Harper v. Harper

113 P. 300, 83 Kan. 761, 1911 Kan. LEXIS 235
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedJanuary 7, 1911
DocketNo. 16,829
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 113 P. 300 (Harper v. Harper) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harper v. Harper, 113 P. 300, 83 Kan. 761, 1911 Kan. LEXIS 235 (kan 1911).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Graves, J.:

This is an action to set aside a will because the testator did not possess testamentary capacity when the will was 'made and because of the undue influence of the principal legatee in causing the will to be made. The action was brought by several of the smaller legatees. The will was sustained by the district court, and the plaintiffs appeal.

The principal error of which the appellants complain is the failure of the court to file findings of fact and conclusions of law separately, as requested. It is claimed that the paper filed purporting to be in compliance with this request required a different judgment to be rendered from the one that was entered. The court evidently thought it was fully complying with this request, and to show what was done in this respect the court’s work is given in full. As a part of the judgment the court found:

“And now, on this 2d day of August, A. D. 1909, the court having been heretofore requested to make findings of fact and conclusions of law in the above-entitled action, the court finds:
“ (1) John M. Harper died on the first day of April, 1907, leaving him surviving as his heirs at law, who were all of the heirs and the only heirs at law surviving him, to wit, Robert H. Harper and others, plaintiffs, and James M. Harper and others, defendants.
“ (2) That since the bringing of this action James M. Harper departed this life, on August 14, 1908, leaving him surviving as his only heir at law Min. S. Harper, and this cause has been duly and regularly revived as to said Min. S. Harper, who appeared in thi's action and adopted the answer theretofore filed by the said James M. Harper, deceased.
“ (3) That John M. Harper duly executed his will on [763]*763tne 17th day of July, 1906, being the will' herein in controversy.
“ (4) That prior to the first day of June, 1903, and for many years prior thereto, John M. Harper, late of Sumner county, Kansas, deceased, resided at. or near Assumption, in the state of Illinois, and during that time was possessed of real estate and personal property as hereinbefore set out, to wit: [Here follows a description of the real property.]
“He also owned certain notes and mortgages of the value of $13,500.
“He also was possessed of a large sum of money which was deposited in the bank of Assumption, 111., and at said time was also possessed of personal property consisting of notes, mortgages and money.
“(5) That the said John M. Harper and his wife during their lifetime never had any children.
“ (6) The wife of John M. Harper died in September, 1902, and after her decease he lived with Joseph Kemmerer, Joseph Harper, Alonzo Harper, and William Kemmerer, until he came to Conway Springs, Kan.
“ (7) In the month of February, 1903, the said John M. Harper was taken ill and was ill at the house of Joseph Kemmerer (whom he had raised and who had for years lived on his farm) for the space of about two weeks, and after he became convalescent he was taken to the home of Joseph Harper, who lived on one of the tracts of land belonging to the said John M. Harper.
“ (8) During the time of his illness at the home of Joseph Kemmerer,-James M. Harper, deceased, went from Conway Springs, in Sumner county, Kansas, to Assumption, 111., and went to the home of Joseph Kemmerer, and at said time said James M. Harper was desirous that said John M. Harper should accompany him, the said James M. Harper, to Conway Springs, Kan., and make his home with the said James M. Harper.
“(9) That the said James M. Harper was a banker in Conway Springs, and had been in such business at Conway Springs since 1885. That during the time that James M. Harper lived in Conway Springs, John M. Harper visited James M. Harper, together with Robert Harper, once prior to 1903. That during the time that the said John M. Harper lived in Assumption, 111., the said James M. Harper visited the said John M. [764]*764Harper — prior to the death of the wife of the said John M. Hárper — three times, which said visits were limited to two or three days with the said John M. Harper and other relatives. After the death of the wife of John M. Harper, the said James M. Harper wrote four letters to the said John M. Harper to come and live with the said James M. Harper at Conway Springs, Kan., and in said letters held out the inducement to. said John M. Harper that he could avoid the payment of taxes on personal property for the year 1903, if he, the said John M. Harper, left Illinois and went to Conway Springs prior to April, 1903, and that he could get a greater rate of interest on moneys in Kansas and live without expense.
“(10) That said John M. Harper at the time of his decease, April 1, 1907, was of the age of 82 years. That in his younger years the said John M. Harper was a stout, vigorous, hard-working, prudent and economical man. That in his after years and at the time of the death of his wife he had become, of his age and experience, impaired in mind and body about as is usual of such persons, and remained so until his death.
“ (11) That in his after years, and particularly after the death of his wife, John M. Harper was very close and saving in all matters of expense of living, and very close in his business matters.
“(12) That in his after years John M. Harper was very deaf and quite difficult to communicate to or with.
“(13) About the time of John M. Harper’s removal from Assumption to Conway Springs, Kan., he discussed the question of taxes and of the high rates of taxes generally, and he was solicitous as to how to reduce the payment of taxes, or to avoid the taxes altogether.
“(14) In June, 1903, James M. Harper went to Assumption, 111., and brought the said John M. Harper from Assumption, 111., to Conway Springs, and from that time until the date of his death the said John M. Harper made his home at the house of the said James M. Harper, except when he made visits back to his Illinois relatives and to collect rents in the summer of each year, and on his visits to Illinois from Conway Springs he was always accompanied by James M. Harper, or the wife of James M. Harper, both to and from Conway Springs to Assumption, and on the only [765]*765other visit, which was to Sidney, Neb., he was accompanied by the wife of James M. Harper. That during the time John M. Harper lived at James M. Harper’s he did not pay any board or pay for the use of the room he occupied.'
“(15) That in the year 1902, after the death of the wife of the said John M. Harper, the said John M. Harper caused to be erected over the grave of his wife a monument, of the value of $200, and on said monument was inscribed the name of the wife of the said John M. Harper, together with the date of her death, and suitable space was left on said monument to inscribe the name, birth and death of the said John M. Harper.
“ (16) That a few days prior to July 17, 1906, James M. Harper caused to be prepared in typewriting by his stenographer, then in his employ in his bank at Conway Springs, a memorandum disposing of the property of the said John M.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
113 P. 300, 83 Kan. 761, 1911 Kan. LEXIS 235, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harper-v-harper-kan-1911.