Price v. Shiels

31 N.W.2d 91, 149 Neb. 330, 1948 Neb. LEXIS 27
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 25, 1948
DocketNo. 32313
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 31 N.W.2d 91 (Price v. Shiels) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Price v. Shiels, 31 N.W.2d 91, 149 Neb. 330, 1948 Neb. LEXIS 27 (Neb. 1948).

Opinion

Messmore, J.

This action is brought by the plaintiffs, remaindermen and the heirs of a deceased remainderman, against the testamentary trustee, the life tenant and remaindermen who do not join as parties plaintiff, the purpose of the suit being to construe the last will and testament of Thomas Shiels, deceased.

From the pleadings, demurrers, and the will there is an apparent confusion as to the name Shiels. In some instances it is spelled S-h-i-e-l-s, and in others, S-h-e-i-l-s. We use the spelling S-h-i-e-l-s because the action names the parties interested in the will in such manner although in the will the name is spelled S-h-e-i-l-s.

The defendants demur to the plaintiffs’ petition. For the purpose of this appeal, the demurrers may be considered sustained on the ground that the petition failed to state a cause of action. The defendants urge that the action was prematurely brought.

For convenience the appellants will hereinafter be referred to as plaintiffs, and the appellees as defendants.

We deem it advisable to set forth the relationship of the parties as the same appears from the plaintiffs’ petition and the will attached thereto and made a part thereof.

Thomas Shiels made and executed the will in question [332]*332January 3, 1925. He departed this life June 8, 1933. The will was admitted to probate July 6, 1933. He left surviving him Sarah Elizabeth Shiels, widow; Gay Marshall Shiels, son; Max Marshall Shiels, grandson; Evelyn Shiels Tucker, granddaughter; Katherine Shiels Bullock, granddaughter; and Dorothy Shiels Laursen, granddaughter, children of testator’s son Gay Marshall Shiels; Thomas J. Shiels, grandson; Thea June Shiels, now Thea June Shiels Berning, granddaughter; Vanice Shiels, now Vanice Shiels Banta, granddaughter, children of the testator’s son Iloa Jay Shiels who departed this life intestate on December 21, 1921, prior to the time of the making and execution of the will of Thomas Shiels, and prior to his death.

Sarah Elizabeth Shiels departed this life testate August 4, 1946.

The plaintiff, Irene M. Price, is the widow of Iloa Jay Shiels, son of the testator, and the mother of Thomas J. Shiels, a grandson of the testator. Thomas J. Shiels departed this life November 20, 1944, at the age of 24 years, leaving no children, and his only surviving heirs are his mother, Irene M. Price, and his wife, Shirley Louise Shiels.

The plaintiffs alleged in their petition that they' were unable to ascertain whether or not any children have been born to Max Marshall Shiels, Evelyn Shiels Tucker, Katherine Shiels Bullock, and Dorothy Shiels Laursen, who are the children of testator’s son Gay Marshall Shiels, and for that reason alleged that no children have been born to the foregoing named children of Gay Marshall Shiels. One child has been born to Vanice Shiels Banta, who is now a widow. No children have been born to Thea June Berning.

We set forth in substance certain provisions of the-will insofar as the same need be considered on this appeal. The wife, Sarah Elizabeth Shiels, received a life estate with power to sell, mortgage or lease for terms within or beyond the period of the trust, and the right [333]*333to invest and reinvest under certain conditions, she to receive the net income from the trust estate during her life. The fifth paragraph of the will provides that upon her death the property is devised and bequeathed to a named trustee, with power to sell, mortgage or lease, invest and reinvest under certain conditions; the trustee to pay to Gay Marshall Shiels, the testator’s son, all of the income received from the trust fund during his life.

Paragraph 6 (a) of the will provides that upon the death of Gay Marshall Shiels the trustee shall divide the trust into two equal parts and set aside one part in trust for the children of Gay Marshall Shiels, namely: Max Marshall Shiels, Evelyn Shiels, Katherine Shiels, and Dorothy Shiels. It provides further that the trustee set aside three-fifths of this half share, accumulate the income, and hold the three-fifths and income in trust for Max Marshall Shiels. It then provides, in substance, that if Max Marshall Shiels could make a showing that by his own efforts he had accumulated $3,000 at age 35, the trustee is obligated to pay him one-half of the sum set aside for him, together with one-half of the accumulated income. If Max Marsháll Shiels fails to accumulate such amount, then no part of such sum would be paid until he was 40 years of age; then, if he made a proper showing that he had accumulated $3,000, the full amount set aside for him is to be paid to, him. If he fails to do so, the whole sum is to be held in trust during his' life, and the income therefrom to be paid to him semiannually. It is provided further, in the event of the death of Gay Marshall Shiels before his son Max Marshall Shiels had’ completed his education, then, in that event, the trustee is authorized to advance any reasonable amount to help complete the education of Max Marshall Shiels. The balance of the half, as hereinbefore mentioned, is to be held in trust for Katherine, Dorothy, and Evelyn Shiels and paid to them semi-annually during their lifetime from and after the date upon which each of them became 25 years of age, and upon the [334]*334death of either, her share of the principal to be paid to her children, free from trust.

The will then provides that upon the death of Gay-Marshall Shiels, the trustee is to hold the other half of the trust estate for the grandchildren. Thomas J. Shiels, Thea June Shiels, and Vanice Shiels. Three-fifths of the half of the testator’s estate is then charged with the same obligations and conditions that are imposed with reference to Max Marshall Shiels, as appears in paragraph 6 (a) of the will heretofore mentioned, for the benefit of Thomas J. Shiels and, as provided in paragraph 6 (a) with reference to Max Marshall Shiels, in the event of the death of Gay Marshall Shiels before Thomas J. Shiels had completed his education, then the trustee is authorized to advance any reasonable amount to help Thomas J. Shiels to complete his education. The balance of this half is to be held' in trust for Vanice and Thea June Shiels and be paid to them in the same manner as provided for with reference to Evelyn, Katherine, and Dorothy Shiels.

Other parts of the will necessary to a determination of this appeal will be set forth later in the opinion, as will the allegations of the plaintiffs’ petition upon which plaintiffs claim a cause of action has been stated.

The scope and effect of a demurrer to a pleading admits the truth of facts well pleaded for purposes of determining their sufficiency as a cause of action or defense, but does not admit the correctness of the conclusions of law drawn therefrom by the pleader. See Kozina v. Watkins Lumber Co., 146 Neb. 594, 20 N. W. 2d 606; American Water-Works Co. v. State, 46 Neb. 194, 64 N. W. 711, 30 L. R. A. 447, 50 Am. St. Rep. 610.

The plaintiffs contend that the trial court was in error in sustaining* the defendants’ demurrers, and that the petition states a cause of action that warrants construction of the will in question.

Paragraph 11 of the petition alleged, in substance, that the trust attempted to be created by the will of [335]

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Bluebook (online)
31 N.W.2d 91, 149 Neb. 330, 1948 Neb. LEXIS 27, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/price-v-shiels-neb-1948.