Froehlich v. Minwegen

136 N.E. 669, 304 Ill. 462
CourtIllinois Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 21, 1922
DocketNo. 14275
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 136 N.E. 669 (Froehlich v. Minwegen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Illinois Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Froehlich v. Minwegen, 136 N.E. 669, 304 Ill. 462 (Ill. 1922).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Duncan

delivered the opinion of the court:

Christina Froehlich, appellant, filed her bill in the circuit court of Cook county against Sophie Minwegen and sixteen other defendants, who are legal heirs of John Minwegen, deceased, legal heirs of Sarah Roskoph, deceased, tenants occupying the premises in question, and other parties claiming interests therein, and praying for partition of the premises and for an accounting against Sophie Minwegen. A number of demurrers were filed to the bill by defendants, which were sustained by the court and the bill was dismissed for want of equity. A freehold interest is involved and the appeal is direct to this court.

The bill of the appellant sets forth the following facts, which were admitted by the demurrers: Sarah Roskoph died testate January 24, 1897, seized and possessed of two parcels of real estate situated in Chicago, Cook county, known as Nos. 44 and 63 East Walton place, and leaving her surviving as her heirs-at-law, Matthias Roskoph, her husband, Sophie Minwegen and Elizabeth Tholey, her daughters, and Jacob and William Roskoph, her sons. The will was duly probated, and Sophie Minwegen, the executrix named in the will, duly qualified as executrix and trustee. By the first clause of the will the testatrix devised and bequeathed her whole estate, real and personal, to her daughter Sophie, wife of John Minwegen, her heirs, successors and assigns, in trust, to hold, manage, lease, control, sell and convey. It authorizes her to borrow money and secure the same by mortgage on part or all the property, in such amounts and for such purposes as she may deem best, including the construction of new buildings or the alteration or improvement of the old ones. In case of sales of any of the estate, the trustee shall invest the proceeds thereof in income-bearing securities. The second clause directs the trustee to pay over the net income of the estate, after payment of taxes, expenses, repairs and betterments, to testatrix’s husband, Matthias Roskoph, for and during his natural life or until he shall marry again, in which latter case he shall receive one-third of such net income for the remainder of his life and the remaining two-thirds shall be applied to the payment of any indebtedness against the estate, and in case there is none, then the same shall be invested and added to the principal of the estate. The third clause provides that after the death of testatrix’s husband the trustee shall, sell the real estate, and every part thereof, at such time or times, for such prices and upon such terms, at public or private sale, as to her shall seem best, and the purchaser from her need not see to the application of the purchase money.- The fourth clause provides that the trustee shall divide the proceeds of the estate upon the death of testatrix’s husband among her children, Sophie, Elizabeth, Jacob and William, in equal parts, and shall immediately pay to Sophie and Elizabeth their respective shares thereof. The fifth clause provides that the trustee shall continue to hold, manage, invest and re-invest the shares of Jacob and William until they, respectively, attain the age of forty-five years, and that until that time she shall pay to them in convenient installments the net income thereof, and as they respectively attain the age of forty-five years the trustee shall pay them the principal thereof. The sixth clause provides that in case the estate cannot be sooner sold and converted into cash the same shall be sold after the death of testatrix’s husband and before William attains the age of forty-five years. By the seventh clause she nominates and appoints Sophie Minwegen as executrix, and by the eighth she provides that her son-in-law, John Minwegen, shall succeed as executor and successor in trust in case of Sophie’s death, refusal or inability to act.

Elizabeth Tholey died intestate December 9, 1897, leaving her surviving Sarah, Franz and Joseph Tholey as her only heirs-at-law. Sophie Minwegen acted as executrix until May 1, 1899, at which time she rendered her final report, informing the court that Elizabeth Tholey had died and that due proof of heirship had been made. Her report further showed that all debts and costs of administration had been paid, that all legacies under the will had been paid, and that there was no personal property belonging to the estate. She was thereupon discharged as executrix and the administration was declared settled.

On December 10, 1903, Jacob Roskoph and wife by deeds conveyed and quit-claimed to John Joseph Minwegen, a bachelor, all their interest in the two pieces of real estate described in the will. On December 12, 1903, John Joseph Minwegen conveyed by two deeds all his interest in the two pieces of real estate to Agnes G. Roskoph, wife of Jacob Roskoph. On July 16, 1913, John Minwegen, the husband of Sophie Minwegen, at her instance and request, paid over to Agnes G. and Jacob Roskoph the sum of $2500 in full of their distributive share in the estate of Sarah Roskoph, and they then and there by quit-claim deed conveyed all their interest in the two pieces of real property to John Minwegen. John Minwegen, at the request of Sophie Minwegen, on October 23, 1913, paid over to Sarah, Franz and Joseph Tholey, in full of their distributive shares of the estate, the sum of $2630.47, and thereupon all three of them released Sophie Minwegen as executrix and trustee by a written release, and then and there conveyed and quit-claimed all their interest in the two pieces of real estate to John Minwegen, all of which deeds are on record. John Minwegen about the time of the delivery of said deeds went into possession and togk sole charge and management of the property, collected the rents, income and profits thereof, paid the taxes thereon and the special assessments and water rates levied against the same, and the expenses of keeping the same in good condition and repair, at the special instance and request of Sophie Minwegen, and at certain intervals paid over one-fourth of the net income therefrom to William Roskoph, one-fourth to Sophie Minwegen, and retained the remaining one-half thereof for himself; that by common consent and acquiescence of Sophie Minwegen, William Roskoph and John Minwegen, the arrangements, management and payments were continued up to the death of John Minwegen.

John Minwegen died testate about February 1, 1918, and his will was probated. He devised and bequeathed all of his property by one paragraph, which is in this language: “All my property of every description, real and personal, that I may own at the time of my death, I give to my wife, Sophie Minwegen, to be hers absolutely forever. I nominate my said wife, Sophie Minwegen, to be the executrix of this my will, and direct that she be not required to give any security on her bond as such executrix.” This will was dated April 21, 1887. Sophie Minwegen qualified as executrix under this will, paid and discharged all claims and demands against the estate, including the widow’s award, and fully administered the estate, and about May 2, 1919, was duly discharged as executrix. At the date of his will Minwegen was lawfully married to Sophie, and continued so up to his death. Prior to the making of his will he had two children born of said marriage, Sophie M. Eeschorn and Elizabeth M. Conway. After the making of the will there were born of said marriage six children, one of whom died in infancy and the others are still surviving, and are named Margaret, Rose, John A. and William T. Minwegen, and Christina Froehlich, appellant.

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Bluebook (online)
136 N.E. 669, 304 Ill. 462, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/froehlich-v-minwegen-ill-1922.