Estate of Blackmun

220 P.2d 30, 98 Cal. App. 2d 314, 1950 Cal. App. LEXIS 1848
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 6, 1950
DocketCiv. 17599
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 220 P.2d 30 (Estate of Blackmun) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Estate of Blackmun, 220 P.2d 30, 98 Cal. App. 2d 314, 1950 Cal. App. LEXIS 1848 (Cal. Ct. App. 1950).

Opinions

WOOD, J.

Katherine J. Blackmon made a holographic will on October 4, 1944. She died on November 29, 1947. By her will she gave various things to her sister Mary Fox, and [315]*315she gave one dollar to each of three relatives of her deceased husband, but she did not give anything to any other person. Another sister of testatrix, a brother, and five children of a deceased brother, filed a petition to determine heirship.

In their amended petition they alleged that the bequests to Mary Fox were bequests of specific property and were intended as specific legacies; that on the death of the decedent none of the property bequeathed to Mary Fox was among the assets of decedent’s estate except jewelry, eight shares of Blair & Company stock, and certain other securities of no value; that said property, the subject of the legacies to Mary Fox, had been disposed of by decedent prior to her death and said legacies were thus adeemed; that among the assets undisposed of by the will are: “Balance of cash,” and certain real property in Los Angeles. They alleged that petitioners and Mary Fox were entitled to said property according to the laws of succession.

The court decreed “that the bequest is general” and all the property in said estate should be distributed according to the terms of the will, to wit: “All of said estate to the sister Mary Fox, ’ ’ except one dollar to each of three relatives of the deceased husband of the testatrix. The petitioners appeal from said decree determining heirship.

The will was as follows:

‘1 October 4th 1944
“Realizing the uncertainties of life and the certainty of death, and being of sound and disposing mind, I hereby make, execute and sign, all in my own handwriting, my last will and testament.
I give and bequeath to Mary Fox
1036-%-Blaine St. Los Angeles, Calif.
I give and bequeath—
‘1100 Shares Breeze stock
50 Shares Automotive Fibers Stock
215% Shares Transamerica Stock
43 Bank of America Stock
25 Anglo Bank S. F.
102 Byron J aekson Stocks
All other stocks in my name that I have not listed here.
All contents of Safe deposit box #5404 Wells Fargo Bank
San Francisco—where all stocks are—
[316]*316(All jewelry—2 diamond rings—five stick pins—onax and diamonds—one jade also jade ring etc) also money in Savings
# 21901
account at Crocker Bank San Francisco—and Savings at
(over)
Security-first National Bank Los Angeles—
# 229860
Sixth and Spring Office.
I give and bequeath to Lucian Blackmun—(one) dollar
I give and bequeath to Agnes E. Blackmun (one) dollar
I give and bequeath to Altha Brown—(one) dollar.
I give Mary Fox power of attorney to' collect note due me, from Lucian Blackmun also John Gartner—in any way she sees fit.
I hereby appoint (Mary Fox) executor of my will to act without bonds.
Witness my hand and seal this the fourth day of October 1944.
John Byron Holly, [a witness] Katherine J. Blackmun”

After the will was made the testatrix sold all of the shares of stock, except eight shares of Blair & Company and certain worthless shares, and she withdrew the money from the bank accounts. About two months before her death she purchased a house and lot in Los Angeles, but she had not occupied the house because she was having it repaired and she was stricken with illness. That real property is the principal asset of the estate.

Appellants (petitioners) contend that the bequests to Mary Fox were specific bequests, and that, by decedent’s disposition of the subject of the bequests in a manner inconsistent with the will, the bequests to Mary Fox were adeemed.

The principal question on appeal is whether the bequests to Mary Fox were specific or general bequests. Section 161, subdivision (1) of the Probate Code provides that ‘‘A legacy of a particular thing, specified and distinguished from all others of the same kind belonging to the testator, is specific; if such legacy fails, resort cannot be had to the other property of the testator.” If. the bequests to Mary Fox are specific the decree appealed from should be reversed. If they are general the decree should be affirmed. The controlling factor in determining whether a bequest is specific or general is the intent of the testator as expressed in the will considered as a whole and in light of the surrounding circumstances. (Estate [317]*317of Jones, 60 Cal.App.2d 795, 798 [141 P.2d 764].) It was said in the case just cited (p. 798) : “The intention to be determined is whether thé testator intended to give a specific thing, and that alone, or whether he intended to give a bequest that, in any event, should be paid out of his general estate. In determining this intent, the courts have held that there is a strong presumption that the bequest was intended to be general and not specific, and, in cases of doubt, the courts will presume that the testator intended to give a general bequest rather than a specific one. ’ ’ The intention to be determined is whether the testator intended unconditionally to confer a benefit upon the legatee or whether he intended to confer a benefit only in the event that he should remain the owner of the bequeathed property at the time of his death.

Appellants argue that the testatrix “listed all the stock of any value that she had, referred to it as stock ‘in my name’ and as being in a certain safe deposit box”; that the stock belonged to the testatrix and was distinguished from all other stock of the same kind; and that the bank accounts were likewise specific bequests. It has been held that the words “my,” “in my name,” or similar qualifying words indicate an intention to make a specific bequest (see Estate of Jones, supra, p. 799.) Such words, however, do not necessarily indicate such an intention. In the will herein it is stated that the testatrix gives to Mary Pox a certain number of shares of stock of six different corporations designated by the names of the corporations. As to those shares of stock, it appears that the words “in my name” or similar qualifying words were not used directly in connection with the description of those shares. In the will, immediately following the disposition of those shares, it is stated: “All other stocks in my name that I have not listed here” It therefore appears that the words “in my name” were used directly in describing “other” stocks not listed in the will.

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Estate of Blackmun
220 P.2d 30 (California Court of Appeal, 1950)

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Bluebook (online)
220 P.2d 30, 98 Cal. App. 2d 314, 1950 Cal. App. LEXIS 1848, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estate-of-blackmun-calctapp-1950.