Lake v. Harrington

48 So. 2d 845, 210 Miss. 74, 26 A.L.R. 2d 1, 1950 Miss. LEXIS 323
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 20, 1950
DocketNo. 37647
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 48 So. 2d 845 (Lake v. Harrington) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lake v. Harrington, 48 So. 2d 845, 210 Miss. 74, 26 A.L.R. 2d 1, 1950 Miss. LEXIS 323 (Mich. 1950).

Opinion

Roberds, P. J.

The question for decision herein is whether a general pecuniary legacy of $10,000 to Mrs. Viola Batte Harrington, contained in the will of Mrs. Viola E. Lake, was satisfied in whole or in part, by payments made by the testatrix to Paul B. Harrington, the husband of Mrs. [78]*78Viola Harrington, under the circumstances hereinafter shown. The chancellor held that no ademption resulted, from which holding the executor appeals.

The question is grounded in this state of facts and circumstances:

Mrs. Lake executed a will June 16, 1940, embodying this provision: “It is my intention during my lifetime to give to Mrs. Viola Batte Harrington a home, or the money with which to buy or build a home. If, and only if, I have not done this during my lifetime, I give and devise to the said Mrs. Viola Batte Harrington the sum of $10,000.00 in cash and direct my Executors to pay the same over to her. In event of the death of Mrs. Viola Batte Harrington prior to the paying over of this money to her by my Executors, the legacy in her favor not to lapse, but to go to the legal issue of her body, if any, and if none, then it is to lapse and is to go into the trust fund known as The Lake Memorial Library Fund, provided in Item VI of this will.”

On January 22, 1944, she executed another will, expressly revoking all other wills theretofore made by her, which contained the same provision. Mrs. Lake departed this life June 14, 1947. The 1944 will was duly admitted to probate in Hinds County, Mississippi.

Between the making of the two^ wills, and beginning on September 30,1940, and ending January 14, 1941, Mrs. Lake paid, by five' checks, to Paul B. .Harrington the total sum of $7,300. The executor says these payments satisfied, in entirety or pro tanto, the legacy to Mrs. Harrington. As stated, the chancellor held otherwise.

This is the background: Mrs. Lake’s husband died in 1912. They had been resident citizens of Jackson, Mississippi, many years prior thereto, and she continued to be such citizen until her death. Mrs. Lake was left a large estate and she preserved and added to it, so that at the time of her death her personal property aggregated nearly a half million dollars. The record does not disclose the value of her real estate. She did not marry [79]*79again and, so far as the record discloses, had no children. Her home was near that of the Battes, father and mother of Viola Batte (Harrington). Mrs. Lake was present at the birth of Viola, who was named for Mrs. Lake. Through the years, as Viola grew to womanhood, a very close relation existed between Mrs. Lake and the Battes, especially between Mrs. Lake and Viola. After Viola’s marriage she and her husband, for some several years, rented an apartment from Mrs. Lake and lived adjoining, or quite near, her. To the date of her death Mrs. Lake called Mrs. Harrington by the affectionate name of “Baby”. A girl and boy were born to the Harringtons. Mrs. Lake loved them dearly. Much of the time they were in, and played about, her home. That was the situation when Mrs. Lake executed her will in 1940. In 1940 Mrs. Lake noticed in a newspaper that Mr. Harrington had purchased a lot in Jackson located some ten or twelve blocks from the Lake home. She mentioned that to Harrington, who told her he had bought the lot for the purpose of building a home thereon. In fact, Harrington testified “. . . the house had been started and she asked us when the first money was due on the house . . .”. Harrington further testified, without contradiction, “She said she hated for the children to move away that far from her, but if I was going to build a house she wanted to help me with the house”. Mrs. Lake directed the checks be drawn to Harrington, which was done. Mrs. Harrington prepared three and Mrs. Lake two of the checks. All, of course, were signed Mrs. Lake. They were for different amounts, according to the progress of the work, and, as above stated, ran from September 1940, to January 1941, and aggregated $7,300. It is further shown, in this connection, that Harrington himself paid $1,000 for the lot, title to which was taken in his name, and that he also paid out in the construction of the home, fees of the architect, etc., some $1,500 more than the amount Mrs. Lake advanced to aid in building the house. Mrs. Lake had [80]*80nothing to do or say about the plans and specifications for the Harrington house. She made no suggestion as to the kind of building which should be constructed, although during its construction Mrs. Harrington did come for her a number of times and they went out to see it.

The Harringtons did not know Mrs. Lake had a will, and, of course, knew nothing' of a provision in favor of Mrs. Harrington, nor did Mrs. Lake, during the time of making these payments to Mr. Harrington and during the construction of the house, mention to either anything about a will.

The Harringtons moved to their new home. The relation between them and Mrs. Lake continued the same as before. They, with their children, very frequently visited in the Lake home, and they often came for Mrs. Lake and carried her to their home.

In January 1944, Mrs. Lake decided to make four changes in her will. One as to the trustee. In the 1940 will she had nominated Mr. Vaughn Watkins, Sr., an able and trusted attorney, as trustee. He died January 6, 1944. She then designated a local bank as trustee. In the first instrument she named Robert E. Lake both executor and trustee. The last will made him executor only. She changed the name of a school for the support of which she had provided a large fund, and, fourthly, she greatly enlarged the authority and powers of the trustees of a library fund created by both wills. She called to her home Mr. Vaughn Watkins, Jr., a prominent attorney of Jackson, and son of Vaughn Watkins, Sr. She carefully explained to him she wanted to make a new will containing the outlined changes. Mr. Watkins made note of the desired changes. He took the old will to his office and wrote the new will. He then carried the new will to her home. There, in the presence of Robert. Lake and the two subscribing witnesses to' the will, he, according to his evidence, read slowly, carefully and distinctly to Mrs. Lake the new will, including the legacy to Mrs. Harrington. All admit Mrs. Lake thoroughly under[81]*81stood every provision and phase of the will. It is shown that, in order that no mistake might occur, she initialed each page, the will consisting of some fifteen pages. The provision to Mrs. Harrington consumed the greater part of one page. Mr. Watkins did not know when the 1944, will was executed Mrs. Lake had aided Mr. Harrington in the erection of his home. Mrs. Lake never mentioned the matter. It is conceded by all that Mrs. Lake was a lady of unusually strong intellect and determination. At various times in her life she had been a member of various local and state boards administering charity and public funds. Likewise, it is agreed she was a careful, prudent business woman. She had successfully managed and preserved and added to a large estate, consisting of real and personal property. It might be added that there were only three individual beneficiaries in her will. They were Mr. Eobert Lake, her nephew by marriage; Miss Beulah Esminger, her sister, and Mrs. Harrington. All the remainder of her estate was bequeathed and devised for the use and benefit of the public schools of Jackson and their auxiliaries, the will setting out a complete scheme for the efficient administration of that trust through the coming years.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
48 So. 2d 845, 210 Miss. 74, 26 A.L.R. 2d 1, 1950 Miss. LEXIS 323, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lake-v-harrington-miss-1950.