Gray v. James

194 N.E. 203, 100 Ind. App. 257, 1935 Ind. App. LEXIS 24
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 14, 1935
DocketNo. 15,144.
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 194 N.E. 203 (Gray v. James) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gray v. James, 194 N.E. 203, 100 Ind. App. 257, 1935 Ind. App. LEXIS 24 (Ind. Ct. App. 1935).

Opinion

Kime, J.

Jessie G. James died testate on February 12, 1931, and her husband, Hedley Y. James, filed objections to the probating of her will dated June 21, 1930, on the grounds that (1) it was unduly executed and (2) that it was made in violation of an executed contract, which contract had never been revoked and was still in full force.

Afterwards Hedley V. James filed a complaint to resist such probate, in which it was alleged that said will of June 21, 1930, had been executed by Jessie G. James in violation of an agreement whereunder on May 26, 1919, said Hedley V. James and said Jessie G. James executed mutual wills, each of the same, being the consideration for the execution of the other, by which each of said parties devised and bequeathed to the other all of his (or her) property and estate of any and every kind, both real and personal; that said Hedley V. James had performed his part of said contract by keeping his said will of May 26, 1919, in force until after the death of his said wife on February 12, 1931, while said *259 Jessie G. James had not performed her part of said contract, but had, without the knowledge or consent of her said husband, violated the same by destroying her said will of May 29, 1919, and by executing her said will of June 21, 1930.

After this proceeding had been commenced Mr. James died testate, leaving all of his estate to Harry W. James, who was also named as executor. By order of court Harry W. James, personally, and as executor, was substituted as plaintiff.

Prior to the death of Hedley V. James he had filed another paragraph of complaint which he denominated third paragraph of complaint, but by order of court it was corrected and called a second paragraph of complaint. In addition to the averments contained in the first paragraph the second paragraph averred that Jessie G. James at the time of her death owned certain real and personal property, specifically described, and that by virtue of her said will of 1919, considered as a contract, all of said property and estate, real and personal, owned by said decedent, at the time of her death, became and was the property of her husband. The complaint contained a prayer that appellants be adjudged to have no right, title, or interest in or to the said property or to any part thereof.

To the complaint appellants filed an answer in abatement to the effect that there was a defect of parties for the reason that Hedley V. James, executor of the last will and testament of Jessie G. James, was not a party defendant, to which appellee demurred on the grounds that the answer did not state facts sufficient to abate the action stated in the complaint. The court sustained the demurrer to the plea in abatement. Appellants then filed a demurrer to the complaint alleging in such demurrer a misjoinder of causes of action; that each paragraph of complaint failed to state facts suf *260 ficient to constitute a cause of action and that the complaint failed to state facts sufficient to constitute a valid objection to the probate of a will. The demurrer was overruled and appellants then filed a motion to strike out parts of the complaint, which motion was overruled and the court ordered that the record as to the paragraphs of complaint filed be corrected as heretofore set out.

Afterwards and before the trial appellants filed their motion asking the court to separate from the other issues in the case the issue as to whether or not specific performance was entitled to be had of the contract between Hedley V. James and Jessie G. James as consummated by their wills of May 26, 1919. This motion was sustained and trial was had on the single issue of the parol agreement and its legal effect.

After the trial the court entered the following finding and judgment:

“The court having had this cause under advisement and being sufficiently advised in the premises now finds for the plaintiffs upon their complaint. That all the averments of the complaint as amended are true and proven. That the plaintiffs are entitled to specific performance of the contract between Hedley V. James and Jessie G. James as consummated by the last will and testament of said Jessie G. James under date of May 26, 1919, and the last will and testament of said Hedley V. James of the 26th day of May, 1919, all as alleged in the complaint. That pursuant to said contract and said wills the said Hedley V. James as beneficiary and devisee under the last will and testament of said Jessie G. James, dated May 26; 1919, and as surviving husband of said Jessie G. James, deceased, is entitled to all the property of said Jessie G. James, both real and personal, and of every kind and description, owned by the said Jessie G. James at the time of her death. That the title of said Hedley V. James as *261 surviving husband and devisee under the last will and testament of said Jessie G. James, dated May 26, 1919, as aforesaid, and of all persons claiming by, under and through said Hedley V. James, now deceased, be quieted and forever set at rest as to any pretended claims of the defendants herein, or either of them to said property, real or personal. That the defendants take nothing by their answers herein, and that plaintiffs recover their costs herein made and taxed at $.........”

Appellants motion for a new trial contained the grounds that: (1) the court erred in sustaining the plaintiff’s demurrer to said defendants’ answer in abatement herein; (2) the court erred in overruling said defendants’ demurrer to plaintiff’s complaint; (3) the court erred in overruling said defendants’ motion to strike out a portion of plaintiff’s complaint; (4) the decision of the court is not sustained by sufficient evidence; and (5) the decision of the court is contrary to law.

The overruling of this motion for new trial is assigned as error here.

There is no question presented to this court for decision here with regard to assignments 1, 2, and 3 contained in the motion for a new trial, as rulings of the court below, upon demurrers to pleadings and motions in reference to the same are not proper grounds for a new trial in a motion therefor. Glendy v. Lanning (1879), 68 Ind. 142; Huber Mfg. Co. v. Blessing (1912), 51 Ind. App. 89, 99 N. E. 132; Decker v. Mahoney (1917), 64 Ind. App. 500, 116 N. E. 57; Haugh v. Haywood (1919), 69 Ind. App. 286, 121 N. E. 671. And since they are not proper assignments in a motion for a new trial, the assignment of error on appeal that the court erred in overruling the motion for a new trial does not present any question on such assignments. Such rulings must be presented by inde *262 pendent assignments in the assignment of errors filed with the transcript if they are to be considered by this court.

Assignments 4 and 5 of the motion for a new trial, relied upon by appellant for a reversal herein require a consideration of the evidence. Appellants’ brief fails to contain a condensed recital of the evidence in narrative form so as to present the substance clearly and concisely as required by clause 5 of rule 21 of the rules of the Supreme and Appellate Court of Indiana.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
194 N.E. 203, 100 Ind. App. 257, 1935 Ind. App. LEXIS 24, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gray-v-james-indctapp-1935.