Hamilton v. Wilcox

133 N.W. 615, 167 Mich. 551, 1911 Mich. LEXIS 667
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 8, 1911
DocketDocket No. 45
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 133 N.W. 615 (Hamilton v. Wilcox) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hamilton v. Wilcox, 133 N.W. 615, 167 Mich. 551, 1911 Mich. LEXIS 667 (Mich. 1911).

Opinion

Steers, J.

In this suit complainant appeals only from that portion of the decree directing division, instead of sale, of a city lot with a residence and other improvements thereon, which exceeds in value $1,500, and is claimed by defendant Anna Wilcox as a homestead.

A preliminary objection is made by counsel for defendants that the case cannot be reviewed upon a single point —“upon a partial and garbled appeal detrimental to the rights of the defendant.” It appears that such objection [553]*553was made before the trial court upon settlement of the case.

It is stated in the printed record, and not disputed, that certain amendments prepared by solicitors for defendant were incorporated in the proposed case by complainant’s solicitors, and at the hearing for settlement no further amendments were presented; the solicitors for defendant only filing written objections to the judge settling and signing the case. The objections were, in substance, that there was no law authorizing a partial appeal, and that the testimony covered only a part of the issues involved in the controversy.

Appeals in chancery are governed by Act No. 299, Pub. Acts 1909 (amended as to sections 4 and. 6, Act No. 160, Pub. Acts 1911), and Chancery Rule 37. Under said rule the party desiring to appeal prepares and presents to the court for settlement such portion of the testimony and records in the case as he deems necessary to present fairly the points he desires reviewed. Notice is given to the opposite party, who has opportunity to then prepare and present such amendments as are desired. The way to raise objections to the correctness and sufficiency of a case proposed for settlement is to propose amendments thereto. Any unjust refusal by the court to consider or incorporate any proper set of amendments in the case might be reviewable. In the absence of such amendments being proposed, the case certified and signed by the trial judge is taken as the case on appeal before this court.

The defendant Anna Wilcox is the widow of Daniel P. Wilcox, who died testate in the city of Eaton Rapids on the 17th day of October, 1905. His will was probated in Eaton county on December 14, 1905; the complainant being appointed executor of the estate. The commissioners on claims reported as allowed against the estate: First-class claims, $108.25; fourth-class claims, $1,913.89— making a total of $2,022.14. The assets of the estate, as shown by the inventory, were a farm, three certain city lots, and personal property appraised at $85.40. Upon one [554]*554of these lots was the home of the deceased, being the property involved in this appeal. The executor procured license to sell the real estate of the deceased to pay debts and expenses of administration. The farm proved to be heavily mortgaged, and he was only able to obtain $500 for the equity, including the dower interest of the widow, for which she was paid $88.24.

At the time of the death of Daniel P. Wilcox, there stood in his name unincumbered on the records in the office of the register of deeds certain real estate described as lots 1, 6, and the north 97 feet of lot 7 of block 2, Thompkins’ addition to the city. On October 31, 1905, two deeds were recorded which placed the title in defendant Anna Wilcox. One of these deeds was from Daniel P. Wilcox and Anna Wilcox, his wife, grantors, to the two defendants Smalley, dated December 21, 1904, and the other deed was of the same date, conveying the premises back to Daniel P. Wilcox and Anna Wilcox, as husband and wife, evidently designed for the purpose of creating a title by entirety in said Daniel Wilcox and his wife, Anna Wilcox. The Smalleys simply figured as mediums in this transfer of title, had no interest in the controversy, and an order pro confesso was entered as to them.

This suit was instituted by complainant in behalf of the estate to set aside these two deeds as void, on the ground that Daniel P. Wilcox was mentally incompetent at the time he made the deeds, that they were procured by fraud and undue influence, and were also void as against creditors, being without valid consideration. The court set the deeds aside upon the latter ground, holding them fraudulent and void as against creditors, being voluntary and without valid consideration. It was conceded by the defense that the last contention was well founded, and no opposition was urged against that proposition. Lot 6 and the north 97 feet of lot 7 were separated from lot 1 by a partition fence and a barn; they being bought by the deceased some time after the purchase of lot 1, upon which [555]*555he resided at the time of his death. Lot 1, conceded to he the homestead of deceased and his wife, defendant Anna Wilcox, was found by the court to be worth a substantial sum more than $1,500.

In his first findings the court directed that lot 1 be offered for sale, and, if it brought more than $1,500, that that sum be paid to the widow and the balance turned in to the estate to satisfy creditors, giving the widow, however, the option of paying the estate the excess above $1,500 and taking the property.

Subsequently a petition was filed in behalf of the widow to reopen the case and modify the finding as to lot 1, and, instead of directing it to be sold, that a partition be ordered, giving her the dwelling house and sufficient ground to make a homestead not exceeding in value $1,500.

The case was reopened, and various proceedings had, all bearing upon the disposition of lot 1, a final decree being ultimately signed by the court setting aside the deeds as to lot 6 and the north 97 feet of lot 7, and lot 1 except as to the homestead interest of the widow therein.

As to said lot 1, the court, having found that it had a value materially exceeding $1,500, held that it was physically capable of such a division as to carve out a homestead consisting of a dwelling house and the west 106.7 feet of said lot, not exceeding in value $1,500, which he assigned to said Anna Wilcox as her homestead right “ free and clear from all claims of creditors and heirs at law of said Daniel P. Wilcox, deceased.” This left to the estate the east 41 feet of said lot with a barn thereon.

Complainant appeals only from that portion of the proceedings and decree which relate to a division of said lot, claiming that under the pleadings and proofs such division destroys values, and the court should direct a sale of the property as a whole; $1,500 of the proceeds to go to the ' widow, and the balance to the estate.

The homestead is a single lot of block 2 of Thompkins’ addition to the city of Eaton Rapids. It has upon it a dwelling house and barn, with other appurtenances. It [556]*556is a corner lot 66.4 x 147.7 feet in dimensions. The annexed diagram gives a general outline of the location, with adjacent streets, and the relative position of the improvements. River street, on which the house fronts, is one of the best residence streets in the city. Holmes street, on which the bam and barnyard are located, has been little improved. There are comparatively few houses along it and it is without sidewalks.

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The testimony returned in this case relates chiefly to the value of this property, both divided and taken as a whole. Its chief value is in the dwelling, which is a well-constructed frame house with some modern conveniences. A builder and contractor of many years’ experience, who figured out in detail the material and labor, estimated its cost as $3,380.60.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
133 N.W. 615, 167 Mich. 551, 1911 Mich. LEXIS 667, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hamilton-v-wilcox-mich-1911.