Estate of Maxwell

1 Coffey 145
CourtSuperior Court of California, County of San Francisco
DecidedJanuary 27, 1885
DocketNo. 2,625
StatusPublished

This text of 1 Coffey 145 (Estate of Maxwell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Estate of Maxwell, 1 Coffey 145 (Cal. Super. Ct. 1885).

Opinion

COFFEY, J.

This is an application on the part of Daniel Rogers and Charles Ashton, executors of the last will and testament of Richard Tybout Maxwell, deceased, for distribution, according to “the provisions of said will”; and the application involves a construction of the terms of said instrument, which (as usually occurs in cases where a man draws bis own will) has been variously interpreted according to the desire of the interested interpreter. The views of the court as to the correct construction are appended.

Where it is possible for the court, upon a reading of the whole will, to arrive at a conclusion that the testator necessarily intended an interest to be given, which is not bequeathed by express and formal words, the court should supply the defect by implication, and so mold the language of the testator as to carry into effect, as far as possible, the intention which it is of opinion that he has on the whole will sufficiently declared: Metcalf v. Framingham Parish, 128 Mass. 370. See opinion of Mr. Chief Justice Gray, p. 374.

The law prefers a construction of a will which will prevent a partial intestacy to one which will permit such result (Vernon v. Vernon, 53 N. Y. 361, opinion by Mr. Justice Andrews), unless such construction involving partial intestacy is absolutely forced upon the court, which rule of preference has been adopted partly from considerations of policy, but mainly because it is calculated to carry into effect the presumed intention of the testator; for the fact of making a will raises a very strong presumption against any expectation or desire, on the part of the testator, of leaving any portion of his estate beyond the operation of his will: 2 Redfield on Wills, 3d ed., *116, and see note thereunder 32.

All the parts of a will are to be construed in relation to each other, and so as if possible to form one consistent whole, but where several parts are absolutely irreconcilable, [147]*147the latter must prevail: Civ. Code, sec. 1321. Where the meaning of any part of a will is ambiguous or doubtful, it may be explained by any reference thereto, or recital thereof, in another part of the will: Civ. Code, sec. 1323. The words of a will are to be taken in their ordinary and grammatical sense, unless a clear intention to use them in another sense can be collected, and that other can be ascertained: Civ. Code, sec. 1324. The words of a will are to receive an interpretation which will give to every expression some effect, rather than one which will render any of the expressions inoperative: Civ. Code, sec. 1325. The rule which sacrifices the former of several contradictory clauses is never applied but on the failure of every attempt to give to the whole such a construction as will render every part of it effective. Where a testator gives to B a specific fund or property at the death of A, and in a subsequent clause disposes of the whole of his property, the combined effect of the several clauses as to such fund or property is to vest it in A for life, and after his decease in B: 2 Jarman on Wills, 49, 5th Am. ed., *476.

In applying these principles of construction to the instrument before me (a copy of which is hereunder inserted):

“San Francisco, July 23, 1882.
“Fully aware of the uncertainty of life, and being of sound mind and memory, I declare this to be my last will and testament, hereby revoking all wills and codicils to wills by me heretofore made.
“The dilatory habits of my counsel employed in the divorce suit, recently decided in my favor in the Superior Court, having left thus far the matter incomplete in this, that the quit-claim deed from the former Mrs. M. W. Maxwell has not yet been signed and returned by her, nor has the mortgage in her favor upon my land in Napa County, securing to her the sum of one hundred and twenty-five dollars per month, been submitted to me for signature, I desire that my executors may at once, if it is possible, have this matter settled on this basis. Should this be impossible, she is of course entitled to her half of the property I leave behind me, which is all community property. Should it, under these circumstances, be necessary to sell in order to divide, it is [148]*148my desire that my executors shall, after paying all my debts, be appointed trustees by the Court, and that they shall receive as my bequest in trust the balance of the estate which I desire shall (if the property has been necessarily in their judgment sold to effect a division) be invested in first mortgages on real estate of unquestionable title, and the monthly income derived therefrom be equally divided between Miss Nellie Donnelly, residing at 2103 Jones street, with her parents, and Miss Margaret McKenzie, living at the northwest corner of Folsom and Second streets, that I may, so far as is in my power, prove my appreciation of their kindness and my sincere friendship for them both, trusting that I may lessen the burden of life to each of them. In case of the death of either of them, I wish the whole income paid to the survivor, and after her death the whole amount or then value of the property to be equally divided between the living children of my sister, Mrs. Elizabeth C. Tybout, living in New Castle County, Delaware.
“I hereby appoint Daniel Rogers, Esq., and Mr. Charles Ashton my executors, and direct that no bonds shall be required. RICHARD TYBOUT MAXWELL.
“It is my earnest desire that if possible the real estate in Napa County shall not be sold, but held for some years, and rented on shares or otherwise by some competent person, and that it shall, after the lien upon it in the shape of the mortgage given or to be given to Mrs. Maxwell (formerly) shall have been removed by her death, be still so managed by my executors, or rather as they will then be the trustees for the heirs, and that Miss Margaret McKenzie shall, under these circumstances, receive during her life an income of one hundred dollars per month, if this does not exceed one-half of the income from, the property, and the estate be in that case conveyed entire to Miss E. Donnelly, to whom I hope to be married, should my life be spared, in a few months. All of this expression of my desires as to settlement of my property is in consequence of my knowledge of the dangers attendant upon a surgical operation, to which I expect to be subjected in a short time.
“RICHARD TYBOUT MAXWELL.”

[149]*149I must consider it as one single instrument, completed in all. its parts at one time, and, as such it was probated. Prom this instrument it appears that the testator had in view three objects: (1) the satisfaction of the lien upon the estate in favor of his former wife; (2) the provision of an income for Miss Donnelly and Miss McKenzie, that he might “lessen the burden of life to each of them,” in recognition of their kindness to him and his friendship for them; and (3) the division of the proceeds of his property after the death of the others named to the children of his sister, Mrs. Tybout. The latter part of this instrument is to be reconciled, if possible, to the foregoing provisions: Civ. Code, sec. 1325; 2 Jarman on Wills, 49, *476.

This latter portion, which is claimed to operate as a revocation, should not be so construed, unless it is absolutely irreconcilable with the rest.

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Related

Vernon v. . Vernon
53 N.Y. 351 (New York Court of Appeals, 1873)
Metcalf v. First Parish in Framingham
128 Mass. 370 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1880)

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Bluebook (online)
1 Coffey 145, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estate-of-maxwell-calsuppctsf-1885.