Minns Estate

24 Pa. D. & C.2d 174, 1960 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 40
CourtPennsylvania Orphans' Court, Clearfield County
DecidedAugust 11, 1960
Docketno. 9300
StatusPublished

This text of 24 Pa. D. & C.2d 174 (Minns Estate) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Orphans' Court, Clearfield County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Minns Estate, 24 Pa. D. & C.2d 174, 1960 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 40 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1960).

Opinion

Pentz, P. J.,

George Minns, Sr., the above-named decedent, acquired by deed dated September 9, 1921, as recorded in deed book 252, at page 443, in the office for recording of deeds in Clear-field County, 20 acres of land, described by metes and bounds, situate in Sandy Township, Clearfield County. This deed contained a reservation as follows:

“Reserving, however, all of the coal, coal oil, and other minerals and mineral products that may be in or under said land, together with the usual mining rights, as provided in previous deed.”

Decedent then, on September 18, 1922, executed his [175]*175last will and testament, and died a little over a month later, namely, October 24,1922. The will was probated October 31, 1922.

With exception of the declaration of intent to make a will, and the execution and attestation clauses, the entire will reads as follows:

“As soon as is convenient after my decease, I direct that my Executor shall pay all of my just debts out of my personal property on hand at my decease.
“The Greenwood Cemetery in Sandy Township, I devise as follows: — My son George shall attend to keeping it in proper condition and pay such expense from money received from sale of the lots. The balance of the money so received he shall divide and pay out in equal shares once a year, one part to himself, one part to Martha Case, one part to Catherine Trude, and one part to Alice Whipple. George Minns as my Executor to make and deliver deeds to cemetery lots, without any order of Court. Any money that may be left after paying my debts and administering my estate I bequeath equally to Sarah Guntrum, William Minns, John T. Minns, Abbie Johnson, Robert Minns, Harry Minns, my children.” . . .

The deed aforesaid vested in George Minns, Sr., the natural gas in or under the 20 acre tract; the reservation above quoted not being sufficient to reserve the natural gas or oil: Highland v. Commonwealth, 400 Pa. 261. . . .

This question hinges then, upon the will of George Minns, Sr. Did the portion of the will in which he says “The Greenwood Cemetery in Sandy Township, I devise as follows: — ”, and directs his son George to keep in condition, pay the expenses, sell burial lots and divide the proceed from said burial lots to and among the three daughters named and himself, constitute a devise in fee of the cemetery property to the four persons named, subject to its use as a cemetery? On the [176]*176other hand, did this will, as contended by the six legatees of “Any money that may be left after paying my debts,” by virtue of this wording, receive, or have devised to them, the real estate in fee? In both instances the gas would pass to the devisees of the fee.

In the instant case, although the gas was undoubtedly in the ground at the time George Minns, Sr., made his will, he did not know it was there, nor did anyone know it was there, until its discovery 37 years later. Thus, this will must be construed without considering the gas which testator did not know, and could not have had in mind, when he made his will: Hulton’s Appeal, 104 Pa. 359. In construing the will, the circumstances testator knew when he executed the will, must only be considered; not events which occurred after his death and which he did not anticipate: Wadsworth’s Estate, 64 Pa. Superior Ct. 604, 608.

The circumstances existing at the time the will was made indicate, insofar as the record is concerned, that testator owned only 20 acres of land, and no other real estate. From the petition of the DuBois-Deposit National Bank to appoint a successor trustee, we learn decedent had sold some burial plots on this 20 acre tract. It is, therefore, clearly within the province of the court, in construing this will, to say that when testator says “the Greenwood Cemetery in Sandy Township,” he refers to this 20 acre tract.

This land was appraised at $2,000. His personal property grossed $1,804, and upon correction in the final account, was reduced to $1,786.84. Thus the value of the real, estate exceeded the value of the personal property by $213.16.

One group is given the proceeds from the sale of burial plots, after payment of expenses and maintenance of Greenwood Cemetery. The other group is given the proceeds of the money, after payment of [177]*177the debts, funeral expenses and last illness of decedent. In absence of any evidence of the sale of burial lots by George Minns, Jr., and any accounting of any division of proceeds therefrom, the conclusion that testator intended the fee in the cemetery to pass, is not warranted by that fact alone. In the account of the personal property are two notes payable to decedent, by his son George Minns, Jr., and his son John T. Minns, in addition to the bank account, and the United States Bonds and War Savings Stamps.

From the way the estate of decedent is distributed (and it is obvious that he well know the extent and value of his estate) it is a fair conclusion that he intended to provide for the one son and three daughters with the proceeds from the cemetery and to provide for the other six children with the distribution of his personal property.

The representatives of the grandchildren, children of the deceased six children named, take the position that by virtue of the words “any money that may be left after paying my debts, etc,” includes the real estate. This is not well taken. In Mitchell v. C. Clippinger’s Heirs, 392 Pa. 40, page 44, the rule is stated as follows:

“This Court has recognized the fact that the word ‘money’ when used in a will may be construed in the broad sense of wealth or property, including real estate, where the context of the will and the circumstances surrounding its execution require that it be so interpreted to give effect to the testator’s intention. Talbot v. Anderson, 292 Pa. 454, 141 A. 256; Ostrom v. Datz, 274 Pa. 375, 118 A. 313; Jacobs’ Estate, 140 Pa. 268, 21 A. 318. The above principle was recently reaffirmed in Conlin Estate, 388 Pa. 483, 131 A. 2d 117, although the specific holding was that the will and surrounding circumstances did not there disclose the requisite intention. In Reagan Estate, 77 D. & C. [178]*178529, the words ‘Thirty-five Thousand ($35,000.00) Dollars of my interest in the Exchange Hotel’ were held to have constituted a devise of an interest in real estate. From a consideration of the above cases it is obvious that (1) people do refer to their interest in real estate in terms of money or dollars; and (2) such usage is sufficient to pass title to real estate when an intention to do so can be ascertained from the will itself, and the circumstances surrounding its execution.”

In Conlin Estate, 388 Pa. 483, above cited, Mr. Justice Bell points out that using the word “money” in its ordinary and usual meaning, coupled with the circumstances surrounding testatrix, the real estate, which comprised approximately one-half of the estate, did not pass. The decisions construing money as including real estate, are reviewed in that decision. This analysis indicates that where money has been construed to include real estate, there were such words, circumstances and conditions in the will, and in the estate itself, which indicated testator so intended.

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Related

Highland v. Commonwealth
161 A.2d 390 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1960)
Mitchell v. C. Clippinger's Heirs
139 A.2d 520 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1958)
Conlin Estate
131 A.2d 117 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1957)
Sowers Estate
119 A.2d 60 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1956)
Talbot v. Anderson
141 A. 256 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1928)
Davis's Estate
29 A.2d 700 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1942)
Hulton's Appeal
104 Pa. 359 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1883)
Estate of Jacobs
21 A. 318 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1891)
Estate of Nebinger
39 A. 1049 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1898)
Ostrom v. Datz
118 A. 313 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1922)
Wadsworth's Estate
64 Pa. Super. 604 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1916)

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Bluebook (online)
24 Pa. D. & C.2d 174, 1960 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 40, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/minns-estate-paorphctclearf-1960.