Rader v. Stubblefield

86 P. 560, 43 Wash. 334, 1906 Wash. LEXIS 702
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 1, 1906
DocketNo. 5911
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 86 P. 560 (Rader v. Stubblefield) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rader v. Stubblefield, 86 P. 560, 43 Wash. 334, 1906 Wash. LEXIS 702 (Wash. 1906).

Opinion

Chow, J.

On November 17, 1902,' Joseph Stubblefield, domiciled in Umatilla county, Oregon, a few miles from Walla Walla, Washington, died testate, being then about seventy-nine years- of age. About the year 1874 he intermarried with Cassann Stubblefield, the appellant herein. If either of said parties had contracted a prior marriage; that fact is not disclosed by the record. There, never was- any issue of said marriage; at least, no such issue survived Joseph Stubblefield. At the date of their marriage, the aptpellant, Cassann Stubblefield, had no. estate whatsoever, but Joseph Stubblefield was then worth from seventy-five to one hundred thousand dollars, and from that time his only occupation consisted in loaning his money and caring for his estate. His good management caused his estate to so- increase that, at his-death, he was possessed of about $180,000 in money, notes, mortgages and other securities, then deposited with his bankers in Walla Walla, Washington, and also of about $10,000 in real estate; forty-eight acres thereof being his home place in Umatilla county, Oregon, valued at $2,400, [337]*337and the remainder being in Walla Walla and Columbia counties, Washington.

On May 5, 1902, at Walla Walla, Washington, said Joseph Stubblefield executed his last will and testament in compliance with the laws of Washington, and, also, of Oregon. On September 1, 1902, at his home in Umatilla county, Oregon, he in like manner executed a codicil to said will. At his instance the will and codicil were deposited with his bankers in Walla Walla, Washington, who had possession of the same at the date of his death. Said will named the respondent C. M. Rader, a resident of Walla Walla, Washington, and the respondents R. M. Dorothy and E. A. Reser, residents of Umatilla county, Oregon, as executors; and, also, as trustees of the trust hereinafter mentioned. The testator devised to his wife the sum of $6,000, together with a life estate in five acres of the home place in Oregon, which included the house; barn, and outbuildings. Subject to' said life estate and the widow’s dower, to' which she was entitled under the laws of Oregon; the home place of forty-eight acres was devised toi one Francis M. Stubblefield, a nephew of the testator. A large number of other devises in money, ranging in sums from $200 to $2,500, and aggregating about $25,000, were also made; mostly to relatives and collateral heirs. The residue of the estate was devised by clause 31 of said will as follows:

“Thirty-first — I hereby bequeath and devise to R. M. Dorothy, E. A. Reser, of Umatilla county, state of Oregon, and G. M. Rader, of Walla Walla county, state of Washington, my executors and the survivors or survivor of them and to their successors, hereinafter provided for as trustees, all the rest and residue of my estate, real and plersonal and mixed, of whatsoever kind, and wheresoever' situated, in trust, to be devoted to1, invested and the income thereof to- be expended by said trustees and their successors- for the establishment, maintenance and support of a home for the fatherless or motherless and indigent children, residents of the states of [338]*338Oregon, and Washington, and worthy, elderly, indigent widows, residents of Oregon and Washington, and to- their maintenance and to the- giving of a common school education and to the teaching of some useful trade or occupation to the children inmates thereof. My said executors as such trustees and the survivors or survivor thereof and their successors shall have the sole and exclusive control and management of said home the amount of said income to he devoted to the maintenance, support and education of children and the amount to he devoted to the support of widows shall wholly and entirely he within, the- discretion and judgment of said trustees and their successors. ... It is my wish that said home he located at or near the city of Walla Walla, Washington, ¡provided that within one year after the probate of my will there he donated to said trustees and to their successors, the sum of ten- thousand dollars or its equivalent in value for the purpose of securing ground and the erection of suitable buildings for such home. In case said sum or its equivalent in value be not so donated then said home to he located at some other suitable place in either Washington or Oregon, to he selected by said trustees. : . . ”

