Hoermann v. Hoermann

290 N.W. 608, 234 Wis. 130, 1940 Wisc. LEXIS 77
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 12, 1940
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 290 N.W. 608 (Hoermann v. Hoermann) 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
Hoermann v. Hoermann, 290 N.W. 608, 234 Wis. 130, 1940 Wisc. LEXIS 77 (Wis. 1940).

Opinion

Wickhem, J.

It is the contention of the administrator, (a) that the words “and his heirs and assigns forever” as used in the twentieth paragraph of the will are words of limitation and not of substitution; (b) that paragraph twenty-one in which the testatrix did not attach to the gift the words above quoted contains no indication of an intention to substitute the heirs of Ernst J. Hoermann for him; (c) that *133 the gift in paragraph twenty-four, the residuary clause, to testatrix’s named daughters and sons “share and share alike, and to their respective heirs and assigns forever” evidences no purpose to use the quoted phrase as words of substitution. Petitioner concedes that ordinarily the words “heirs and assigns” are construed as words of limitation, but contends that where the will contains an indication of an intention to use these words to create a substitutionary gift, that intention should be given effect; that in most of the cases where the phrase has been considered to limit the estate, the devisee has been a mere friend or stranger in blood, and that the construction should be otherwise where the legatee or devisee is a son or near relative. It is also contended that when these words are used in a residuary clause, they are normally construed as words of substitution; that the law does not presume or favor joint tenancies and a devise or bequest in a residuary clause to two or more persons is conclusively presumed to be to them as tenants in common unless the intent to create a joint tenancy is clearly expressed; that there are no words in the twenty-fourth paragraph expressly creating a joint tenancy; that in consequence a lapse would produce an intestacy; that when the testatrix used the phrase “share and share alike” she intended her residuary estate to be divided equally among all her children and her heirs, giving “heir” the normal meaning of those who would be entitled to inherit her children’s estate under the laws of intestacy; that the phrase “their respective heirs” relates to the heirs of the decedent named and conclusively shows a substitutional intent.

At the outset, we deem it convenient to dispose of the intimation in the administrator’s brief that sec. 238.13, Stats., has some bearing upon this case. This section provides as follows:

“When a devise or legacy shall be made to any child or other relation of the testator and the deyisee or legatee shall die before the testator, leaving issue who shall survive the *134 testator, such issue shall take the estate so given by the will in the same manner as the devisee or legatee would have done if he had survived the testator unless a different disposition shall be made or directed by the will.”

It is plain that this section does not prevent a lapse since Ernst Hoermann left no issue. The question is whether inferentially the section provides for a lapse in all other situations. We think not. The section simply prevents a lapse in the cases to which it refers. It was not designed to have any further effect.

The twenty-first paragraph was properly construed by the trial court. There are no words in this paragraph which could be argued to constitute words of substitution and we discover no' circumstance or provision that supplies the want. Paragraph twenty offers more difficulties, but we are of the view that the trial court’s conclusions with respect to this paragraph were also correct. Presumptively, the words “unto him and his heirs and assigns forever” are words of limitation. It is true as pointed out in Matter of Evans, 234 N. Y. 42, 46, 136 N. E. 233, that the use of this phrase in connection with a gift of personal estate “is not a term of art, as it is in a devise of real estate. Its office as a word of limitation, however natural or presumptive where the subject matter of the gift is land, is by analogy only, and one that is wavering and dubious, when the subject matter of the gift is money.” However, even in the case of gifts of personal property, the phrase is presumed to have been used tO' limit the estate rather than to provide a substitutionary gift. Will of Johnson, 199 Wis. 154, 160, 225 N. W. 818; Will of Peters, 223 Wis. 411, 270 N. W. 921. In the Johnson Case, s%opra, it was held with respect to the words “heirs and assigns” “they are universally held ho constitute words of limitation” descriptive of estate and their use in such a connection does not constitute a substituted devise or bequest. See also Estate of Judson, 168 Wis. 361, 170 N. W. 254.

*135 This does not mean that the context of the will may not disclose that words which are presumably words of limitation were in fact intended to create a substituted bequest. For example, in Matter of Evans, supra, the fact that the gift was of personalty and that the words "or heirs” rather than "and heirs” were used was considered, together with other circumstances, as sufficient to repel the inference that the words were intended to- limit the bequest and warrant the conclusion that they were words of substitution. In the twentieth paragraph the word “and” and not “or” is used, and we discover nothing in the will or in the circumstances to support the conclusion that these are words of substitution. The fact that this is a gift to a son and that its purpose is to balance amounts expended in the education of other children accounts for the legacy, but it does not indicate a purpose to make a gift in substitution. There is usually a reason for such a legacy, and the fact that this reason was expressed is not usually significant: The fact that we construe the residuary clause to create a gift in substitution is based upon additional facts and circumstances inapplicable to the twentieth paragraph as will appear from our discussion of the residuary clause.

Coming to the twenty-fourth paragraph, three significant circumstances not present in the consideration of the twentieth and twenty-first paragraphs are at once disclosed. First, this is a residuary clause, and a lapse in the residuary clause will produce an intestacy unless the residuary devise or bequest creates a joint tenancy, and there is a very strong presumption against an intended intestacy — a presumption which becomes especially significant where the residuary clause is under construction. Second, there is no possibility of construing the residuary clause as creating a joint tenancy. Third, the phrase asserted by the administrator to constitute mere words of limitation is different from the phrase in the twentieth paragraph in that the words “respec *136 tive heirs and assigns” are used. We deem it unnecessary to extend this opinion by any elaborate discussion of the presumption against intestacy or of the proposition that a lapse in the residuary clause results in an intestacy. These are well-established rules and need no exposition here. It is almost as obvious that a lapse of Ernst Hoermann’s share in the residuary clause under the circumstances of this will results in an intestacy as to1 his share. There are no> words in the clause appropriate to the creation of a joint tenancy. It must therefore be held that a tenancy in common was created, and it is elementary that there is no survivorship among tenants in common.

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Bluebook (online)
290 N.W. 608, 234 Wis. 130, 1940 Wisc. LEXIS 77, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hoermann-v-hoermann-wis-1940.