Riley v. Harrington

31 P.2d 729, 96 Mont. 489
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedApril 6, 1934
DocketNo. 7,227
StatusPublished

This text of 31 P.2d 729 (Riley v. Harrington) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Riley v. Harrington, 31 P.2d 729, 96 Mont. 489 (Mo. 1934).

Opinion

MR. JUSTICE MATTHEWS

delivered the opinion of the court.

John Toomey died April 19, 1932; his heirs at law were Joe Riley, Bart Riley, Margaret Riley, Bessie Riley Brown, Thomas Riley and Leo Riley, children of his deceased sister, all of age except Thomas and Leo. At the time of his death Toomey had on deposit in the First National Bank of Butte $5,199 in a savings account, and $4,872.59 in a checking account.

On May 21, 1930, Toomey made, dated and signed, entirely in his own handwriting, the following will:

“I John Toomey Do here by give to Tim Harrington A cousin of mine Every Cent of Money on deposit on 1st National Bank of Butte Mont. He to administer same as he sees fit. for Burial purposes and Masses & Sc. No Riley family is got to have no handling anything in regard to Burial or So forth So in conclusion I will say I disown them. As ever Signed
“Jno Toomey Kenwood Block Butte Mont.”

Shortly thereafter Toomey had the savings account changed to the joint account of “John Toomey or Tim Harrington” with the right of survivorship, and at some time thereafter he told Harrington to withdraw the money as soon as he heard of his death.

Toomey was suffering from no known ailment at the time he created the joint account, but a year later he became afflicted with heart disease and went to Arizona, where he remained until his death. On April 18, 1932, he wrote Harrington as follows:

[492]*492“Dear Tim: Just a few lines to let you know Im living and its about all. * * * Say Tim one request Im asking you is to have my body brought to Butte and Buried beside Mother and Con. And I would like you to give Tom & Leo $1,000 each so you keep the rest, out in a kind of Trust fund so none of the rest will now * * * So if anything should happen I want you to collect this money on that book on my trunk and this Engineers Union. * * * So hope no lawsuits, no more.”

Immediately on hearing of Toomey’s death, Harrington withdrew the “savings account” from the bank and offered the will for probate. The will was admitted to probate and Harrington qualified as executor, paid all just claims against the estate, and on January 13, 1933', rendered to the court his “First and Final Account,” in which he accounted only for the amount found in the checking account, and showed a balance on hand of $3,718.21. He petitioned for the settlement of this account and the distribution of the estate.

In the course of administration Harrington, through his attorney, advised the Riley family of Toomey’s letter written the day before his death, and furnished them with a copy thereof, but did not offer to pay the minors the $1,000 each mentioned in the letter, nor did he make any provision therefor on settlement and distribution of the estate; on the contrary, he declared in his petition that he was “entitled to the residue of the estate.”

On February 2, 1933, Joe Riley filed “objections to the allowance of the first and final account” on the ground that the amount in the savings account was a part of the estate, and that the item of $25.45 for meeting the body at Pocatello, Idaho, was not a proper item of expense.

Bart Riley, as guardian of the persons and estates of Thomas Riley and Leo Riley, filed objections on the ground that the account ignored the trust created in favor of his wards.

Joe Riley then filed a petition for the probate of the will of May 21, 1930, and the letter of April 18, 1932, “as a codicil to said will,” in which it is alleged that by the codicil “the sum [493]*493of $1,000 each is left to Thomas Riley and Leo Riley.” Riley prayed that he be appointed administrator with the will annexed.

Thereupon Bart Riley proposed amendments to his objections to the distribution of the estate, which are upon the grounds that a petition for the probate of the will and codicil is pending; that the terms of the’ will do not make it certain as to whether Harrington “is to have the entire estate or only for the purpose of paying certain bequests”; and that the will is so uncertain and indefinite that it cannot be given effect, and therefore the residue of the estate “descended by law of succession to the heirs.” The objections were met by answer and all the matters were heard jointly.

On the hearing Harrington admitted that he had collected $100 funeral benefits from the Engineers Union for which he had not accounted, and asserted that he had created a trust fund in favor of the minors by provisions in his will in favor of his wife. He contended that the amount of the savings account was no part of the Toomey estate.

On September 9, 1933, the court made and filed its findings of fact and conclusions of law. Therein it finds that Toomey did not leave the amount of the savings account as a part of the estate, but that it was transferred as a gift “in the nature of a final disposition or distribution thereof, made in contemplation of death.” The court found that the total value of the estate was as stated in the account and the balance on hand was correct, except that there should be added thereto the $100 not accounted for. The court, however, declared in its findings of fact that Harrington was liable for inheritance tax on the amount received from the savings account as well as of the amount of the estate, and fixed the tax payable on each. The court then recites the facts concerning the letter of April 18, 1932, and that it is wholly in the handwriting of the testator who was, at the time of its writing and of the making of the will of May 21, 1930, of sound mind and not acting under the influence of duress, fraud or undue influence.

[494]*494As a conclusion of law the court declares that the letter is not a codicil to the will; is not “wholly inconsistent with, and does not completely revoke” the will; that the two instruments taken together “express the intention and constitute the last will of the decedent; that is to say, that the residue of the estate should go $1,000 to Thomas Riley, $1,000 to Leo Riley, and the remainder to Tim J. Harrington.” That “the words ‘I want you to give Tom & Leo $1,000 each’ immediately followed by the words ‘so you keep the rest’ are testamentary and imperative, and not precatory.” That the attempted creation of a trust is invalid and void, and the $2,000 is “to be distributed” to the legally appointed guardian of the minors.

The court then overruled the objections to the introduction of the letter in evidence (on the trial overruled pro forma), and overruled all objections to the account and petition of the executor “inconsistent with these findings.” It then declared that the executor’s motion to dismiss the petition of Joe Riley “should be, and is now, granted,” and said petition “is denied and dismissed.” The court closes with, “Let decree or decrees be entered accordingly.” The decree was not entered until September 30, 1933.

Joe Riley alone filed notice of appeal on November 22, 1933, and served the same only on Tim Harrington, as executor, his attorney, and upon the guardian of the two minors.

It is made to appear by supplemental transcript filed that the $2,000 was paid over to the guardian on October 7, 1933'.

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Bluebook (online)
31 P.2d 729, 96 Mont. 489, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/riley-v-harrington-mont-1934.