On November 20,1902, said will and codicil were admitted to probate by the superior court of Walla Walla county, Washington, and the respondents Eader, Dorothy and Eeser were appointed executors. Afterwards an inventory-and ap>praisement were filed, showing real and personal property in this state of the total appraised value of $180,254.21, all of which' was scheduled as the separate property of said decedent. On December 27, 1902, upon the return of said inventory and appraisement and upon a hearing had, the court adjudged said estate to he solvent, and made an order authorizing said executors to administer the same without the intervention of said court, said will so directing. Shortly after the death of her husband, appellant, being then about eighty years of age, moved to Walla Walla, Washington, where she resided continuously until the trial of this action. She did not object to said probate proceedings, nor did she at any time prior to- March 26, 1904, attempt to- have said will probated by any Oregon court. On December 20, 1902, [339]*339the appellant appeared in the superior court of Walla Walla county, Washington, and filed a petition, asking a reasonable allowance out of said estate for her support during the progress of administration. This petition was heard and denied on December 30, 1902. Shortly after the probating of said will, the executors paid one small legacy, notified appellant that they were ready to pay the $6,000 due her, and they were also about to settle other legacies.

About this time appellant indicated to the executors that she was mot satisfied with the provision made forher by the will. She then claimed that the personal property and the real estate in Washington were community property, and that she was entitled to one-half thereof -under the laws of Washington. She also insisted that the will, and especially the thirty-first clause thereof, was void. These claims were rer sisted by the executors, who maintained the entire will was valid, and that all property in their possession was the separate property of their testator. Thereupon appellant employed an attorney, through whom she threatened litigation for the purpose of questioning the validity of said will, especially said thirty-first clause. Under these conditions the executors refrained from paying legacies or disbursing ‘ any funds until they could secure an adjustment of all claims made by appellant. After some dispute', a settlement was proposed to appellant’s attorney, but was rejected by him without being submitted to her. The offer was also withdrawn by respondents.

About this time appellant’s attorney moved to Seattle, and ceased to render further service in the matter, but some of appellant’s friends approached respondents for the purpose of securing a settlement. On account of appellant’s advanced age, respondents, one of whom — Kader—was an attorney, refused to meet appellant unless she was represented by counsel. She declined to employ another attorney, ‘but a meeting was held at which, the executors and herself being present, she was represented by George McGuire, 33. A. McGuirei, [340]*340and W. P. Winans, who were also present. George McGuire was her nephew, an educated business man, who.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

In the Matter of Marriage of Giordano
787 P.2d 51 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1990)
Mitchell v. Cloyes
1980 OK 184 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1980)
In Re Estate of Radu
301 N.E.2d 263 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1973)
In re the Estate of Blomeen
385 P.2d 540 (Washington Supreme Court, 1963)
State of California v. State Tax Commission
346 P.2d 1006 (Washington Supreme Court, 1959)
Guinness v. State
246 P.2d 433 (Washington Supreme Court, 1952)
In Re Randall's Estate
113 P.2d 54 (Washington Supreme Court, 1941)
Naab v. Smith
97 P.2d 677 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1940)
In Matter of Estate of Holden
1 A.2d 721 (Supreme Court of Vermont, 1938)
Farmers State Bank v. Talbott
178 Wash. 460 (Washington Supreme Court, 1934)
In Re Rowley's Estate
35 P.2d 34 (Washington Supreme Court, 1934)
State v. Territory of Alaska
175 Wash. 115 (Washington Supreme Court, 1933)
In Re Lyons' Estate
26 P.2d 615 (Washington Supreme Court, 1933)
Estate of McDole
10 P.2d 75 (California Supreme Court, 1932)
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway Co. v. Shelly
170 N.E. 328 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1930)
In Re Estate of Fults
225 N.W. 152 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1929)
Northern Pacific Railway Co. v. Richey & Gilbert Co.
232 P. 355 (Washington Supreme Court, 1925)
Thomas Kay Woolen Mill Co. v. Sprague
259 F. 338 (D. Oregon, 1919)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
86 P. 560, 43 Wash. 334, 1906 Wash. LEXIS 702, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rader-v-stubblefield-wash-1906.