Nevitt v. Woodburn

60 N.E. 500, 190 Ill. 283
CourtIllinois Supreme Court
DecidedApril 18, 1901
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 60 N.E. 500 (Nevitt v. Woodburn) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Illinois Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nevitt v. Woodburn, 60 N.E. 500, 190 Ill. 283 (Ill. 1901).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Carter

delivered the opinion of the court:

We were asked to review the record in this case at a former term on the appeal of the same appellants, taken directly to this court from the final decree of the circuit court of Whiteside county. We dismissed that appeal for the reason that it should have been taken to the Appellate Court, no freehold being involved. (Nevitt v. Woodburn, 175 Ill. 376.) The record was then taken to the Appellate Court on a writ of error, and the decree of the circuit court was in part reversed and the cause was remanded, with directions to enter a modified decree in conformity with the views expressed in the opinion of the Appellate Court. (82 Ill. App. 649.) For a statement of the case reference is made to the opinion in 175 Ill. 376. Further facts showing a history of the litigation are stated in Woodburn v. Woodburn, 123 Ill. 608.

The bill was filed by May McD. and Beatrice L. Wood-burn, infants and only children of George W. Woodburn, Jr., deceased, by Charles H. Woodburn as their next friend, also by Charles H. Woodburn in his own right, (the said George W. Woodburn, Jr., and Charles H. Wood-burn were the only children of James EL Woodburn,) against said Edward H. Nevitt, James and Jarvis Dins-moor, James H. Woodburn and Phebe A. Woodburn, for the removal of said Nevitt as trustee under the will of George W. Woodburn, Sr., deceased, and to compel an accounting and a restoration of the trust fund created by said will, in which the complainants claimed an interest. On the final hearing in the circuit court the bill was sustained and a decree entered, as set forth in the former cause, in favor of the complainants. From the judgment of the Appellate Court the defendants to the bill, Nevitt, and James and Jarvis Dinsmoor, prayed and obtained this appeal to this court.

The provisions of the will of George W.Woodburn, Sr., which created the fund in controversy and provided for its disposition, are as follows:

“I hereby will, direct and request, and by this my last will do place in the hands of my executor all my real estate, being the farm upon which I live, and do direct him to sell what may be necessary for the payment of my debts; also to sell an amount sufficient to raise a fund sufficient to pay of interest to my beloved wife, Phebe Ann Woodburn, $1000 per year, which amount shall be for her support during her lifetime, and at her death this fund shall go to my legal heirs in the order below mentioned,-—that is, to my son, James H. Woodburn, if living, for his use during his lifetime, at his death to go to his children, and at their death, if childless, to go to and be divided among the families of my brother, William H. Woodburn, John M. Woodburn and Jane E. Ege. One condition herein is, that my son, James H. Woodburn, may be a bidder, and if he should buy the real estate so sold by my executor to create the aforesaid fund and properly-secure the same by undoubted securities to be made to my executor, then I will, request and direct that' the balance of my property so remaining shall be the bequeath I leave to my son, James H. Woodburn, in fee simple. It is my will that the said Phebe Ann Wood-burn shall be fully protected in all her rights as given and directed in this will, and I charge my executor to see that my will is fully carried out, and direct him to defend her in all suits at law that may arise from this property; and should the aforesaid James H. Woodburn, or any person claiming under him, attempt, by law or annoyance, to deprive her of any of the right in this my last will, then I direct that he or they shall forfeit all rights, gifts or bequeaths that he or they may acquire under this will, and the said property so willed to him or them shall descend to my brother William H. Wood-burn, John M. Woodburn and Jane E. Ege, families or. heirs. I hereby direct and will that until my executor can carry out my directions as in this will made, that my beloved wife, Phebe Ann Woodburn, shall remain in my house upon my farm, and shall receive for her support the proceeds of the farm after necessary expenses are paid; and should any person or persons, by law or otherwise, attempt to deprive her of this right, the said persons shall forfeit and be deprived of any or all property given them in this will, and the property so willed to them shall descend as above directed. * * * I do hereby appoint and constitute my trusty friend and nephew, Peter Ege, to execute this my last will and testament.” The said James H. Woodburn was the only child of the testator. The said James had only two children, and they were living at the time of the testator’s death, viz., George W. Woodburn, Jr., the father of the two infant complainants, and Charles H. Woodburn, the other complainant. When this suit was commenced the said George was dead, and the two infant complainants were his only children and heirs.

The complainants’ suit was based upon the claim that they were the beneficial owners of the fund, subject, first, to the annuity for life of Phebe A. Woodburn, the widow of the testator; and second, to the life interest of James H. Woodburn. The contention is made by appellants that the complainants in the bill had no interest in the subject matter of the suit,—no interest in the fund in controversy,-—and therefore their bill should have been dismissed. The point made is, that the limitations over, under which appellees claim, are void for remoteness; that they violate the rule against perpetuities because the subject matter of the gift,—that is, the fund in controversy,—may, under the terms of the will, be taken out of commerce for a period longer than a life or lives in being and twenty-one years thereafter. We are of the opinion that the view taken of this question by the Appellate Court is the correct one, and that under the rule against perpetuities, the limitation over, prescribed by the first clause of the will, to collaterals in case the grandchildren of the testator should die childless, is void, for, while the complainant Charles H. Woodburn, and his brother, George W., were living at the time of the testator’s death, the two infant complainants, children of said George W., were not in esse, and it is clear that it could not be known at the time thé testator died and the will took effect whether or not the estate would vest in such collaterals at all, much less within the period limited by the rule. Such limitation being void under the rule against perpetuities, the absolute interest in the fund vested in the children of James H. Woodburn at the testator’s death, subject to the life interest of said James and the trust in favor of Phebe A. Woodburn. Of course, as said James might have other children besides his two sons, Charles H. and George W., Jr., the latter took subject to the right of after-born children, if any, to be let in to share equally in the estate. This possibility still exists, but it did not and does not prevent the vesting of the remainder, if it may be so called, in the children of James H. Woodburn who were living at the time of the death of the testator,—that is, in Charles H. and George W. Woodburn, Jr. The latter having since died intestate, his two heirs, the infant complainants, have become the beneficial owners of his share and are proper parties complainant in a bill to protect the trust fund. .

It is urged that the interests of the complainants are contingent, because the will provides that if James H. Woodburn, or any one claiming under him, should attempt, by law or annoyance, to deprive Phebe A.

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60 N.E. 500, 190 Ill. 283, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nevitt-v-woodburn-ill-1901.