Hollingsworth v. Hollingsworth's Executors

65 Ala. 321
Supreme Court of Alabama·Decided November 15, 1880·Published·Cited by 12 cases

Opinion

STONE, J.

— In construing wills, it is our duty to carry into effect the intention of the testator, shown in the words [327] he employs, unless that opinion contravenes some rule of law, or public policy. There is no rule of law, or of public policy, violated by any intention shown in the will of Mr. Hollingsworth, to obtain a construction of which this bill was filed. A second leading canon, by which wills are interpreted, is, that, in case of apparent repugnancy, the general intent of the testator, as disclosed in the will, shall be preferred to the special intent; and to this end, it is our duty to consult the entire will in all its parts, in arriving at a proper interpretation of its several provisions. A third rule, not less imperative, is, that under a pretence of interpretation we can not incorporate provisions, not expressed in the will, unless the will itself proves such to have been the intention of the testator, by clear and necessary implication; necessary, to give to the will operation according to the manifest intent of the testator. In Sherrod v. Sherrod, 38 Ala. 537, Walker, J. said: “ The court can not resort to conjecture, when the terms of the will are of intelligible import. To do so, would be to make a will, conforming to what is supposed the testator intended — not to search for the intention in the construction of what is said. It is not the province of a court to incorporate into a will provisions which it may be supposed the testator would have adopted, if they had occurred to him. Nor is it the province of the court to provide for a contingency, neglected in the will, because' there is room for conjecture that the testator would have done so, had he anticipated it.” These propositions are well supported by authorities. In that case, there were two opinions delivered, reaching the same conclusion, and citing many authorities, showing the danger of going beyond the express terms of a will, in search of a supposed or implied intention in the testator.

The will of Mr. Hollingsworth was evidently drawn without legal advice. It is obscure and incomplete in many of its provisions, and it is difficult to give it a satisfactory interpretation. The rents from his real estate, and the sum to be realized on his life-policies, he so disposes of, as to raise a necessary implication that he intended no delay in their distribution. The former he directed to be turned over to his wife,” for the support of her and my [ testator’s] children,” and she to receive annually a sufficient amount of money, from other sources besides the rents, to amply support her and our children, and for the education of the children that have not been educated.” He directs the distribution of the life-policy money, and names no time when it is to take place. The land rents are evidently to be turned over as they accrue, and the additional sufficient amount of [328] money from other sources,” as it may be wanted, or, at least, annually. The life-insurance money to be distributed when realized. He directs, as we shall hereafter show, the expenditure of. one thousand dollars, in erecting a house for his daughter Katie, and the employment of money in the payment of his debts, should any of his creditors be unwilling to wait until sufficient collections could be made for their payment. ■ These sums, we repeat, were not to be delayed in their disbursement, as the will plainly shows, either by express direction, or by necessary implication. With the exception of the above, the will is silent, as we shall hereafter show, on the subject of division or distribution, save in two clauses; one, directing a division of the money in 1890 ; the other, a division of the land in 1891.

In construing the clauses of this will which direct distribution, we shall treat the merchandise on hand, and the collectible dues, as money, for the will directs them to be converted into money. — 1 Story’s Equity, § 791; Hemphill v. Moody, at the last term.

No difficulty or misunderstanding can arise in the proper construction of the items or sections of the will, numbered 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10,12. These seem to be plain and unambiguous, and we will devote no time to them. The difficulties arise in the construction of the other sections. We postpone the farther consideration of section 3, until we dispose of the others. Section 4 may be construed by itself. It is, in terms, limited to “ all my [testator’s] money in hand.” This money was to be invested in government registered bonds. The purchase, after the execution of the will, of the five thousand dollar government bond, must be treated as a part execution, by the testator himself, of this testamentary purpose, to so invest his money in bonds. That bond stands, in all respects, in the category of the bonds purchased by the executors under clause (or section) 4 of the will, to be distributed, or turned over to the legatees, when they are distributed or turned over.

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Hollingsworth v. Hollingsworth's Executors, 65 Ala. 321 (Ala. 1880).

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