Caulk v. Lowe

1918 OK 627, 178 P. 101, 74 Okla. 191, 1918 Okla. LEXIS 208
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedNovember 19, 1918
Docket8748
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 1918 OK 627 (Caulk v. Lowe) 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
Caulk v. Lowe, 1918 OK 627, 178 P. 101, 74 Okla. 191, 1918 Okla. LEXIS 208 (Okla. 1918).

Opinion

Opinion bv

COLLIER, C.

Judge K. Cling-an died intestate in Rogers county, Okla., on May 1, 1908. Upon petition of Fannie M. Caulk, who alleged' in' her said petition that she was the only heir of the éstate of Judge K. Clingan, deceased, Ott Caulk, her husband, was by the county' court of said county' appointed administrator of the said estate, and duly qualified and entered-upon his duties as such administrator.

On the 6th day of April, 1909, said Ott Caulk filed his account for a final settlement of said estate, which was heard on May 18, 1909, and said account approved, and said Ott Caulk discharged as administrator, and his bondsmen as such administrator released.

On the 19th day of May, 1909, said Fannie M. Caulk, who claimed to be the sole heir of said defendant, filed in said county court her petition to have heirship determined, and to have the entire estate of said decedent remaining vested in her as the sole and only heir of Judge K. Clingan, deceased; and on that day the said county court made and entered an order finding the said Fannie M. Caulk to be the sole and only heir at law of the decedent, Judge K. Clingan, and vesting in her the absolute title in and to all the property remaining undisposed of belonging to said estate.

On November 26, 1912, Mary C. Lowe, claiming to be the legitimate daughter of the decedent and his sole heir, at law, filed in said county court her petition to have vacated the said final order discharging said Ott Caulk as administrator, and order finding and determining heirship, and vesting title in, and distributing thife' proceeds belonging to, said estate to Fannie M. Cauik as the sole heir at law, together' with all orders in connection with the appointment of said administrator, upon the grounds, among other grounds:

“That during all the time mentioned in the foregoing paragraph she was a nonresident of the state of Oklahoma, and that she had no knowledge of the death of the said Judge K. Clingan or the proceedings mentioned in said paragraph, and that said petitioner did not learn of the death of the said Judge K. Clingan or the aforesaid proceedings until some few months past; that the said Fannie M. Caulk and said Ott Caulk well and truly knew that pétitionor was at said times aforesaid a nonresident of the state of Oklahoma; that the said Fannie M. Caulk and the said Ott Caulk knew tliat petitioner was the sole and only heir at law of the said Judge K. Clingan, deceased.
“That the aforesaid order • attempting to appoint the said Ott Caulk administrator of the estate of said Judge K. Clingan, deceased, was absolutely null and void and. of no effect whatsoever, and the court never had any jurisdiction to make said appointment for the following reasons:
“(A) That while your petitioner was the sole and only heir- at law of the aforesáid Judge K.' Clingan. being- his sole and only child, and'while the said Fannie M: Caulk and the said Ott Caulk well and truly knew these facts to be true, the aforesaid petitioner failed to mention the name 'of your petitioner, but, on the contrary, avers that the said Fannie M. Caulk is the sole and only heir at law of the said Judge K. Clingan.
“(B) For the further reason that the said Fannie M. Caulk and the said Ott Caulk conspired and colluded together to conceal from this court the relationship of your petitioner and said Judge K. Clingan. and the interest of petitioner in the estate of Judge K. Clingan, all of which was done for the purpose of and with the intent of defrauding petitioner.
*193 “(C) And for tlie further reason that while the said Eannie M. Caulk and said Ott Caulk well and truly knew that at the time of the death of the said Judge K Clingan, and at all times subsequent thereto, petitioner was a nonresident of the state of Oklahoma, they, the said Fannie M. Caulk and the said Ott Caulk, never mailed petitioner any notice of the hearing of their aforesaid petition for the appointment of administrator as aforesaid.
“(D) For the further reason that the said ,Fannie M. Caulk and the said Ott Caulk failed to give notice of the hearing of their petition for the appointment of administrator, as required by the aforesaid order of this court.
“(E) For the further reason that while the said Fannie M. Caulk and the said Ott Caulk well and truly knew that petitioner was at all times mentioned herein a nonresident of the state of Oklahoma, and further that petitioner was the sole and only heir at. law of the said Judge K. Clingan, they failed absolutely to give any notice by publication of their aforesaid petition for the appointment of administrator.
“Petitioner would further show this honorable court that on the 6th day of April. 1909, the aforesaid Ott Caulk filed in this court his final report as administrator of the estate of the said Judge K. Clingan; and thereafter, to wit, on the 16th day of April, 1909, this court made and entered its order for hearing the aforesaid final report, setting said hearing for the 18th day of May, 1909; * * * that thereafter, on the '19th day of May, 1909, and one day after the day set for hearing the aforesaid final account, a proof of posting and a proof of publication of the order setting said account for hearing was filed herein, and that on the same day this court made and entered herein its order approving said final account and discharging the said Ott Caulk as such administrator aforesaid; that on the said 19th day of May, 1909, said Fannie M. Caulk filed herein her petition praying for a proof of heirship of said Judge K. Clingan; that the court thereupon made and entered its order finding that the said Fannie M. Caulk was the sole and only heir at law of the said Judge K. Clingan, and ordered that the title to the estate of the said Judge K. Clingan vest in the said Fannie M. Caulk.
“That your petitioner would state and allege that the aforesaid order of discharge and determination of heirship was absolutely null and void and of no effect whatsoever, for the following reasons, to wit:
“(A) For the reason that the aforesaid petition upon which said order was based was not filed at the time prescribed by law, and_therefore conferred no jurisdiction on this court to make said order.
“(B) For the further reason that no notice of the hearing of aforesaid petition for heir-ship and for final distribution was given as prescribed by law.
“(C) And for the further reason that there were 'no valid or legal administration proceedings pending in this court,at the time the said order was made upon which to predicate said order.”

On July 14, 1914, Elijah C. Clingan. Jr. Lillie Clingan, and William Keith Clingan, alleging that they were the sole heirs of Judge K. Clingan, deceased, filed a similar petition to the petition filed by Mary C. Lowe, and praying like relief.

On the 13th of March, 1914, Ott Caulk and Fannie M. Caulk filed answer to said applications, as follows:

“(1) That this court has no jurisdiction of the subject-matter of the petition.
“(2) That this court, by discharging the administrator and closing the estate; lost all jurisdiction of this case.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1918 OK 627, 178 P. 101, 74 Okla. 191, 1918 Okla. LEXIS 208, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/caulk-v-lowe-okla-1918.