Page v. Sherman

1959 OK 93, 341 P.2d 270, 1959 Okla. LEXIS 313
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMay 19, 1959
Docket38002
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 1959 OK 93 (Page v. Sherman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Page v. Sherman, 1959 OK 93, 341 P.2d 270, 1959 Okla. LEXIS 313 (Okla. 1959).

Opinions

WILLIAMS, Vice Chief Justice.

This action was brought by Eugenia Sherman as executrix and sole heir and devisee under the will of her mother, lele Victoria Stinson, deceased, against the [273]*273executors of her stepfather’s estaté (L. E. Stinson, deceased), and others, to establish an alleged community interest in certain property claimed by defendants as the sole property and assets of the estate of L. E. Stinson, deceased.

The trial judge made findings of fact and conclusions of law upon which judgment was entered in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendants from which judgment defendants appeal.

As the parties assume the same position here as in the trial court we shall generally refer to Eugenia Sherman as plaintiff, and the executors of the L. E. Stinson estate, et al., as defendants.

The Stinsons, at the time of their respective deaths, had been married for approximately 30 years. Mrs. Stinson died in January, 1952; Mr. Stinson died one month later. Mrs. Stinson had been previously married, Mrs. Sherman, a daughter by previous marriage, the plaintiff, being her sole issue. Mrs. Stinson left a will dated February 21, 1951, in which she devised all her property, real, personal and mixed, to Mrs. Sherman, her daughter.

Mr. Stinson left a will in which he devised all his property to the named defendants, excluding his stepdaughter, Mrs. Sherman, as a devisee or legatee.

The respective estates are now in the process of administration in the County Court of Harmon County, Oklahoma.

Mrs. Stinson’s will was prepared by attorneys in Texas, presumably as she was the owner through inheritance of lands in that state, found by the trial judge to be of the value of $100,000. In explanation of making Mrs. Sherman her sole beneficiary, the will contained the following provisions:

“This disposition of my property ignores my husband who is well fixed financially and well able to take care of his own future needs and wants, and in fact is a disposition which has his full knowledge and approval.”

Clause 2 of her will contained the following provisions:

“If my daughter, Eugenia Sherman (wife of John W. Sherman, Fort Worth, Texas) shall survive me by (30) days, then I give and bequeath unto my said daughter, Eugenia, all of my property of every kind and character, in fee simple and without any character of condition or limitation.”

The first question presented is whether there is substantial evidence to support the trial court’s finding that the net earnings of the various Stinson enterprises during the community property period (1945 to 1949) were community property and not the separate property of L. E. Stinson in which Mrs. Stinson could claim no interest. The record discloses that Mr. Stinson in 1934 was employed at a salary of $200 per month, and had no separate property of any character. The following year, from financial assistance furnished by his wife, he invested in a business known as the Hollis Farm Supply, and later in Hartley-Stinson property. The Hollis Farm Supply by the end of 1939 had a net worth of $10,560.26. At the end of World War II there was an increased demand for farm implements and supplies and the business prospered proportionately, so that, as reflected by the books and accounts of the L. E. Stinson enterprises, there was an increase in net worth from July 31, 1945, to May 31, 1949, of $132,401.42.

Upon controversial evidence, the trial court found that Mrs. Stinson made numerous loans to the Hollis Farm Supply and other businesses conducted in the name of her husband. The books of these enterprises disclose some of these loans were repaid, while others were not. Mrs. Stin-son also assisted in the operation of the Hollis Farm Supply. This finding being supported by substantial evidence, we deem it unnecessary to set out at greater length-the testimony upon which the court’s conclusion is based that the increase in net worth of the Stinson properties resulted from the joint industry of husband and wife.

[274]*274The court found that the net earnings of the Stinson enterprises during the community period were community property and therefore Mrs. Stinson had the right to and did will one-half interest in the community property to her daughter. After an accounting, it was determined that the half interest in the community property after certain credit allowances, was the amount of $60,440.77, reduced by plaintiff’s remitti-tur in the amount of $3,058.46, for which sum judgment was entered in favor of plaintiff as executrix and individually, and against the executors of the L. E. Stinson estate and its beneficiaries, the named defendants.

Under defendants’ proposition I, they contend Mrs. Stinson left her daughter only her separate estate; the ignoring clause (supra) disclaiming any interest in her husband’s property that she might have acquired under the community property law. It is argued that from the face of the will it is obvious that Mrs. Stinson intended to devise only her separate property to her daughter. The premise is based upon the fact that her ranch land was located in Texas and that she employed Texas lawyers to prepare her will, which provided for the appointment of residents of that state as executors, and trustees. Obviously Mrs. Stinson had her Texas lawyer prepare the will because part of her estate, the ranch land, was located in Texas. Moreover, she designated her daughter, Mrs. Sherman, her son-in-law and her sister, all residents of Texas, as executors and trustees for the very obvious reason of relationship and confidence in their ability to carry out the terms of her will. We are unable to concur in defendants’ conclusion that these facts disclose an intent to limit the will to the disposition of Mrs. Stinson’s separate property in Texas only. We think this view is supported by clause II of the will, supra, wherein it is recited that “I give and bequeath unto my said daughter, Eugenia, all of my property of every kind and character, real, personal or mixed, wherever situated in fee simple and without any character of condition or limitation”. Neither do we agree with defendants’ contention that the ignoring clause (supra) disclosed an intent-on the part of Mrs. Stin-son to devise only her separate estate in Texas, or that by the clause she intended to and did disclaim any interest in her husband’s property that she might have acquired under the community.

We find no ambiguity in the will, and are unable to read into it an intention to devise only her separate property, or that by the ignoring clause she disclaimed any interest in the community.

Under proposition II defendants contend :

“The undivided one-half interest in the husband’s property that vested in his wife under the Community Property Law was not such an interest or estate that could be devised by her or pass to her heirs if she died leaving her husband surviving.”

Mr. Justice Holmes, in Arnett v. Reade, 220 U.S. 311, 31 S.Ct. 425, 426, 55 L.Ed. 477, expressed the view that the wife’s interest in community property under the law of New Mexico was more than a mere expectancy, and that under the issue there presented she was entitled to some sort of relief under general principles of law. He then added:

“It is not necessary to go very deeply into the precise nature of the wife’s interest during the marriage.

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Related

Catron v. First National Bank & Trust Co. of Tulsa
1967 OK 107 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1967)
Stinson v. Sherman
405 P.2d 172 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1965)
Hiskett v. Wells
1959 OK 273 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1959)
Page v. Sherman
1959 OK 93 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1959)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1959 OK 93, 341 P.2d 270, 1959 Okla. LEXIS 313, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/page-v-sherman-okla-1959.