Finnell Estate v. Howard

177 S.W. 790, 191 Mo. App. 214, 1915 Mo. App. LEXIS 346
Missouri Court of Appeals·Decided June 14, 1915·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

TRIMBLE, J.

Lewis Finnell died, intestate, leaving a widow and an only child by a former marriage. The widow was appointed administratrix of the estate, and during the administration thereof applied for and was allowed $400 worth of personal property at its appraised value given her under the provisions of section 116, Revised Statutes 1909. After doing this, and paying all debts and costs of administration, there remained in her hands belonging to the estate a balance, upon final settlement, of $6965.23 for distribution. This she desired to divide equally between herself and her step-child, she being entitled to a child’s part in the personal estate of her husband pursuant to the provisions of section 349, Revised Statutes 1909. The pro[215] bate court, however, held that under section 117, Eevised Statutes 1909, the $400* she had already received should be deducted from her share and directed that $3*682.61 be distributed to the only child and $3282.62 be paid to her, the said widow.

Prom this order of distribution the widow appealed to the circuit court where the same view of the law was taken and a similar order of distribution was made. Prom it she appealed to this court.

By section 116, Eevised Statutes 1909, the widow was allowed to “take such personal property as she chose not to exceed the appraised value of $400 for which she will give a receipt.” Section 117 provides that: ‘ ‘ The widow shall apply for such property named in the preceding section before the same shall be distributed or sold, ivhich shall be deducted from her dower in the personal estate if there be any.”

What does this phrase “dower in the personal estate ’ ’ mean or refer to 1 If it means or was intended to apply to the widow’s share in the personal estate of her deceased husband, then the $400 must be deducted from the widow’s share in this case since that is what section Ü7 says must be done.

The widow’s share in the personal estate of the husband in this case arises by virtue of section 349, Eevised Statutes 1909, which says: “When the husband . . . shall die, leaving a child or children, or other descendants, the widow . . . shall be entitled absolutely to a share in the personal estate belonging to the husband ... at the time of his . . . death equal to the share of a child of such deceased husband.”

Whether the share going to the widow under this section can be technically and strictly called “D'ower in Personalty” or not, nevertheless the fact remains that it is treated and called “Dower.” Section 349 is the same as section 2189, Eevised Statutes 1879, so [216] far as the point here involved is concerned. The St. Louis Court of Appeals, in Hoyt v. Davis, 21 Mo. App. 235, l. c. 240, speaking of this section, says: ‘ ‘ The provision made by the statute for the widow out of the personal estate of her deceased husband has always been spoken of and regarded as dower since territorial times. The decisions of the Supreme Court from an early period likewise speaks of this provision as ‘ dower ’ or, dower in ‘personalty.’ ” [See, also, Hamphan v. Long, 70 Mo. App. 351, l. c. 353; Hayden’s Admr., 23 Mo. 398.] In McFarland v. Baze’s Admr., 24 Mo. 156, l. c. 157, Judge Leonard, speaking of sections 30 and 32 of chapter 2, volume 1, Revised Statutes of Missouri, 1855 (which are now sections 114 and 116 of the 1909 Revision, but specified only $200 then), says: “The two hundred dollars worth of a deceased husband’s personal property, which is allowed to the widow by the thirtieth section of the administration law, is expressly spoken of in the statute as a part of her dower in her estate.” [See, also, Hastings v. Myers, 21 Mo. 519, l. c. 521, and Cummings v. Cummings, 51 Mo. 261, l. c. 263, where the right of the widow to this personal property “was part of her dower, expressly made so by law.” In 1 Woerner on Am. Law of Admn. (2 Ed.), sec. 82, page 182, it is said: In Missouri the allowance to the widow is expressed by statute to be “in addition to dower,” a part of which (property selected by her not exceeding the appraised value of $400) is to be deducted from her distributive share in the estate (also given under the dower act and not under the Statute of Descents and Distributions) if in excess of $400', but is not liable for debts.” [See, also, Griffith v. Canning, 54 Mo. 282, l. c. 284; Glenn v. Gunn, 88 Mo. App. 423, l. c. 426.]

It would seem, therefore, that the Legislature, when it used the phrase ‘ ‘ dower in the personal estate if there be any” in section 117, meant the child’s part [217] in the personal estate of the husband to which the widow was entitled in ease the husband died leaving a child, children or other descendants. The phrase means something, and if it does not mean that, to what else can it refer, and from what is the deduction to be made?

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Finnell Estate v. Howard, 177 S.W. 790, 191 Mo. App. 214, 1915 Mo. App. LEXIS 346 (Mo. Ct. App. 1915).

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