In Re Estate of Paulson

266 N.W. 563, 221 Iowa 706
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedApril 7, 1936
DocketNo. 43343.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 266 N.W. 563 (In Re Estate of Paulson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Estate of Paulson, 266 N.W. 563, 221 Iowa 706 (iowa 1936).

Opinion

Kjnteinger, J.

On July 4, 1932, Clarence Paulson died intestate, without issue, leaving surviving his widow, Delia Paulson, and his mother, Hilma Paulson. Delia Paulson, his widow, was appointed administratrix of his estate on July 29, 1932.

Under the statute, his widow was entitled to all of his estate up to $7,500 and one-half of the balance. On August 5, 1932, Hilma Paulson transferred all of her interest in the estate to Ernest Paulson and Anna Schultz, a brother and sister of decedent.

On September 29, 1932, the district court of Pottawattamie county granted Delia Paulson a widow’s allowance of $1,500 for statutory support, and entered an order providing “that since the funds belonging to said estate are invested principally in government bonds, the court * * * sets off to her (the widow), $1,500 worth of the government bonds now in her hands as the administratrix of said estate. ’ ’

*708 On September 29, 1932, the administratrix filed an inventory showing the receipt by her of $898 in cash, $10,000 in United States Liberty bonds, and other notes and securities aggregating $1,506.45 of questionable face value, and also real estate described as lots 3 and 4 of block 5 in Walnut, Iowa, valued at $500.

On December 6, 1933, the administratrix filed a final report charging herself with the receipt of:

Cash...........................................$ 898.00
United States bonds.............................. 10,000.00
10/15/32 Interest on bonds........................ 212.50
4/15/33 Interest on bonds......................... 159.37
10/15/33 Interest on bonds....................... 116.86
Total solvent assets...........................$11,386.73
Also the receipt of personal assets of a questionable value of................................ 1,506.45
And two lots in the town of Walnut, estimated at a value of................................ 400.00
Total good and questionable assets.............$13,293.18
Her final report also shows total expenditures, including a widow’s allowance of $2,000......$ 3,891.75
Total solvent assets............................... 11,386.73
Total expenditures............................... 3,891.75
Leaves a balance of solvent assets of............$ 7,494.98

The foregoing shows a total of questionable assets on hand amounting to $1,906.45.

In her final report she takes credit for the balance of the cash assets, and asks for enough other property to make a total of $7,500 as her share of the estate as surviving widow.

In an amendment to her final report, she alleges a claim of $1,024.25 as an offset against any interest of Hilma Paulson, or her assigns, in the estate, for moneys claimed to have been advanced her by decedent. She also alleges a claim of $500 against Claus Paulson, father of decedent, for moneys claimed to have been advanced him during his lifetime. In this amendment she *709 also asks the court for an allowance of $5.67 a month for additional premiums paid on her administrator’s bond.

Appellees filed objections to the final report, alleging that the widow’s allowance and that the fees allowed the administratrix and her attorney were excessive; they also allege that the administratrix failed to account for all premiums and interest received on the sale of government bonds and for an undivided one-half interest in a cemetery lot.

The administratrix filed a general denial to said objections, and in addition thereto alleges that the property of the estate consists of the joint earnings of herself and her husband, by reason of which she is entitled to all of the property now in her hands as administratrix.

At the conclusion of the hearing on the objections, the court held (1) that the administratrix failed to account for premiums and interest collected on the government bonds in the aggregate sum of $527.79; (2) that the claim of the administratrix for moneys advanced by decedent during his lifetime to Hilma Paulson, his mother, and to Claus Paulson, his father, had not been established; (3) that the assets listed as of questionable value, including lots 3 and 4 of block 5 in the town of Walnut, Iowa, amounting to $1,906.45, belong one-half to the administratrix, as widow of decedent, and one-half to the appellees, as assignees of the interest of decedent’s mother; that the cemetery lot belongs one-half to Andrew Paulson, one-fourth to Delia Paulson, and one-eighth each to Ernest Paulson and Anna Schultz; (4) that the charge for additional premiums on the administratrix’ bond is not a proper charge to the estate.

The court thereupon entered an order confirming such finding, and ordered Delia Paulson to pay the costs of the hearing, taxed at $16. The court postponed action upon the objections to the award for the rridow’s allowance, and the allowance awarded as fees for the administratrix and her attorney. The administratrix appeals.

I. One of the main points in dispute relates to the amounts chargeable to the administratrix in addition to those set out in her final report for interest and premiums on government bonds. The additional amount found and ordered by the lower court so chargeable against the administratrix was $527.79. This amount was based upon the assumption that the administratrix was chargeable with interest on $1,500 worth of bonds *710 after they had been set off to the widow by the court, on September 29, 1932, to be applied on her widow’s allowance, and upon the further assumption that the administratrix was liable for interest on $8,000 Avorth of bonds to January 15, 1934. It is our conclusion that the administratrix was not chargeable for interest on the $1,500 worth of bonds after they had been set off to her for a widow’s alloAvance on September 29, 1932. After that time $1,500 Avorth of these bonds belonged to and Avere the property of the widow. It necessarily follows that she, as the owner thereof, was entitled to any interest thereon after that date. It is also our conclusion that the administratrix was not chargeable Avith interest on a $1,000 bond after it was sold on November 25, 1932, nor on a $1,000 bond after it was sold on August 11, 1933.

Without considering the evidence in detail, it is our conclusion that the evidence shows without dispute, that all premiums and interest collected on bonds were accounted for, except the amounts hereinafter set out, and it is therefore our finding that the administratrix, in addition to the amount charged against hex’self in the final report, should be charged with the following additional amounts as premiums and interest not accounted for:

(1) Premium oxx $1,500 worth of bonds set off to Avidow for Avidow’s allowance....................$ 47.89

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266 N.W. 563, 221 Iowa 706, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-estate-of-paulson-iowa-1936.