Coppedge v. Weaver

119 S.W. 678, 90 Ark. 444, 1909 Ark. LEXIS 496
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedMay 17, 1909
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 119 S.W. 678 (Coppedge v. Weaver) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Coppedge v. Weaver, 119 S.W. 678, 90 Ark. 444, 1909 Ark. LEXIS 496 (Ark. 1909).

Opinion

Battle, J.

J. E. Weaver and his wife, Clara O. Weaver, having no children of their own, adopted Arthur E. Weaver as their child, he then being about three months old. After this J. E. Weaver executed a last will and testament, by which he devised and bequeathed to his wife, Clara O. Weaver, all his property, except one thousand dollars which he bequeathed to his wife to be held by her in trust for his adopted son until he arrived at his majority, when it was to be paid to him. J. E. Weaver died, and his wife undertook the execution of his will. After this the wife moved to Benton County, in this State, and remained there until 28th day of September, 1905, when she departed this life. Prior to that day she made a will, by which she devised' and bequeathed to her adopted son, Arthur E. Weaver, her estate, if at the time of her death he was married or had lawful issue living; but, if at the time of her death he was unmarried and without issue, she devised and bequeathed one-half of her property to her brothers and sisters and the other half to Athur E. Weaver. Thereafter, on the second day of July, 1905, at Little Rock, in this State, she added to her will a codicil as follows:

“Little Rock, Ark., July 2, 1905.

“I wish to add to a former will made by me, and the oniv one existing, this cla'use. If my adopted son, Arthur E. Weaver, persists in marrying a certain Miss Estella Webb, I wish his share of my property, as bequeathed to him in my former will, to be equally divided among my brothers and sisters. ■ If he does not marry Miss Estella Webb, but will get an education, this clause shall be of no effect, and he will get as directed in said, former will.”

At the time of her death Athur E. Weaver was unmarried and without issue. He never married Miss Estella Webb. Said will and codicil were probated, and testatrix’s brother, Charles E. Coppedge, was appointed executor thereof, and took upon himself the administration of her estate and the execution of her will.

In November, 1907, Arthur E. Weaver instituted a suit in-the Benton Chancery Court against Charles E. Coppedge and the other devisees and legatees, of Clara O. Weaver, and W. C Perry and Lon Kessler, in which, among other things, he alleged that Clara O. Weaver owned at the time of her death two lots or tracts of land in Benton County, one of them containing ten-acres, and a large amount of personal property, all of which property, together with the $1,000 bequeathed to him by J. E.. Weaver, came into the hands of Charles E. Coppedge, as his guardian, and he (Charles E.) had never accounted therefor to-plaintiff. He further alleged that defendants Charles E. Coppedge and A. P. Coppedge by fraudulent representations induced plaintiff for a consideration of $50 to execute a contract releasing whatever interest he had.in the estate of Clara O. Weaver and to accept $100 and execute deeds to A. P. Coppedge relinquishing his interest in the estate.

He, plaintiff, asked that Charles E. Coppedge account to him for the $1,000 bequeathed to him by J. E. Weaver, with ten per cent, interest; that deeds made to A. P. Coppedge be can-celled, and for judgment against the defendants, the devisees and legatees of Clara O. Weaver, for on-e-half interest of her estate, including rents and .profits which have accrued since her death.

The defendants, except Perry and Kessler, answered and alleged that Clara O. Weaver loaned the $1,000, bequeathed to-plaintiff by J. E. Weaver, in Kansas until her death, and after her death and after plaintiff was twenty-one years old it was invested by him (plaintiff) in the purchase from C. W. Lindsey of the Wilsonville Review, “a 'newspaper plant in the town of. Wilsonville, Arkansas”; that plaintiff “wholly neglected and refused to go to school or to make any effort toward getting an-’education,” according to the terms and condition of the codicil. to the will of Clara O. Weaver; that this estate of the testatrix has not been settled, and is pending in the Benton County Probate Court, no final report having been filed;, that plaintiff, on the first of May, 1908, executed to defendant A. P. Coppedge quitclaim deeds to both tracts of real estate owned by the deceased at the time of her death for a consideration of $50 each.

The defendant Perry answered and alleged that he and his wife, about the 13th day of June, 1907, purchased from the defendants, the legatees and devisees of Clara O. Weaver, the tract of land referred to in plaintiff’s complaint, and which was not described as containing ten acres, and paid for the same $1,400; and that they had no notice at the time of the purchase of the plaintiff’s claim 'to, or equities in, the land, and were bona ñde purchasers for a valuable consideration.

Lon Kessler answered and alleged that he held the tract of land containing ten acres, mentioned in the complaint, by virtue of a contract of lease made with Clara O. Weaver in her lifetime, which will not expire until after the fruit season of 1910.

The court, after hearing the evidence adduced in this cause, found as follows: “First. The court finds that the defendant, Perry, purchased from the defendants other than the defendant Kessler the following described real estate situate in Benton County, Arkansas, to-wit: (describing it) at and for the sum of $1,400, and that said sum has been fully paid by the said Perry to the defendants herein other than the defendant Kessler, and that said Perry acquired a good and sufficient title thereto and free from all claims as against the plaintiff, Arthur F. Weaver, his heirs and assigns.

“Second. That in the lifetime of Clara O. Weaver she leased to the defendant, Lon Kessler, the following -described real estate, situate in Benton County, Arkansas, to-wit: (describing it) ; and that the plaintiff and defendants, other than W. C. Perry, as legatees under the will of -said Clara O. Weaver, succeeded to the title of said ten-acre tract as leased subject to the rights of the defendant Kessler as limited, defined and fixed by the terms of said lease.

“Third. The court further finds that about the month of September, 1905, Clara O. Weaver, in this county, departed this life testate and the owner of all the real estate herein mentioned, and that -by the terms of her last will her estate, including the lands hereinbefore described, was bequeathed to the plaintiff and defendants herein, other than the defendants Kessler and Perry, in the following parts and shares, that is to say, to the plaintiff, Arthur E. Weaver, the undivided one-half part 01-share in the property and estate of Clara O. Weaver, and to the. defendants other than Kessler and Perry, equally between them, the undivided one-half part or share of the estate and property of the said Clara O. Weaver, and that said will has been duly probated in the office of the clerk of the probate court of Benton County, Arkansas.

“Fourth. The court further finds that the defendant A. P. Coppedge had in his hands the sum of one thousand dollars, the property of the plaintiff, Arthur E. Weaver, and due and payable-to him upon his attaining his majority, which occurred in the month of April, 1907, and that the sum is past due and has never been paid to the plaintiff. The court further finds that the said A. P. Coppedge about the first of May, 1907, wrongfully, unlawfully and fraudulently procured from the possession of Arthur E. Weaver a certain piano, the property of the plaintiff and of the-fair value of $275, and that said A.

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Bluebook (online)
119 S.W. 678, 90 Ark. 444, 1909 Ark. LEXIS 496, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/coppedge-v-weaver-ark-1909.