Fagel v. Fagel

225 N.E.2d 776, 140 Ind. App. 663, 1967 Ind. App. LEXIS 429
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 28, 1967
DocketNo. 20,501
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 225 N.E.2d 776 (Fagel v. Fagel) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fagel v. Fagel, 225 N.E.2d 776, 140 Ind. App. 663, 1967 Ind. App. LEXIS 429 (Ind. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinions

PRIME, J.

— This case is an appeal from the trial court which rendered a judgment construing the will of Frank W. Fagel, deceased.

The issues were the construction of the will and to determine who were the proper heirs to inherit intestate or residuary property not disposed of in the will.

Frank Fagel made his will dated March 8, 1958. He made a codicil to the will on September 21, 1960.

To properly present the questions involved we set out the will and codicil.

[664]*664“WILL OF FRANK W. FAGEL.”
“I, Frank W. Fagel, now residing at number 835 South Harrison Street, in the City of Shelbyville, Indiana, hereby make, publish and declare this to be my last will and testament, as follows:
ITEM ONE
I direct the payment of all my just debts including expenses of last illness and burial, out of my personal estate.
ITEM TWO
I will, give, devise, and bequeath to my wife, Frances Fagel, the dwelling house and real estate located at number 835 South Harrison Street, all of the household goods and furnishings therein, and the sum of Forty Thousand ($40,-000.00). The within provision for my said wife shall be in full and in lieu of all her rights and interests in my estate under the laws of Indiana. It is my intention by this item to void the pre-marital agreement formerly made and that the provisions of this item take the place of the amount or amounts mentioned in said pre-marital agreement, but not to be considered in addition thereto.
ITEM THREE
I will and bequeath to my sister, Anna Fagel, and to my brother, August Fagel, each the sum of Eight Thousand Dollars ($8,000.00).
ITEM FOUR
I give, and bequeath to my nephews and nieces, August E. Small, Edward A. Small, George M. Small, Robert Small, Herbert D. Small, Dorothy Robbins, Mary Brown, Russell S. Small, Ermel Small, Evelyn Page, Henrietta Bennett, and Lothair Small, each the sum of Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00).
ITEM FIVE
I give and bequeath to Louise Fagel the sum of One Thousand Dollars; to Anna Marie Townsend the sum of One Thousand Dollars; to Paul Snider and Nerva Snider, his wife, jointly, the sum of Five Thousand Dollars and to Earl Snider and his wife, jointly, the sum of Five Thousand Dollars.
[665]*665ITEM SIX
I give and bequeath to Indiana Medical Center for the use of Riley Hospital for Children of Indianapolis, Indiana, One Thousand Dollars.
ITEM SEVEN
I give and bequeath to Evangelical Methodist Church of Shelbyville, Indiana, the sum of One Thousand Dollars.
ITEM EIGHT
I give and bequeath to Forest Hill Cemetery of Shelbyville, Indiana the sum of Six Hundred Dollars, in trust, the income of same to be used for the upkeep of the Frank W. Fagel burial lot.
ITEM NINE
All estate, inheritance and succession taxes shall be paid out of the remainder of my estate so that none of the bequests herein shall be diminished by said taxes.
ITEM TEN
I hereby nominate and appoint my said wife, Frances Fagel, as the executrix of this will. I request the employment of Sumner Terry, as counsel to settle my estate.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal the 8th day of March, 1958.
/s/ Frank W. Fagel (SEAL) ”
“CODICIL TO WILL OF FRANK W. FAGEL”
“I, Frank W. Fagel, of 835 South Harrison Street, Shelby-ville, Indiana, having executed my last will on the 8th day of March, 1958, and desiring to make an addition to said will, do now hereby make, publish and declare this to be a codicil thereto, as follows:
ITEM ONE
The legatee Herbert D. Small, mentioned in Item Four of said will having passed away recently, I do now give, demise and bequeath to his children, in equal shares, the sum of Three Thousand Dollars in cash, being the part and share of my estate given to said Herbert D. Small in said item of my will.
[666]*666ITEM TWO
In all other respects I do now hereby reaffirm the provisions of my said last will.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal the 21st day of September, 1960.
/s/ Frank W. Fagel (SEAL)”

The testator left as survivors his wife, Frances Fagel, and other heirs mentioned in the will. There were no children.

The heirs, other than the wife, filed a petition to construe the will and praying that they be declared the only heirs to share in the residual property not disposed of in the will and that the widow take nothing except as set out in Item Two.

The court after hearing the matter made special findings and conclusions of law. The pertinent conclusions are as follows:

“That Frances Fagel, as widow of Frank W. Fagel, deceased, only takes the gifts set out in Item 2 of the Last Will of said decedent so long as said widow does not renounce said provisions and elect to take against the Will of said decedent.”
“That the heirs at law and next of kin of Frank W. Fagel, deceased as set out in Finding No. 12 herein, exclusive of Frances Fagel, his widow, should take all of the property of said decedent, plus the rents and profits and income therefrom during administration, in the shares and interests provided by the intestate provisions of the Probate Code of 1953.”

The court then rendered judgment as follows:

“It is, therefore, considered and adjudged that the heirs at law of the decedent, Frank W. Fagel, are as set out in the finding of fact No. 12, incorporated herein as therein set out by reference; that said heirs take all the residue and remainder of the estate of the decedent in accordance with the laws of the State of Indiana, except that which is disposed of under the last will and testament and the codicil thereto of the decedent; that the petitioners herein recover costs.”

[667]*667The defendants, Frances Fagel and Frances Fagel Executrix filed their motion for a new trial as follows:

“Comes now the defendants, Frances Fagel and Frances Fagel as Executrix of the Estate of Frank W. Fagel, Deceased, and move the Court for a new trial on each of the following grounds:
1. The decision is not sustained by sufficient evidence.
2. The decision is contrary to law.
WHEREFORE, the defendants, Frances Fagel and Frances Fagel as Executrix of the Estate of Frank W. Fagel, Deceased, pray that a new trial be granted.”

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Fagel v. Fagel
225 N.E.2d 776 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1967)

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Bluebook (online)
225 N.E.2d 776, 140 Ind. App. 663, 1967 Ind. App. LEXIS 429, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fagel-v-fagel-indctapp-1967.