Bell v. Board of Directors of Pythian Widows & Orphans Home

219 S.W.2d 93, 1949 Tex. App. LEXIS 1633
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 3, 1949
DocketNo. 2836
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 219 S.W.2d 93 (Bell v. Board of Directors of Pythian Widows & Orphans Home) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bell v. Board of Directors of Pythian Widows & Orphans Home, 219 S.W.2d 93, 1949 Tex. App. LEXIS 1633 (Tex. Ct. App. 1949).

Opinion

TIREY, Justice.

The Board of Directors of the Pythian Widows and Orphans Home brought this suit to construe the will of John Russell Curtis, deceased, to remove Miss Kate Bell as testamentary trustee, to set aside a conveyance by Miss Bell to J. T. Murphy of the east one-half of Lot 4 in Block 7 in the City of Gatesville, and to set aside a transfer of thirty-six shares of common stock of the Guaranty Bank & Trust Company of Gatesville, transferred by her to Aven, and to appoint a substitute trustee.

[94]*94We quote the pertinent parts of the will:

“Third: All the rest and residue of my estate, whether real, personal or mixed property, including life insurance, liberty bonds, bank stock or other stocks, monies, notes, -and in fact everything that I own or may be entitled to at the time of my death, not required to pay my debts and the above legacy, I direct to be delivered and turned over to Miss Mollie Bell and Miss Kate Bell (the sisters of my 'beloved deceased wife, Lee Bell Curtis), jointly to control, manage, use and dispose of for the following uses, trusts, and benefits, to-wit: They may use so much of said property and its proceeds (including my home) as they may need or feel disposed to for their own personal use and benefit, for their own support, maintenance and pleasure, but without mingling my funds or property with their own, or making a gift 'of more than a nominal amount to -any person or institution, preserving the identity of my estate, and at the death of either of them, the possession, management, use, control and disposition of said property to pass to the survivor, and at the death of the survivor, I direct that my executor hereinafter named, or that may be hereafter appointed by the proper judicial authority, shall convert all of said property that may remain unexpended by them for the above purposes, •into money or its equivalent in interest bearing securities, -and pay and transfer the same over to the Grand Lodge Knights of Pythias, of the State of Texas, or such Boa-rd of Directors, Trustees, or other board or corporate body connected with said Order of Knights of Pythias as may have control of the Pythian Widows and Orphans Home maintained in Texas, by said order, to be used by said Grand Lodge, or said Board of Trustees, directors, or such other corporate body controlling said Pythian Widows and Orphans Home in Texas, and its finances, for the maintenance, support, education and general benefit of the Widows and Orphan Children of members of said order, entitled under the constitution, rules, regulations and laws of this order to enter said home, and residing therein.

“It is my will and desire that the said Miss Mollie Bell and Miss Kate Bell have full possession, management, control and ■charge of my estate, jointly so long as they shall both live, and the survivor after the death of either, without being amenable to any person for the manner in which they may manage said estate, and without accountability to anyone, but that they keep the funds and property belonging to my estate separate from their own, and if they do keep my property and estate intact as required hereby, I direct that my executor (or any beneficiary hereunder) shall have no right to any property not standing in the name of my estate at the death of the survivor of them, nor shall any inquiry be made into the manner in which they may have discharged this trust, so that there may be no controversy between my executor or beneficiaries and the heirs or legal representatives -of either of them after their death.

“It is my purpose and desire that the said Miss Mollie Bell and Miss Kate Bell may feel free to use so much of my estate for their own áupport and pleasure as they may have use for, regardless of their financial ability to support themselves, in order that they may be assured of a support and living in the event their own property for any reason may prove inadequate for the purposes.

“I hereby nominate and appoint Miss Mollie Bell, Miss Kate Bell and my friend, John D. Brown, Jr., joint executrices and executor of this my will, or any of them that may be willing or able to act in the capacity may be appointed in the event any of them should be unwilling or unable to do so, or should not survive me, and I direct that on the death of any of them, the others continue to act, and further, that no bond be required of any of them, and that they act independent of the court in the execution of the trusts herein created and in the administration of my estate.

“I direct that should the said John D. Brown, Jr., die before I do, or be unwilling or unable to act as executor, or if he should die or resign as executor before the final disposition of my estate, that the court having jurisdiction over my estate, [95]*95appoint a suitable person, being a Knight of Pythias in good standing and not otherwise interested in my estate, to act in his stead, who shall give 'bond in the manner required -by law, and be amenable to the orders of said court, and I suggest that the court be guided in the selection of such person by the advice and nomination of the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and Prelate of Royal Lodge No. 84, 'Knights of Pythias, if such lodge be then in existence, if not, of the same officers of such other lodge of said order as may then have its domicile in Gatesville, and if there be no lodge of said order in Gatesville, then of the three members, oldest in years of membership in such order, in good standing, then living in Gatesville, who will consent to nominate such executor.

“My purpose in making the above suggestion is to assure the appointment of some one who will have the interest of my beneficiaries at heart, and will use due diligence lo see that my intentions as expressed in this will are carried out.

“I authorize Miss Mollie Bell and Miss Kate Bell, jointly, and the survivor of them after the death of either, and my executor, after the death of both of them, to sell and dispose of my property belonging to my estate for the purpose -of carrying out the bequests herein made, and for the purpose of reinvesting the funds derived from such sale, at any time they may deem a change in my investments advisable or to the best interest of my estate.”

The jury in its verdict found in effect (1 and 2) that Miss Bell was induced to execute the deed to Murphy by reason of the undue influence exercised upon her 'by Aven, and that he was acting as the agent of Murphy in procuring the execution of the deed; and (3) that Miss Bell transferred the stock in the bank to Aven as a result of undue influence exercised upon her by Aven. Miss Bell seasonably presented her motion for judgment non obstante ver-edicto. This motion was adopted by Murphy. The defendant Aven presented his motion for judgment non obstante veredicto and these motions were overruled. Defendant J. D. Brown, Jr., filed his motion for judgment on the verdict of the jury and for additional findings by the court. This motion was granted in part and denied in part. We quote in part the findings of the court recited in the judgment:

“The -court finds in accordance with verdict of the jury that the deed executed by Miss Kate Bell as independent executrix of the estate of J. R. Curtis, deceased, conveying the East one-half of Lot 4 in Block 7 as shown by the plat of -the City of Gates-ville, which deed is of record in Vol. 1S9, page 7 of the Deed Records of Coryell County, Texas was obtained by undue influence of M. G. Aven on Miss Kate Bell.

“The ijourt further finds, in accordance with the verdict of the jury, that M. G. Aven also acted as the agent of J. T.

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Bluebook (online)
219 S.W.2d 93, 1949 Tex. App. LEXIS 1633, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bell-v-board-of-directors-of-pythian-widows-orphans-home-texapp-1949.