Leonardson v. Hulin

31 N.W. 26, 64 Mich. 1, 1887 Mich. LEXIS 663
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 6, 1887
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 31 N.W. 26 (Leonardson v. Hulin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Leonardson v. Hulin, 31 N.W. 26, 64 Mich. 1, 1887 Mich. LEXIS 663 (Mich. 1887).

Opinion

Morse, J.

The original bill was filed in this cause January 26, 1880, and during the life-time of Aaron Hulin, Sr.

Aaron Hulin, Sr., died during the pendency of the suit, February 14, 1881, and thereafter, upon leave of the court, the supplemental bill was filed.

The facts in the case, as we find them, are as follows:

In the fall of 1843 the defendant Aaron Hulin, Sr., then a bachelor of the age of about 49 years, intermarried with Elizabeth Leonardson, the mother of complainant, at Ches[4]*4terfield, in the county of Macomb. She was a widow, with four grown-up children, and about 48 years old. She had $300 or $400 in money, derived from her first husband’s estate, who was the father of complainant. Hulin, at the time, owned 80 acres of land in Chesterfield, and some real estate in Ohio.

Soon after the marriage, Hulin, with the money of his wife, bought 40 acres more of land in Chesterfield, taking the deed in his own name. They moved upon it, and made their home there a few years.

Hulin had been a school-teacher all his life, teaching a great deal in the South, and some in Macomb county, making his home in Chesterfield for about 10 years before his marriage. He commenced clearing up his land, but farming was not to his taste, and did not suit him.

Complainant at this time was a married man, about 25 years of age, and living upon a farm near Perrysburg, Ohio.

In 1844 his mother visited him, being accompanied by Hulin. While there Hulin told complainant that he was not used to farming, and wanted him to go to Michigan and work his land. In the latter part of that year complainant went to Michigan on a visit, and while there made a bargain or agreement, verbally, to work Hulin’s land, and in February, 1845, in pursuance of such verbal arrangement, he broke up his home in Ohio, and removed with his family to Chesterfield. When he arrived there he moved into the house with Hulin and his wife on the 40 purchased with the wife’s money, and known as the Dennison 40. There was about 15 acres cleared upon it. Hulin then owned also an 80, known as the Cooley 80, upon which there was 35 or 40 acres cleared fit for tillage. Hulin also had another 40, which was swampy and poor land, worth about $50. The Dennison 40 was valued at $300, and the Cooley 80 at about $700. There were no buildings, except a log house and barn. Hulin’s personal property consisted of a yoke of oxen, three cows, a cart, and two or three hogs.

[5]*5Leonardson brought with him from Ohio his household furniture, provisions sufficient to last one year, a span of horses and wagon, and about $200 in money. About a year after he came to Chesterfield he received $150 from the estate of a cousin, and $50 from Ohio, the proceeds of his wheat crop there.

The verbal arrangement was, in substance, that Leonard-son should take the lands of Hulin, and work them during Hulin’s life; assume control of the whole property; improve the farm, and pay all taxes and expenses; support Hulin and his wife as long as each of them might live, in a way and manner suitable to their rank and station in life; and, in consideration of this, at Hulin’s death, Leonardson was to be full and sole heir to all of Hulin’s property, both' real and personal.

A few weeks after Leonardson entered upon the performance of this verbal agreement, Hulin drew up a contract in accordance with such oral arrangement, and it was signed by the parties. This contract was retained by Hulin, in his possession. In pursuance of said agreement, and in connection therewith, about the same time, the said Hulin made and duly executed a last will and testament, in which will he devised and bequeathed to said Leonardson all his property. This will waskept in the possession of Hulin, and Leonard-son was not acquainted with its contents, except that he was informed of its purport and terms by Hulin.

Eelying upon this agreement and the said will, Leonard-son proceeded to faithfully carry out and perform the contract upon his part, and in such a manner as to entirely suit and please Hulin, who found no fault whatever with him until after the. death of Mrs. Hulin, which took place in 1876.

In the spring of 1846, 20 acres of land was bought of one Putnam Hart, and the complainant moved, his family into a house upon it. It was directly across the highway from the [6]*6Cooley 80. Hulin and wife lived upon this 80, about 100 rods from the house of Leonardson, upon the Hart place. Here both families lived for 30 years, until the death of Mrs. Hulin, when, at Hu 1 in’s request, Leonardson moved into Hulin’s house, so that they might the better take care of him in his old age.

About the time of the purchase of the Hart 20, the Dennison 40 was sold to Eber Dennison, who built a new house on the Cooley 80 in payment for it.

During all these years the complainant worked these lands, and made valuable improvements upon them, in the shape of clearings, barns, sheds, fencing, and additions to the houses, and the planting of fruit trees. He labered the better part of his life-time in the supposed secure hope of recompense at the death of Hulin, and no intimation was given to him or to others by Hulin but that Hulin was satisfied, and meant to perform the agreement upon his part. Hulin repeatedly, year after year, told all the neighbors that he had willed all the property to James, the complainant. Every bit that I have,”' he told Mr. and Mrs. Merriman, “ has got to go to James Leonardson. No one shall ever call this (putting his hand upon his heart) aliar. I promised it to James, and James shall have it.” This was in the presence and hearing of complainant and others, about two years before the filing of the bill in this cause. He said the same thing, in substance, time and time again, during the 30 years, to all with whom he conversed upon the subject, and they were many.

.In 1855, or thereabouts, the real estate in Ohio was sold by Hulin for $5,500, which he put out at interest. Some of it, out upon mortgages, was not paid when due, and, by foreclosure and otherwise, he became, in the later years of his life, possessed of several pieces of land in Macomb county, and two in the county of St. Clair. These lands were not worked or controlled by Leonardson, but he assisted somewhat in the management of the money and lands acquired on ac[7]*7count of the mortgage investment of the proceeds of the sale of the Ohio land.

In 1854, for, some reason unknown to complainant, and unexplained by the record, Hulin destroyed the written contract, but no change was made in the arrangements between the parties. In 1860 he also destroyed the will previously made by him, and executed another, a "copy of which was taken by complainant,, and preserved. In this will Hulin bequeathed all his property, for her use and benefit, to his wife during her life, as his widow;—

After which it is my choice that the same be given to James Leonardson (son of my-wife), him or his heirs, providing said James continue to live with and do for me during my natural life, and do in accordance and in keeping with an article of agreement dated December 20, 1854, and signed by him and myself.

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Bluebook (online)
31 N.W. 26, 64 Mich. 1, 1887 Mich. LEXIS 663, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/leonardson-v-hulin-mich-1887.