, from the date of the decedent’s death to the date of distribution of said estate.

As a cross-petition, Lillian M. Barlow says that by virtue of her election to take under the law of descent and distribution pursuant to §10504-55, she became entitled to one-half of the net estate of Ray K. Barlow, deceased and to one-half of [460]*460the income therefrom until the date of distribution, whether such estate be derived from personal property or from real estate. She asks for an order of the court declaring (1) that she is the owner in law and equity of an undivided one-half of the net estate of Ray K. Barlow; (2) that she is the owner in law and equity of the undivided one-half of the income from the personal property of said estate in the hands of the executor until distribution; (3) that she is the owner of an undivided one-half of the income to the trustee from the real property assets of said estate in the hands of the trustee until distribution; (4) that a resulting trust in her favor be impressed upon one-half of the income from the real estate, and that the trustees be instructed to pay over such sum to her; (5) that the legal title to an undivided one-half of the fee simple in said real estate is vested in her by virtue of the election to take under the law of descent and distribution.

The Winters National Bank files an answer and cross-petition admitting that the plaintiff was to receive one-half of the income from the trust estate under the will of Ray K. Barlow; that the defendant, Lillian Barlow, was to receive the other one-half from said trust; that the defendant, Lillian, filed her election to take under the law and not under the provisions of the will; that the net income from said trust to date represents rentals received from real estate of which the decedent died seized.

As a cross-petition said Winters National Bank says that Ray K. Barlow died August 24, 1942, owning considerable stocks and securities and several pieces of improved and unimproved real estate; that it was appointed executor and has collected the dividends, and that it was appointed trustee under the will and as such has managed the real estate and collected the rentals; that Lillian Barlow filed her election to take by descent and distribution and not under the will of her deceased husband. It is asserted that several questions arise for the court to determine, inasmuch as the election of said Lillian to take at law changes the operation of the trust.

It is asserted that Ray K. Barlow directed that the residuary estate should be held by the trustee and tlhe net income was to be distributed, (1) $1200.00 yearly to his father, John H. Barlow; (2) one-half of the remaining net income to his wife, Lillian M. Barlow; (3) one-half of the remaining net income to his brother, Clifford.

It is asserted that certain enumerated questions arise by [461]*461virtue of the election of the widow to take under the law.

Queries are propounded by the Bank as to what shall be the proper distribution of the income in view of the election of Lillian to take under the law. It is not necessary for us to reiterate what these questions are.

Lillian M. Barlow flies an answer to the cross-petition of The Winters National Bank & Trust Company as trustee. This answer is quite lengthy and we shall not endeavor to recite its-allegations in detail. She admits her election to take under the law and not under the will. She answers seriatim to several questions propounded by the Bank in which reference is made in its cross-petition as hereinafter alluded to. She asserts in her answer that the court should decide between her and the bank in the matters indicated in her answer.

She avers that she takes under the statute of intestacy by reason of her election not to take under the will, and that she is vested of the ownership of one-half of the net estate. She further avers that it is only proper to consider the estate as a whole until distribution is made, and that when such distribution is made, she should be paid one-half of the estate, and that the estate should be considered as a whole until distribution is made, -and that she is then to be paid one-half of the estate.

Her answer then continues to recite her claim with reference to the estate by reason of the fact that she has elected to take under the law. She reiterates the .prayer made in her answer to the petition of Clifford E. Barlow, and prays that the court direct the Bank to act solely in the capacity of executor, and not as trustee until such time as she is fully satisfied; that the appointment of the Bank as trustee be cancelled.

Clifford E. Barlow files an answer to the cross-petition of the Winters National Bank & Trust Company. In his answer, he answers the queries seriatim in which he makes assertion as to the claim of management by the bank and the distribution of the estate in view of the election of Lillian to take under the law.

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Bluebook (online)
59 N.E.2d 212, 41 Ohio Law. Abs. 457, 1944 Ohio App. LEXIS 862, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barlow-v-winters-national-bank-trust-co-ohioctapp-1944.