Graves v. Graves

155 N.E.2d 540, 79 Ohio Law. Abs. 262, 1956 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 299
CourtMuskingum County Probate Court
DecidedDecember 15, 1956
DocketNo. 4411
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 155 N.E.2d 540 (Graves v. Graves) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Muskingum County Probate Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Graves v. Graves, 155 N.E.2d 540, 79 Ohio Law. Abs. 262, 1956 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 299 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1956).

Opinion

OPINION

By GARY, J.

This action is brought for the construction of certain provisions in the will of Elizabeth Palmer, deceased, especially the bequest made in Item 3 of her will, which reads as follows:

“Item 3. My brother, Howard Palmer, and I own a dwelling at No. 1312 Jackson Street, Zanesville, Ohio, and I give and devise my one-half interest therein to my brother, Howard Palmer, his heirs and assigns, forever.”

[263]*263The residuary clause of the will is as follows:

“Item 6. The real estate which I own, situate at No. 102 South Seventh Street and at Nos. 718 and 720 South Street, Zanesville, Ohio, together with all the rest, residue and remainder of my personal property, wheresoever situate, which I may own or have the right to dispose of at the time of my decease, I give, devise and bequeath to my brother, Edward J. Palmer, for and during his natural life, and upon his death, or in the event he be not living at the time of my decease, then I give, devise and bequeath all the property as in this item described, to my brother, Howard Palmer, for and during the term of his natural lifetime. After the death of both of my said brothers, Edward J. Palmer and Howard Palmer, I direct that the Probate Court of Muskingum County, Ohio, appoint some suitable person or institution to complete the administration of my estate, and I further direct that my said administrator de bonis non with the will annexed, so appointed by said court, be and he or it is authorized to convert all of my remaining estate into cash, and after the payment of costs of administering my estate, including taxes and other charges incidental thereto, I direct my administrator to make distribution thereof .as follows:
“The one full one-tenth (l/10th) part of said net cash I direct shall be distributed in equal shares to the Boys’ Town of Nebraska, the Coburn Methodist Church of Zanesville, Ohio, and the Zanesville Branch of the Salvation Army; and the remaining nine-tenths (9/10ths) of my net estate, I direct my administrator to distribute, share and share alike, to my nephews and nieces as follows:
Hazel Graves, niece, Columbus, Ohio
John J. Palmer, Nephew, Middletown, Ohio
Alice Palmer, niece, Zanesville, Ohio
Lora Alexander, Niece, Johnson City, Tennessee
Joseph. A. Palmer, Nephew, Cleveland, Ohio
Russell Palmer, Nephew, Bloomington, Illinois,
Clarence Palmer, nephew, Columbus, Ohio
Delbert Palmer, nephew, South Zanesville, Ohio
and in the event of the death of any of my nephews and nieces leaving issue, then such issue to take the share of their deceased parent.”

Plaintiff has propounded the following questions in connection with the construction of these Items of the will:

“FIRST: Under Item 3 of said will, does:
“(a) The bequest of said real estate therein made lapse by reason of the fact that the said Howard W. Palmer predeceased the testatrix?
“(b) Do the provisions of §2107.52 R. C., the so-called Anti-lapse statute apply to this case?
“(c) If (b) above is answered in the affirmative and the bequest does not lapse, what interest is devised under this Item 3, viz., an undivided one-half interest mentioned therein, or the entire fee simple estate in said real estate which the said Elizabeth Palmer owned at the time of her death, she having inherited the undivided one-half theretofore owned by her said brother Howard W. Palmer by his said will?
“(d) If (b) above is answered in the negative and (a) above is [264]*264answered to the effect that the bequest did lapse, did the decedent die intestate as to the real estate located at 1312 Jackson Street, Zanesville, Ohio, in view oí the fact that there is no general residue clause in said will and Item 6 thereof refers only to the real estate located at 102 South Seventh Street, and 718 and 720 South Street, Zanesville, Ohio, and the ‘rest and residue and remainder of my personal property’?
“SECOND: Does the fact that William Burdette Palmer was a legally adopted son of the said Delbert Palmer, rather than a natural son, in any way affect his inheritance of the share of his father, Delbert Palmer, under the terms of the will of Elizabeth Palmer?”

The facts in the case are undisputed, and are as follows:

Elizabeth Palmer died December 9, 1955. Her will, which was executed September 26, 1949, and probated on January 10, 1956, made bequests to her brothers, Charles Palmer, Edward Palmer, and Howard Palmer, all of whom predeceased her, as well as bequests to several nieces and nephews, including Delbert Palmer, a son of Howard Palmer, who also predeceased the testator, leaving his widow, Lillian O. Palmer and a legally adopted son, William Burdette Palmer, both defendants herein, as his survivors. The evidence further shows that the dwelling located at 1312 Jackson St., Zanesville, Ohio, had been bequeathed to the decedent, Elizabeth Palmer, her sister, Mattie Palmer, and her brother Howard Palmer under the will of Nolan Hardman, deceased, and that Mattie Palmer died intestate and her undivided one-third interest was quit-claimed by all her heirs to Elizabeth Palmer and Howard Palmer by deed dated May 18, 1938.

We will consider the questions raised in 1 (a) and (b) together. This involves the application of §2107.52 R. C., the pertinent part of which réads as follows:

“When a devise of real or personal estate is made to a relative of a testator and such relative was dead at the time the will was made, or dies thereafter, leaving issue surviving the testator, such issue shall take the estate devised as the devisee would have if he had survived the testator. . . .”

This question was treated comprehensively by the Supreme Court in the case of Flynn v. Bredbeck, 147 Oh St 49, which involves a set of facts very similar to those in the instant case. In that case, the court reached the conclusion that the devise did not lapse whether or not the words “their heirs and assigns forever,” were used. The further fact, in the instant case, that two other items of the will made definite provision to apply in the event of the prior death of the named beneficiary, indicates that by the absence of such a provision in Item 3, the testatrix did not intend for this bequest to lapse, but that it should pass to the heirs of Howard Palmer. Question 1 (a) is therefore answered in the negative and 1 (b) in the affirmative.

We come now to the issue raised in 1 (c), which is the principal question to be decided, namely, was the interest devised under Item 3 of the will an undivided one-half interest, or the entire fee simple estate. This problem arises because of the fact that Elizabeth Palmer owned an undivided.one-half interest at the time the will was executed [265]*265and acquired the other one-half interest before her death. The question of after-acquired property was considered in a well-written opinion by Judge Wiseman in the case of Fitzgerald v. Bell, 20 O. O. 18, which cited the various statutes and numerous cases dealing with this matter.

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Bluebook (online)
155 N.E.2d 540, 79 Ohio Law. Abs. 262, 1956 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 299, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/graves-v-graves-ohprobctmusking-1956.