Clayton v. United States

94 N.E.2d 248, 58 Ohio Law. Abs. 337, 45 Ohio Op. 276, 1950 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 357
CourtOhio Probate Court of Franklin County
DecidedJune 13, 1950
DocketNo. 129770
StatusPublished

This text of 94 N.E.2d 248 (Clayton v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Probate Court of Franklin County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Clayton v. United States, 94 N.E.2d 248, 58 Ohio Law. Abs. 337, 45 Ohio Op. 276, 1950 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 357 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1950).

Opinion

OPINION

By McClelland, pj.

This matter is presented to the Court on an Application for Authority to Distribute the remainder of the Estate of the deceased. By agreement of the parties a Statement of Facts has been submitted upon which facts the Court is asked to determine who is entitled to a small amount of money representing the amount foi distribution in the estate of the decedent. The pertinent facts are as follows:

Daniel Berger and Angie Berger were husband and wife. On or about the 5th day of July 1938, the said husband and wife having qualified to receive assistance under the old age [338]*338pension law of Ohio, and being the owners of the property hereinafter mentioned, executed a deed to said property which contains the following language:

“KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That Angie Berger and Daniel Berger, Husband and Wife, of the Township of Clinton, County of Franklin and State of Ohio, in consideration of the money to be paid to Angie Berger and Daniel Berger, as a recipient of aid for the aged, as provided in §1359 GC, et seq., by the Division of Aid for the Aged in the Department of Public Welfare of the State of Ohio, through the Division of Aid for the Aged of Franklin County, do hereby Grant, Bargain, Sell and Convey to the said Division of Aid for the Aged in the Department of Public Welfare of the State of Ohio, as Trustee, its assigns and successors in trust, forever, the following Real Estate, situated in the County of Franklin, in the State of Ohio, and in the Township of Clinton and bounded and described as follows: (here follows description of property)”

This deed was duly witnessed and executed before a notary public and was filed for record on August 5, 1938, and recorded on August 31, 1938 in the record of mortgages of Franklin County, Ohio, Vol. 974, page 205.

The deed hereinbefore mentioned was executed and delivered to the Division of Aid by virtue of the provisions of §1359-6 GC, the first three paragraphs of which are as follows:

“Any applicant for or recipient of aid, or his or her spouse, who is the owner of any interest in real or personal property, excepting household goods, clothing and other personal effects, may convey, transfer or assign such property to the division of aid for the aged in trust, reserving to the recipient of aid and his or her spouse the right to use or reside upon any such real property for life; and upon the death of either, leaving a surviving wife or husband who is eligible for aid, the right of the survivor likewise to use or reside upon said real property for life. All taxes and assessment on such real property and all necessary expenses of keeping it in good condition and repair shall be paid by the person using or residing upon it.
“All property conveyed, transferred or assigned to and held by the division in trust, upon the death of the person or persons entitled to use or reside upon such property as above provided, may, in the discretion of the division, be sold by the division at public sale, and the proceeds applied in the following order; first, the cost of sale; second, all valid taxes and assessments and other secured claims which [339]*339were a lien upon said property at the time it was conveyed, transferred or assigned in trust to the division; third, repay to the treasurer of state for the general revenue fund all amounts paid under this act to the person who conveyed, transferred or assigned the property to the division and all such amounts paid to his or her spouse; fourth, all other valid debts in order according to law; and the balance, if any, to be distributed to the heirs or other persons by law entitled thereto.
“Provided, however, that after the death of a recipient of aid, upon the request of his surviving spouse, and heir, or other person lawfully entitled thereto, and when reimbursed to the full amount of aid paid as aforesaid, the division shall reconvey or transfer the property, or cancel and release the assignment and lien thereon, to said surviving spouse, or heirs or other persons by law entitled thereto.”

The foregoing statute has been amended since the above date, but the foregoing text is as it existed at the time of the deed.

From the Statement of Facts it appears that the Division of Aid began their payments to the above named recipients in August, 1936. These payments continued to December, 1943, at which time the husband died. Up until that time the Division of Aid had paid to those recipients the sum of $2059.56, plus a funeral award in the amount of $125.00, making a total sum of $2184.56.

Angie Berger survived her husband and died on or about July 16, 1948. She received assistance from the Division of Aid from September 1938 to July 19, 1948, in the amount of $3485.80, plus $200.00 for expenses of last illness, and also another sum of $78.68, making a total sum of $3764.48.

When Daniel Berger died intestate Angie Berger was the sole and only heir to receive the entire interest in the property. Therefore when Angie Berger died she was the sole owner of all the interest which either or both of them had in the property.

Angie Berger left a will by the terms of which she bequeathed and devised all of her property to Guilford J. Clayton, and also named him the executor of her will. She also gave him power of sale of her personal property and real estate. The real estate was inventoried in her estate at a value of approximately $1700.00.

The claim of the United States of America arises out of the following facts. Subsequent to the death of Daniel Berger, Angie Berger his wife, contracted with The Storm King Com[340]*340pany for certain improvements on the house on the property hereinbefore described, for the sum of $203.04, and gave her note for same. The note eventually became the property of The Morris Plan Bank of Cleveland, Ohio.

Angie Berger also on July 9th, 1946, signed an F. H. A. promissory note to the Modern Roofing and Siding Company for the sum of $494.28, and this note finally became the property of the First Discount Corporation and was later assigned to the United States Government.

Angie Berger also on August 23, 1946, executed another F. H. A. promissory note to a certain roofing company in the sum of $185.04, which note was later assigned to the United States Government.

The executor named in the will, acting under his apparent power, sold the real estate hereinbefore mentioned for the sum of $1000.00. Neither of the claimants are raising any question as to the sale. Certain debts have been paid with the approval of both claimants. Both claimants have filed their claims in compliance with the statutes of Ohio with reference to the filing of claims against decedents estates. There is left from the sale price of said property the sum of $311.55. The State of Ohio claims this money by virtue of its mortgage or trust deed. The United States Government claims the property by virtue of 31 U. S. C. A. page 191, which reads as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
94 N.E.2d 248, 58 Ohio Law. Abs. 337, 45 Ohio Op. 276, 1950 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 357, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/clayton-v-united-states-ohprobctfrankli-1950.