Gorman v. McDonnell

28 So. 964, 127 Ala. 549
Supreme Court of Alabama·Decided November 15, 1900·Published·Cited by 10 cases

Opinion

McCLELLAN, C. J.

The only question presented by this record is whether pecuniary legacies in the will -of Eugene McDonnell are chargeable upon his real estate. The will so far as it bears upon- this question is as follows: “First. — My will is that all my just debts and funeral expenses shall by my executors hereinafter named, be paid out of my estate as soon after my death as convenient. Second'. — I hereby give, bequeath and devise until my faithful friend and 'cousin, -Bridget Gorman, two hundred nad fifty dollars and direct my said executors to pay said legacy out of my estate as soon after my -decease as convenient. Third. — It is my will that all the residue of my property of every description be held intact and kept together by my said executors for the support and comfort of my beloved wife, Mary M. McDonnell during her lifetime, that said property be managed to the best advantage by my said executors, and the net income from same be paid -semiannually during her. life to my beloved wife Mary for her maintenance. * * Fifth. — I direct my said executors upon the death of my beloved wife Mary to pav out of my estate the expenses of her last illness and her funeral expenses. Sixth. — I hereby give, bequeath [553] and devise unto the children of Patrick H. O’Connell,. by my daughter Mary Ann O’Connell, his wife, two-thousand dollars, but said legacy is not to be paid during the lifetime of my beloved wife Mary McDonnell, and then is to be safely invested by my said executors, until the youngest of said -children attains the age of twenty-one years when said two thousand dollars and accumulated interest thereon shall be distributed equally among said children, if more than one be then living. Seventh.- — I hereby give, bequeath and devise the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, both real and personal, of every kind to my surviving children equally, share and share -alike.” The testator at the time of his death had considerable real property and some personalty, all of which is described in the bill, and it is therein averred that “said Eugene McDonnell, deceased, at the time of making his said will and -at the time of his death, did not have money to pay the legacies, mentioned in said will; nor did he have personal property of any kind which if sold would be sufficient to pay all of said legacies -or any one of them. None of said legacies, have been paid for the reason that the funds of tiie estate were wholly insufficient to pay them.” The will was executed in 1882, the testator died in 1890, and his. widow survived till 1898.

The chancellor on demurrer to the bill held that the legacies were not charged upon the land of the estate, basing his ruling on the cases of Newsom v. Thornton, 82 Ala. 402, and Taylor et al. v. Harwell et al., 65 Ala. 1. There are some controlling distinctions between those cases and this one. In Newsom v. Thornton, the testator at the time of executing the will and at the time of his death had a large personal estate, amply sufficient to pay all the pecuniary legacies; and they would have been paid out of the personaltv but for its loss and destruction in the Civil War. Hence, he having no anticipation that it "would be necessary to subject his realty to the payment of the legacies, could not be said to have intended to onerate them upon the land. On the case here presented the testator at no time had sufficient personal estate to pay either of the pecuniary legacies [554] given by bis will, and tbence arises an implication of more or less force that be must have intended for them to be paid ont of tbe land. Another important distinction between Newsom v. Thornton and tbis case grows out of tbe facts that tbe land sought to be onerated there was specially devised by identifying description in tbe forepart of tbe instrument, and toward its close there was a residuary clause disposing of all tbe remainder of tbe estate after tbe payment of debts and pecuniary legacies previously given; while here tbe pecuniary legacies are first set down and afterwards, comes tbe residuary clause giving, bequeathing and devising tbe “rest, residue and remainder” of tbe estate, “both real and personal of every kind” to bis surviving children; and tbis is tbe only disposition of tbe real estate made by tbe will, and in tbis clause, as indeed throughout tbe will, the realty and personalty are blended together as constituting but one fund for all tbe purposes of testamentry disposition. Tbe ease of Taylor et al. v. Harwell et al. is also clearly distinguishable from tbe ■case at bar. 'There the pecuniary legacy was specially directed to be paid out of tbe rents, incomes and profits of a certain plantation at tbe time of tbe testator’s death, fully equipped with slaves, live stock and implements, and which for aught that could be foreseen would produce incomes and profits largely in excess of tbe legacy. There is in this case no such special appointment of a fund for the payment of the legacies, and there in fact existed no fund for their payment apart from the land. Those cases, we conclude, are not authority for an exoneration of tbe land of tbe estate in this case.

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Gorman v. McDonnell, 28 So. 964, 127 Ala. 549 (Ala. 1900).

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