Hill v. True

80 N.W. 462, 104 Wis. 294, 1899 Wisc. LEXIS 283
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 20, 1899
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 80 N.W. 462 (Hill v. True) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hill v. True, 80 N.W. 462, 104 Wis. 294, 1899 Wisc. LEXIS 283 (Wis. 1899).

Opinion

Cassodat, C. J.

This is an appeal from an order overruling a demurrer to the complaint in an action to determine the rights of the plaintiff in the property described, and alleging, in effect, the following facts:

[296]*296On June 27, 1865, one Amos E. Ilill, father of the plaintiff and. the defendant True’s testatrix, executed his will at his residence in New Hampshire, wherein, after the payment, of his debts and funeral expenses, he gaye and bequeathed to his wife, Nancy S. Hill, all of his household furniture, all the provisions he plight have on hand at the time of his decease, and one good cow and one farrow cow. He also gave and devised to his wife, for and during the term of her natural life, or while she remained his widow, the homestead farm upon which he lived in Sandwich, New Hampshire, containing about sixty acres of land, to have and to hold the same, to her and her assigns, with all the appurtenances thereto belonging, for and during such term, the farm to be occupied by her or her assigns without impeachment of waste. Such bequest and devise to his wife was intended to be instead of her dower and distributive share in his-whole estate. He also gave and devised to. his daughter, Sarah E., one undivided fourth part of the homestead farm mentioned, subject to the above legacy to-his wife, also his. yearling heifer and one sheep. He also gave and devised to-his son, Qeoi'ge M. Hill, the plaintiff herein, his- heirs and assigns, forever, all the rest, residue, and remainder of his estate, real, personal, and mixed, wherever found and however situated; and he thereby appointed John.C. Haines sole-executor of his said will, and thereby revoked all former wills by him made.

Soon after making such will,. Amos E. Hill died at his; residence in New Hampshire, leaving $1,500 in value of personal property and $700 in value of real estate, and also leaving him surviving his widow, Nancy S., his son, George M., the plaintiff herein, and his daughter, Sarah E., the defendant True’s testatrix, as his sole heirs at law. Such will was duly admitted to probate in the- county court of' Carroll county, New Hampshire, July 4, 1865, and thereupon administration thereof was duly committed unto the executor so named therein. Upon the settlement of the-[297]*297estate of Amos E. Hill there remained $1,000 of such personal estate, which, by the terms of the will, passed to and became vested in the plaintiff. The undivided three-fourths of such real estate passed to and became vested in the plaintiff, and the undivided one-fourth thereof passed to and became vested in Sarah E., subject, however, to the life estate of Haney S.

On Eebruary 6,1866, the plaintiff and Sarah E. both being infants, Haney S. and John 0. Haines were duly appointed their general guardians, and as such, and on April 3, 1866, obtained a license to sell such real estate. On August 20, 1866, Haney S. and John 0. Haines, as such guardians, sold and conveyed all the right, title, and interest of the plaintiff and Sarah E. in and to such real estate to one Sinclair for $255.50, and also sold all the residue of such personal estate, subject to the use of Haney S., but no inventory nor account thereof was by them filed, and no settlement of such guardians’ account was at any time had with the plaintiff after he became of age. In 1866 said guardians left Hew Hampshire, and came to Sauk county, Wisconsin, to reside, when the plaintiff was sixteen years of age. Such guardians brought with them to Sauk county the moneys arising from the sale of such real and personal property, and on July 27, 1866, Haney S. purchased certain of the real estate described in the complaint, and took the title in her own name. At that time Haney S. had no separate estate of any kind, except such as arose from the sale of the residue of Amos E. Hill’s estate, in which she had such life'estate. Thereafter Haney S. invested the remainder of such estate in various securities in her own name, and thereafter received the income thereof for and during the remainder of her natural life. Haney S. had no gainful occupation, and did hot increase the amount of such property. A few days before her death Haney S. delivered to Sarah E. Hill all such personal property, moneys, and effects, to the amount of about $100. [298]*298On August 21, 1885, Nancy S. sold and conveyed to the .plaintiff the lot therein described in consideration of $200. On January 30, 1889, Nancy S. conveyed to the Methodist Episcopal Church the lands described in consideration of $400. The moneys arising from such sales Nancy S. invested in her own name, and, after using the income thereof, and just before her death, she delivered the same to Sarah E., she then having knowledge of the plaintiff’s rights therein. On January 31,1890, Nancy S. conveyed the lands described ■to Sarah E., she then having knowledge of the plaintiff’s rights therein. A few days afterwards Nancy S. died. Nothing is alleged as to the settlement of her estate.

On October 30, 1897, Sarah E. executed her last will and testament.' On November 5, 1897, she died at her home in Raraboo. Thereupon, and before the commencement of this action, such will was filed and admitted to probate, and the defendant True was appointed executor thereof, and he thereupon gave the requisite bond, and qualified, and entered upon the duties of such trust, and June 20,1898, made and filed an inventory of the lands and property owned or ■held in the possession and name of Sarah E. Hill at the time •of her death. The will so left by her is 'to the effect that she thereby gave and bequeathed to the plaintiff $300, also two chairs, two rugs, and one picture of herself and the plaintiff; that she gave and bequeathed to her executor in •trust $50 for the use of her niece Laura; that she gave and bequeathed to the Baraboo Cemetery Association $50, to be used in the care of her mother’s grave; that she gave and bequeathed all her books and album to Mary Blatchley; ■that she gave and bequeathed two bedroom carpets and kitchen carpet and all wearing apparel to Tina Farnsworth; •that she gave and bequeathed and devised to her executor ■all the real estate she might die seised of, in trust, however, for the following uses and purposes,— that is to say: Her .executor should sell her real estate, and reduce the same [299]*299to money, as soon as practicable, and out of the proceeds thereof she thereby directed such executor to pay all her just debts, including the funeral expenses, and the balance of such moneys she thereby gave and bequeathed to the First Presbyterian Ghwrch of Baraboo. She thereby gave and bequeathed all the rest of her furniture, bedding, carpets, pictures, fruit dishes, stoves, and whatever other house furniture there might be to her aunt, Sarah Moulton. All the rest, residue, and remainder of her property she thereby gave and bequeathed to the Railway Young Men's Christian Association of Ba/raboo.

The complaint also alleges that at the time Sarah E. Hill made her will the entire property mentioned and described in the inventory so filed by the defendant True belonged to the plaintiff, except $115 and the-household furniture, wearing apparel, carpets, books, pictures, and chairs, and that he had no knowledge nor information as to the terms of his father’s will, nor as to his interest in his father’s estate, until after the death of his sister; and that prior to that time he supposed his mother was the sole owner thereof.

The executor, True, the First Presbyteria/n Church and Society of Baraboo, and the

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Bluebook (online)
80 N.W. 462, 104 Wis. 294, 1899 Wisc. LEXIS 283, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hill-v-true-wis-1899.