McCoy v. Houck

99 N.E. 97, 180 Ind. 634, 1912 Ind. LEXIS 169
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 2, 1912
DocketNo. 22,053
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 99 N.E. 97 (McCoy v. Houck) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCoy v. Houck, 99 N.E. 97, 180 Ind. 634, 1912 Ind. LEXIS 169 (Ind. 1912).

Opinion

Myeks, J.

This is an appeal from an interlocutory order of the Marion Probate Court, appointing a receiver over objection and exception of appellants, to take charge of real estate in Gibson County, Indiana, in their possession and hold the same, the proceeds to be paid and distributed at the' termination of a proceeding to sell real estate to pay debts. Among a great number of averments the complaint contains the following, in effect: That Nancy Devin died November 5, 1893, testate, the owner in fee simple of the real estate in question; that her will was duly probated, and a copy thereof is set out in the complaint; that as a [637]*637devisee under the will, Elmer G-. Devin became the owner in lee of said real estate upon the birth of a child to him in October, 1909; that remaining the owner of said real estate, he died in October, 1910, testate; that his will was duly probated in the Probate Court of Marion County, Indiana, that by his will the plaintiff Houck was appointed executor thereof and trustee thereunder, and all property of said Elmer, real and personal, was devised to said Houck as such executor and trustee, and full authority given him to make all settlements, pay all debts of said Elmer, sell all real estate necessary to pay such debts and fully administer his estate; that appellant, John H. Miller, is guardian of the minor defendants in the case, Walter Devin and Kenneth Devin; that as such guardian he is in possession of the real estate adverse to the appellee; that such guardian. claims that by virtue of said will of Nancy Devin his said wards and not the said Elmer G. Devin are the owners in fee of said real estate; that the appellant, John R. McCoy, successor of Henry L. Wallace, trustee of a trust created by said will embracing said real estate, unites with said Miller in said claim, and both said appellants refuse to surrender possession to the appellee. The complaint prays judgment against appellants for possession of the real estate, against appellant Miller for $1,000 for detention thereof, against all the defendants in the cause, quieting title in the appellee, and on the hearing, an order authorizing and empowering the appellee to sell the real estate including all interest of the widow of Elmer or other defendants in the cause, to pay indebtedness of Elmer G. Devin.

The evidence given at the hearing is without conflict as to any question sought to be presented on this appeal. The controversy is over the construction to be given the will of Nancy Devin, deceased. It is necessary to set out the second and subsequent clauses:

(2) “I hereby declare that I have advanced to my daughter, Nancy C. French (now deceased) and to her [638]*638children, more than it is possible for me to bequeath to my other heirs. I did not do this through partiality, but owing to her situation, I felt it to be my parental duty to make said advancements to enable her to support herself and children, and raise them until they were able to support themselves. This duty I fulfilled until the death of said daughter, Nancy C. French, knowing as I did, that if I had not made said advancement, that the said Nancy and her children would have suffered, but in justice to my other children and heirs, I cannot bequeath to the said children of my said daughter Nancy, nor any of them any portion of the remainder of my estate.
(3) All my silverware, bedding, furniture, books, wearing apparel and other household effects of every kind I bequeath to my daughters, Susan E. Ragland and Sallie A. Devin, they to make division thereof between themselves as they may agree.
(4) desire that of the estate which I shall leave that first there be set apart the sum of three thousand dollars which said sum shall be placed in the hands of Susan E. Ragland and held and used by her upon the following trusts and purposes, to-wit: said trustee shall invest said fund in safe securities and from the dividends arising therefrom, she shall pay out and expend such sum as is necessary for the proper care and sustenance of my afflicted son, Joseph F. Devin, so long as he shall live, and when this trust shall determine, that then said trustee shall distribute said amount among the beneficiaries of my will as hereinafter named, but I expressly direct that all obligations of every kind now held by me or due me from my said son Joseph shall be deemed cancelled and that no payment shall ever in any wise, be required from him of any sum which I may have heretofore advanced, loaned or received from him and that the dividends from the fund so set aside as aforesaid, shall be expended for his benefit, as aforesaid, solely upon the discretion of the trustee aforesaid and for no other purpose and in no other manner whatever.
(5) All the remainder of my real estate and personal property shall be divided equally among my children, Susan Ragland and Sally A. Devin, and my two grand children, Nellie R. Devin and Elmer G., to receive the same share that would have descended to my son James A. Devin (now deceased) who was their father, that is one-third thereof and each beneficiary hereunder shall be charged with advancements to the following amounts, [639]*639set opposite their respective names, to wit: Snsan E. Ragland, $1,351.53; Sally A. Devin, $1,230.08; Nellie R. Devin and Elmer G-. Devin, together $1,420.73, and this is done that there may be equality between them, said Nellie and Elmer being charged with such advancement as were made to their father, also in order to make the amount charged to them above and to tahe and receive under this will subject to the conditions hereafter named.
(6) I hereby nominate and appoint Henry L. Wallace as trustee for Nellie and Elmer and for each of them, who shall take and hold and manage such of my estate as is given to my grandchildren until the contingencies named in the next succeeding clause of this will, in the meantime using of the profits thereof enough only for the education and economical support having in view the probable value of their inheritance.
(7) If Nellie R. Devin dies before she has children born unto her, her share of my estate, shall go to her brother Elmer, if he survives her. If Elmer dies before he has children born unto him, his share of my estate shall go to his sister Nellie, if she survives him, but if they both die without having children born to them, their share of my estate shall be distributed to the other beneficiaries named in item (5) of this will.”

The errors relied upon for reversal are specifically that the .Probate Court of Marion County, Indiana, erred in appointing a receiver in this cause for the following reasons: Elmer G-. Devin never had any estate or interest in the real estate in question, except what he took as devisee under the will of Nancy Devin, and he took under said will no other interest than that of a beneficiary for life under the trust created in item 6 thereof. No reason or cause is shown of any kind for appointing a receiver in this cause. No danger is shown of waste, loss, injury, lack of care for any property or funds pending the litigation. This application for a receiver is but a part of, and in furtherance of an unlawful scheme and effort to obtain possession and control of the property in question, convert it to the use of parties participating in the effort, and defraud of said property all the persons lawfully and rightfully entitled thereto.

[640]*640 1.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
99 N.E. 97, 180 Ind. 634, 1912 Ind. LEXIS 169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccoy-v-houck-ind-1912.