Richardson v. Orth

66 P. 925, 40 Or. 252, 1901 Ore. LEXIS 154
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 16, 1901
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 66 P. 925 (Richardson v. Orth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Richardson v. Orth, 66 P. 925, 40 Or. 252, 1901 Ore. LEXIS 154 (Or. 1901).

Opinion

Mr. Justice AYodverton

delivered, the opinion.

This is a suit to enforce the specific performance of an alleged contract by and between Eleanor Richardson, now deceased, and the plaintiff, whereby the former undertook and agreed, in consideration of certain services to be rendered, to make and declare her last will and testament in favor of the plaintiff, thereby bequeathing and devising to plaintiff the whole of her estate. In May, 1877, A. B. Richardson and Eleanor Richardson, husband and wife, conveyed certain real property to F. N. Blanchet, in trust, however, for the sole use and benefit of Eleanor. Subsequently, two parcels of the realty were sold, and the proceeds, among which was a note and mortgage executed by John L. George to AYilliam H. Gross, Roman Catholic Archbishop of the Diocese of Oregon, the successor of Blanchet, so that in 1898 Eleanor’s estate consisted of what remained of such proceeds — the west seventy-five feet of lot 8 in block 156 of the City of Portland, and some household furniture and wearing apparel. After reciting the foregoing facts, and others not necessary to mention, the complaint states, in substance, that on October 8, 1898, Richardson and wife being sick and infirm, the said Eleanor proposed and offered the plaintiff that if she would give up her music room and lodging at 167 Eleventh Street, in the City of Portland', and remove to her home temporarily, so as to be near her husband during his illness, and would employ her time and services whenever needed in earing for and comforting him during such illness and in attending on, caring for, and comforting her, the said Eleanor, during her apprehended illness, and in advising and assisting her in the management of her property and business affairs, she, the said Eleanor, in consideration thereof, would, by her last will, duly bequeath and devise to plaintiff all property, both real, personal, and mixed, belonging to her at the time of her death, after providing for her husband’s needs and the payment of her lawful debts; that plaintiff then and there accepted said offer and proposition, and promised and agreed to and with the said Eleanor to comply with and fulfill all the terms and conditions thereof; that [255]*255the said Eleanor, then and there intending to comply with and perform said agreement, wrote out with her own hand, and caused to be attested and delivered to plaintiff, her last will and testament, in words as follows: “I, Eleanor Richardson, being sound in mind and memory, declare this to be my last will; that is, after my lawful debts are paid, and after my husband, A. B. Richardson, is provided for, I give to Julia Richardson the rest of my property. October 8, 1898. Witness: Mrs; W. A. Pittenger, W. A. Pittenger, ’ ’ and as a part of the same transaction wrote, executed, and caused to be attested and delivered to plaintiff two orders — one upon the Society of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, and the other upon Mr. George — authorizing plaintiff, in case of the illness of said Eleanor, to draw what money was necessary therefor; that plaintiff received and accepted the first instrument as and for the last will and testament of Eleanor, and retained the same, together with the orders, until the time of her death, May 27, 3899, with her full acquiescence, knowledge, and consent. Performance on the part of the plaintiff is then alleged, following which it is stated that on February 20, after the death of Richardson, the plaintiff having been advised that the signature of said Eleanor to the first named instrument was requisite to its validity, so informed her, whereupon she willingly subscribed the same. The alleged contract or agreement is controverted by the answer, and for a further defense, among others, it is averred that the consideration to support it is grossly inadequate.

Several questions are presented by the record, but, in view of the conclusion we have reached, it is unnecessary to discuss more than one feature of the controversy, and that is whether there was a valid and binding agreement made and entered into by and between the plaintiff and Eleanor Richardson, whereby the latter undertook and promised to will and bequeath her property to the former; and whether, if made, it is supported by a sufficient and adequate consideration. The case rests mainly upon the plaintiff’s own testimony, she being the only witness who has attempted to state the tenns and conditions [256]*256of the alleged contract and agreement, and what was done by the parties concerned in pursuance thereof. However, before proceeding to any resume or discussion of her testimony, there are certain uncontroverted facts that need be stated. Plaintiff is the daughter of Richardson, and stepdaughter and niece of Eleanor, his wife. The father and stepmother had resided together upon the realty above described since 1877, but plaintiff had not lived with them for more than fourteen years. About the nineteenth of January, 1898, Richardson was taken sick, having been affected with paralysis, whereupon Mrs. Richardson sent for Mrs. Mattingly, a sister of plaintiff, and upon her advice he was taken to the hospital, where he remained for three weeks. From there he was taken to Mrs. Mattingly’s, who attended upon and cared for him until about the last days of September, when he was- removed to his home, where he remained until late in October, or early in November, when, at the instance of Mrs. Richardson, he was again taken to Mrs. Mattingly’s, where he was attended and cared for by her until the time of his death, February 9, 1899. Mrs. Richardson died May 27 following, at St. Vincent’s Hospital. About the time Richardson was taken home, plaintiff went to the house at the request of Mrs. Richardson. Plaintiff testifies that from said time until the eighth of October she helped her father and kept house; that on the eighth her mother wrote with her own hand the document set out in the complaint, purporting to be her last will and testament, but without signing or subscribing it; that she requested Mr. and Mrs. Pittenger to witness it, who, without seeing the writing, the paper being folded in such a manner as to obscure it from view, and without knowledge of its contents, or being informed as to what it was, signed their names as witnesses; that subsequently, on February 30, 1899, after the death of Richardson, she subscribed it, her attention having been by plaintiff called to the fact that it was not signed, and that its validity was dependent thereon, but not in the presence of the attesting witnesses. At the time of the writing of the purported will Mrs. Richardson wrote two orders, — one directed to the Society of the Sis[257]*257ters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, and the other to Mr. George, — authorizing the plaintiff, in case of her illness, to draw whatever money was necessary for her purposes. The last two writings were signed by Mrs. Richardson and witnessed by Mr. and Mrs. Pittenger. Mrs. Richardson, her husband, and plaintiff were all present at the time. It may be stated in this connection that the Richardsons were occupying the upper or second story of the house, and the Pittengers the lower story, having rented the same from Mrs. Richardson. The Pittengers moved out about the twelfth or thirteenth of October, some four or five days after attesting the writings.

The plaintiff, being asked how these papers came to be made, testifies: “I was up there with my stepmother. I decided to go over there, and live with her. She wanted me to be up there when papa came. She said that she had some one who was going to help her. So I went over, and there wasn’t any one there, and she asked me if I would stay all night.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
66 P. 925, 40 Or. 252, 1901 Ore. LEXIS 154, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/richardson-v-orth-or-1901.