Risser v. Ayers

137 N.E. 851, 306 Ill. 293
CourtIllinois Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 19, 1922
DocketNo. 15017
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 137 N.E. 851 (Risser v. Ayers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Illinois Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Risser v. Ayers, 137 N.E. 851, 306 Ill. 293 (Ill. 1922).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Dunn

delivered the opinion of the court:

The complainants in a suit for partition have appealed from a decree dismissing their bill.

N. J. Risser died on August 12, 1906, leaving surviving him his widow, Magdaline Risser, and four children, — Edward A. Risser, Katie Tyner, Amelia Risser and Barbara Schertz. He left a will which was admitted to probate, the material parts of which are as follows:

“First — It is my will that my funeral expenses and all my just debts be fully paid.
“Second — I give and bequeath to Magdaline Risser, my wife, $200 each year as long as she may live, and also the free use of the home property, lots three (3), four (4) and five (5) in block one (1) of Stephenson’s addition to Danvers, as her home as long as she may live. If she should desire some other place as a home the executor shall provide same. If the $200 per year is not sufficient to provide for her needs more shall be used. At the death of my wife:
“Third — To my daughter Amelia $1000 cash, to be taken out of sale of lots three (3), four (4) and five (5) in block one (1) of Stephenson’s addition, the balance of cash from sale of said three lots (3, 4, 5,) to go to estate.
“Fourth — To my daughter Barbara Schertz two thousand dollars ($2000) in cash within one year after the death of my wife.
“Fifth — The residue of my estate shall be equally divided among and between Edward Risser, Amelia Risser and Katie Tyner. In case Edward Risser, Amelia Risser or Katie Tyner should not leave any heirs, their share shall be equally divided between the other two.
“Sixth — The executor shall pay all taxes on all the property, and also pay taxes on the sixty-five (65) acres in my wife’s name.
“Seventh — The executor may sell the two lots one (1) and two (2) in block one (1) of Stephenson’s addition whenever said executor may see fit to do so, the return from same to be added to estate.
“Lastly — I hereby nominate and appoint Amelia Risser to be the execütor of this my last will and testament, with bond of $5000, hereby revoking all former wills by me made.”

Besides the lots mentioned in the will the testator owned 220 acres of land, which was mortgaged for $4486. On August 12, 1907, the three residuary devisees made a voluntary partition of the 220 acres by the exchange of mutual quit-claim deeds, by which 60 acres were conveyed to Edward Risser and 80 acres each to Katie Tyner and Amelia Risser. Amelia’s tract was regarded as the more valuable, and to equalize the value Amelia agreed to pay $2495.33 of the mortgage debt and the others each agreed to pay $995-33 of it. Each of the deeds recited: “This deed is made as a division and partition of the real estate left by Nicholas Risser, subject to the payment of $200 per annum to Magdaline Risser, one-third of which amount the grantee herein assumes and agrees to pay under the terms of the will of said Nicholas Risser.” The parties went into possession of the respective tracts conveyed to them and paid the mortgage in accordance with their agreement. Amelia Risser mortgaged her 80 acres for $2495.33 and Edward Risser mortgaged his land. Amelia Risser married Charles Fremont Ayers in August, 1909. The widow, Magdaline Risser, died on June 5, 1916, and the four children of N. J. Risser, the devisees named in his will, brought an ex parte proceeding to the September term, 1916, of the circuit court of McLean county for a construction of certain parts of the will. A decree was entered in that case which, among other things, construed the fifth clause of the will, and found that the children named in that clause took the portions devised therein to them in fee simple at the death of the widow, on June 5, 1916.

Amelia R. Ayers and her husband, Charles Fremont Ayers, borrowed $14,500 from the Sangamon Loan and Trust Company of Springfield, for which they mortgaged her 80 acres and other land of her husband. Edward Risser and Katie Tyner each also borrowed $14,500 from the same loan and trust company, and on April 1, 1917, executed mortgages upon their respective portions of the land securing the loans. On June 4, 1919, Amelia conveyed her 80 acres to Ayers, and died on August 10, 1919, leaving no lineal descendants. Edward Risser and Katie Tyner thereupon prosecuted a writ of error to reverse the decree of the circuit court construing clause 5 of the will in the ex parte proceeding which has been mentioned, and the decree was reversed so far as it construed clause 5, for the reason that the bill did not ask for a construction of clause 5 and the allegations of the bill were insufficient to authorize a decree construing clause 5. (Risser v. Ayers, 294 Ill. 241.) Upon remandment the part of the decree which construed clause 5 was stricken out. Thereupon Edward Risser and Katie Tyner filed their bill to partition the 80 acres which had been quit-claimed to Amelia, against Ayers and the First Trust and Savings Bank of Springfield, which has succeeded to the rights of the Sangamon Loan and Trust Company, under the mortgage given by Amelia and Charles Fremont Ayers. The mortgage was given while the decree in the ex parte proceeding was in force and no question of its validity is made. The decree found that the three beneficiaries named in clause 5 of the will became the owners in fee simple of the real estate affected by that clause upon the death of Magdaline Risser, and that Ayers by the conveyance of Amelia had become the owner in fee simple of the 80 acres in question, and dismissed the bill for want of equity.

The word “heirs” in the fifth clause is not used in its technical sense, for none of the devisees could have died without heirs if the other two survived, as the clause contemplated. The gift over in case either of the devisees should not leave heirs clearly depends upon the death of a devisee, for no one can have heirs except upon his death. The word as here used means children or descendant. (Lee v. Roberson, 297 Ill. 321.) Where there is a devise to one person and if he should die to another, without more, the testator will be presumed to have referred to a death preceding his own, but where the devise over is to take effect if the first taker dies under circumstances which may or may not happen, as without child or children surviving him, unless controlled by other provisions of the will, it will take effect upon the death of the first taker under the circumstances specified, either before or after the death of the testator. (Fifer v. Allen, 228 Ill. 507.) Here the devise over is dependent not only upon the death of Amelia, but also upon the doubtful circumstance that she should not leave any heirs, — that is, children or descendants. The death referred to is therefore death at any time, before or after the death of the testator, unless controlled by other provisions/ of the will. If there is a particular estate preceding the gift over, the latter will take effect if the contingency happens at any time during the existence of the particular estate, and in such case a death without children surviving refers to death before the death of the life tenant unless the will shows that the testator intended to refer to a later date. Lachenmyer v. Gehlbach, 266 Ill. 11; Morris v. Phillips, 287 id. 633.

In Ridgeway v. Underwood, 67 Ill.

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Bluebook (online)
137 N.E. 851, 306 Ill. 293, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/risser-v-ayers-ill-1922.