Goldsberry v. Green

81 P.2d 1106, 95 Utah 379, 1938 Utah LEXIS 55
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 29, 1938
DocketNo. 5984.
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 81 P.2d 1106 (Goldsberry v. Green) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Goldsberry v. Green, 81 P.2d 1106, 95 Utah 379, 1938 Utah LEXIS 55 (Utah 1938).

Opinion

WOLFE, Justice.

Appeal from an order refusing probate of a will on the ground that it had been obtained by duress and undue influence. On November 29, 1933, decedent, Nancy Laura Golds-berry, made what purported to be a will in which C. A. Goldsberry, one of her sons, was made sole beneficiary. Upon the death of Nancy Goldsberry, this will was not tendered for probate because, as testified by C. A. Goldsberry, all the property of decedent stood on the record in his name. About 1922 he had made a trade with his mother conveying to her a house and lots in Paradise, together with $2200 to boot, evidenced by $1700 in cash and a $500' negotiable note made out in the name of the son, for 27 acres of land belonging to the mother. While the deed from mother to son was recorded, the deed from son to mother was not recorded. The 27 acres, therefore, were still in the name of C. A. Golds-berry ; the note was in his name. The bank account containing the unused portion of the $1700 was a joint account. Therefore, the attorney for C. A. Goldsberry advised him that it was not necessary to probate the will. But events compelled its tender for probate. A number of the other children of Nancy Goldsberry filed a petition for an administration of her estate. They set up her death, the fact that she owned property, and that they were informed there was a will in favor of C. A. Goldsberry but that said will was made through fraud and duress and therefore Nancy Golds-berry died intestate. C. A. Goldsberry thereupon filed in the same proceeding objections to the appointment of an administrator on the grounds that there existed a will. He in the same petition set up facts regarding the making of the *383 will, alleged it to be a valid will and with the petition filed the will and asked that it be probated. To this petition, Jessie L. Green, a granddaughter of Nancy and daughter of C. A.' Goldsberry, filed a reply in which it was alleged in paragraph 3 as follows:

“Denies that the said decedent left a last will and testament. In this connection, however, contestant states that the said decedent, Nancy L. Goldsberry, did sign a document, which purported to be a will, but alleges that she signed the same under duress, menace, fraud and undue influence, exercised upon her by C. A. Goldsberry, the sole beneficiary of said will. In this connection contestant further states that the said decedent at the time of signing the said will was of the age of 85 years, or thereabouts, and was infirm and unable to take care of herself and was forced and required to sign the purported will as a condition of receiving any aid and support or care from the said C. A. Goldsberry. Contestant further states that the said will does not distribute her property according to the will and desire of the said decedent.”

Nothing in the reply shows her relationship with the proponent of the will or with decedent. The reply simply reads: “Comes now Jessie L. Green, and for a reply,” etc. C. A. Goldsberry demurred to the reply on the following grounds:

“1. That the same does not state facts sufficient to constitute a reply to petition for ‘objections to granting petition for letters of administration and petition for probate of will’.
“2. That the same does not state facts sufficient to constitute a defense to the petition for probate of the will, by the petitioner, C. A. Goldsberry.”

The court overruled the demurrer at the threshold of the trial. There was no argument. The contestant’s pleading did not show whether or not contestant was an heir. It is contended that the above demurrer reached such deficiency. The writer doubts whether it did. His associates think that it did. The question is a refined one. In most jurisdictions the statutes provide that any interested party may contest the probate of a will. It has generally been held that this precludes any but an interested *384 party from contesting a will. Werner v. Frederick, 68 App. D. C. 158, 94 F. 2d 627, 630; In re Carlson’s Estate, 153 Or. 327, 336, 56 P. 2d 347; In re Santini’s Estate, 56 Nev. 350, 53 P. 2d 338; Jensen v. Hinderks, 338 Mo. 459, 92 S. W. 2d 108; In re Meredith’s Estate, 275 Mich. 278, 292, 266 N. W. 351, 104 A. L. R. 348; Burk v. Morain, Iowa, 272 N. W. 441, 112 A. L. R. 79; In re Browning’s Will, 274 N. Y. 508, 10 N. E. 2d 522; In re Morrow’s Will, 41 N. M. 723, 735, 73 P. 2d 1360; Austin v. Patrick, 179 Miss. 718, 176 So. 714; Reed v. Home National Bank, Mass., 8 N. E. 2d. 601, 112 A. L. R. 657; Succession of Feitel, 187 La. 596-618, 175 So. 72; In re Stoiber’s Estate, 101 Colo. 192, 72 P. 2d. 276, 112 A. L. R. 1416; In re Sycle’s Estate, 195 A. 857, 16 N. J. Misc. 23; Guilfoil v. Hayes, Va., 194 S. E. 804. Our statute, See. 102-3-7, R. S. Utah 1933, reads, insofar as here material: “If any one appears to contest the will,” etc. Thus, our statute does not in terms require the person appearing to contest the will to be an heir; but the case of In re Dong Ling Hing’s Estate, 78 Utah 324, 2 P. 2d 902, infers that the contestant must be an heir. That case states (page 903) :

“If he is an heir of the deceased he undoubtedly has a right to contest the will, but if not he is a stranger to the proceeding.”

We assume, therefore, that the law in this State is that a contestant should be an interested party. If he or she must be an interested party and the contest fails to show whether or not the contestant is an interested party, is the omission reachable by general demurrer? My associates reason that since only an interested party may contest, the contestant must affirmatively plead and prove his interest in order to state a cause for contest. It must be admitted that there is authority to this effect. Cummings v. Keach, 146 Kan. 157, 68 P. 2d 1089, 110 A. L. R. 1235; Gruender v. Frank, 267 Mo. 713, 719, 186 S. W. 1004; Smith v. Smith, 327 Mo. 632, 37 S. W. 2d 902; Jackson v. Jackson, 84 W. Va. 100, 106, 99 S. E. 259; State v. McQuillin, 246 Mo. 674, 152 S. W. 341, Ann. Cas. 1914B, 526; Haines v. Little, Tex. Civ. App., 242 *385 S. W. 266, 268; Ocobock v. Eeles, 37 App. Div. 114, 55 N. Y. S. 1118, 1120; Henriques v. Yale University, 28 App. Div. 354, 51 N. Y. S. 284; Jensen v. Hinderks, supra.

In Smith v. Smith the Missouri court said at page 904 of 37 S. W. 2d:

“We have heretofore held, in Gruender v. Frank, 267 Mo. 713, 186 S. W.

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Bluebook (online)
81 P.2d 1106, 95 Utah 379, 1938 Utah LEXIS 55, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/goldsberry-v-green-utah-1938.