Hart v. County of Los Angeles

311 P.2d 605, 151 Cal. App. 2d 271, 1957 Cal. App. LEXIS 1755
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 27, 1957
DocketCiv. 21899
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 311 P.2d 605 (Hart v. County of Los Angeles) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hart v. County of Los Angeles, 311 P.2d 605, 151 Cal. App. 2d 271, 1957 Cal. App. LEXIS 1755 (Cal. Ct. App. 1957).

Opinion

RICHARDS, J. pro tem. *

This is an appeal by William S. Hart, Jr., the son of William S. Hart, deceased, from a judgment settling the executor’s seventh and final account and report; decreeing, among other things, the final distribution of the decedent’s estate to the county of Los Angeles and overruling appellant’s 16 specific objections to the final account and petition for distribution.

The testator, William S. Hart, died on June 23,1946, leaving a will executed September 9, 1944, which was duly admitted to probate on July 26, 1946. The decree of distribution here appealed was entered December 2, 1955, in accordance with the provisions of the decedent’s will which made certain bequests, and, so far as here material provided:

“SECOND: I further declare that I have but one child, a son by the name of William S. Hart, Jr., who is the issue of my marriage to said Winifred Westover Hart. I have made no provision in this Will for my son for the reasons that I have amply provided for him during my lifetime. (e
“FOURTH: I hereby give, devise and bequeath to the County of Los Angeles, State of California, a body politic and corporate, (hereinafter sometimes referred to as ‘the County’), for the uses and purposes, and upon and subject to the conditions, hereinafter set forth, all that certain real and personal property described as follows, to wit:
“ [Description of property.]
“A. That the said real and personal property (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the ‘Park’) shall be forever used and maintained by the County and its successors in interest and estate, exclusively as a public park and pleasure grounds, and for exhibition purposes, for the amusement, recreation, health and pleasure of its inhabitants. That the Park shall be open to public use at all times subject to proper restrictions to be provided by the Board of Supervisors of the County. That a charge or fee shall never be made of the public for admittance to the said premises, provided, however, that the Board of Supervisors may fix and collect a nominal charge for the use *275 of camping facilities located on the Park Property in an amount of approximately the cost of the public utilities likely to be used by the person to be charged.
“B. That the name of said Park shall be established by ordinance to be ‘William S. Hart Park/ and that ‘William S. Hart Park’ shall be continued as the official name and designation of said Park.
“C. That, within twelve months from and after the date of the recordation of the decree of distribution distributing the said property to the County, the County shall
“(1) Construct and thereafter maintain at the present location of the main entrance to said property a plate on which shall be inscribed in letters of suitable size and character the words ‘William S. Hart Park’; and, that at a proper location on or adjacent to the Museum Property, place or erect a tablet on which shall be inscribed in letters of suitable size and character the following words:
‘This Park has been dedicated by
WILLIAM S. HART for the benefit of the American Public of every race and creed’
“D. That, within five years from and after the date of the recordation of said decree of distribution, the County shall
“ (1) Lay out, construct and thereafter maintain roads and paths throughout the said property so as to give the public access to the various points and places of interest throughout the Park.
“(2) Construct and thereafter maintain comfort stations for the use of the public at convenient and proper places throughout the Park.
“ (3) Construct and thereafter maintain picnic grounds at suitable locations with accommodations for cooking, tables and seats and drinking fountains.
“ (4) Lay out, construct and thereafter maintain an adequate electric lighting system, irrigation system and storm drain throughout the Park.
“(5) Plant and thereafter maintain throughout the Park, at suitable places, for the purpose of ornamentation and flood control, plants, shrubs, trees, grass and flowers preferable
[sic] indigenous to California. ( (
“J. Whenever any of said property, or any part thereof, shall cease to be used as a park and for pleasure, amusement, *276 recreation, health and uses incident to the aforesaid uses according to the intents and meanings hereof, or if the said County, or its successors in interest or estate, shall at any time change the official name of said Park from ‘William S. Hart Park’ to some other name or designation, or if the County, or its successors in interest or estate, shall fail, neglect or refuse to perform each or any of the other conditions hereby imposed, the said property shall, immediately upon the happening of either or any of said events, revert, and shall go and be distributed, to the State of California for the same uses and purposes and upon the same conditions imposed upon the State of California as are herein set forth and imposed upon the County.
“K. That, prior to the hearing before the Superior Court upon the final account and petition for distribution of my estate, the Board of Supervisors of the County shall advise my executors of its willingness to accept the property herein devised and bequeathed to the County for the uses and purposes and upon the conditions herein provided. In the event the County fails to so advise my executors prior to the hearing before the Superior Court upon the final account and petition for distribution of my estate, the said real and personal property shall go and be distributed to the State of California for the same uses and purposes and upon the same conditions imposed upon the State of California as are herein set forth and imposed upon the County.
“L. All the domestic animals which I may own at the time of my death shall be allowed to spend their remaining days in the Park and shall be properly fed and cared for at all times by the County.
“FIFTH: For the purpose of providing for the maintenance and upkeep of the said Park, I hereby give and bequeath to the County the sum of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00), and such other sums of money as shall go and be distributed to the County under the provisions hereof, In Trust, for the following uses and purposes, and upon the following conditions, to-wit: C <
“C. The County shall have the right to use annually the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) of the principal and the accrued and collected income, of the Trust Estate for the purpose of aiding and assisting the County in defraying and carrying out and performing the conditions as expressed in par. Fourth hereof to be done and performed, *277

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Bluebook (online)
311 P.2d 605, 151 Cal. App. 2d 271, 1957 Cal. App. LEXIS 1755, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hart-v-county-of-los-angeles-calctapp-1957.