Robinson v. Lamkin

23 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 425
CourtOhio Superior Court, Cincinnati
DecidedNovember 15, 1920
StatusPublished

This text of 23 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 425 (Robinson v. Lamkin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Superior Court, Cincinnati primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Robinson v. Lamkin, 23 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 425 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1920).

Opinion

Marx, J.

This suit is brought by John F. Robinson as plaintiff to secure the-unconditional ownership of certain valuable shares of stock under Item 4 of a written instrument executed by his deceased daughter, Pearl R. Lamkin, March 3, 1905. The principal defendant is Harry G. Lamkin, the widower of Pearl R. Lamkin.

The stock which the pltaintiff seeks to have transferred to him, and which is claimed by the defendant Harry G. Lamkin, as the executor of Pearl R. Lamkin, to be the property of her estate, subject to the admitted life interest of the plaintiff under said agreement, now stands upon the boobs of the defendant corporations in the name of Pearl R. Lamkin.

The shares of capital stock which the plaintiff seeks to have transferred to him in this case are 508 shares of United S'tates Playing Card Company; 522.43 shares of the first preferred and 381.32 of the second preferred United States Printing & Lithographing Company; and 50 shares of the W. B. Oglesby Paper Company.

Each of these corporations has been made a defendant. However, since each of the defendant corporations have in effect filed answers asking the court to determine the ownership of the above [427]*427named shares of stock and assert no rights on their own account in said stock, the principal parties are John F. Robinson ab plaintiff and Harry G. Lamkin as defendant. For convenience the term plaintiff and defendant will be used in this statement of fact and in the course of the opinion as 'referring to these two principal parties unless otherwise specified.

The issue as to the ownership of the above named shares of stock depends for decision upon the validity of Item 4 of the instrument of March 3, 1905. If Item 4 is valid, then the plaintiff is entitled to the relief prayed for in his petition. If Item 4 is invalid, for any of the reasons alleged by the defendant, then the prayer of the petition must be denied. The question as to the validity of Item 4 is purely a question of law and involves no disputed questions of fact. However, in order that the question of law may be more intelligently understood, a brief statement of the facts is essential.

Statement oe Facts.

The shares of stock which the plaintiff seeks to have transferred to him in this case represent part of the proceeds of an investment made by the plaintiff in The Russell & Morgan partnership formed January 1, 3867. The plaintiff was one of the four partners in that firm which became a corporation in December, 1883. At that time he received 99 shares of the capital stock of the Russell Morgan Company, each share having a par value of $1,000. In 1884 the plaintiff transferred 95 shares of this stock to his wife, Caroline F. Robinson in order to protect his family in case anything should happen either to him or his circus. In 1889 Caroline F. Robinson died intestate, leaving as her sole heirs at law the plaintiff and four minor children, John, aged 17 years; Kate, aged 15 years; Pearl R., aged 11 years; and Caroline, aged 8 years. Her estate consisted of the 95 shares of Russell & Morgan stock. The plaintiff’s brother, Gilbert N. Robinson, was appointed administrator of this estate. The plaintiff did not claim his distributive share of his wife’s estate and on December 5, 1889 the estate of Caroline F. Robinson -vyqs settled by the trans-. [428]*428fer of the 95 shares of stock of Russell & Morgan Company to the plaintiff as guardian of his four minor children. As each of the children became of age, the stock was transferred to them severally in proper proportions on the books of the company. In this manner the plaintiff’s daughter Pearl, became the owner of 23% shares of the stock of the Russell & Morgan Company, which original stock by reason of the purchase of the Russell & Morgan Company by the United States Printing Company and different exchanges of that stock became the stock now standing in the name of Pearl R. Lamkin upon the books of the defendant corporations and involved in this case.

On October 2, 1901, the plaintiff’s daughter, Caroline;- married Horace Stevens, -against her father’s wishes. On June 13th, 1903, Caroline Stevens executed a written instrument with respect to her share of the original Russell & Morgan stock similar to the instrument subsequently executed by her sister Pearl R. Lamkin, on March 3, 1905, which is under consideration in this ease.

On March 1, 1905, the plaintiff’s daughter, Pearl R. married Harry G-. Lamkin against her father’s wishes, and on March 3, 1905, executed the written instrument of that date concerning her share of the original Russell & Morgan stock which is the subject of this controversy.

In 1908 the plaintiff married a second time against the wishes of his children. Shortly thereafter, Caroline, Pearl R., and John broughts suits to set aside and cancel the instruments of June 13, 1903, and March 3,1905 and for an accounting. The suit brought by John was settled out of court. The suits brought 'by Caroline and Pearl proceeded to final judgment by which the validity of both instruments was finally established with the exception- of Item 4. Thq validity of Item 4 of the written instruments' of June 13, 1903, and March 3, 1905, was not- determined because 'Item 4 provided for the contingency of Caroline or Pearl 'dying before the plaintiff and without issue, which contingency'had not happened when the previous cases were decided, and' did hot then seem likely to happen. That contingency has now happened [429]*429in'the ease of Pearl R. Lamkin who died in October, 1918, without issue, issue.

For a more complete report of the facts and history of the previous cases reference is made to the opinion of Judge Chas. J. Hunt in Pearl R. Lamkin v. John F. Robinson and Caroline Stevens v. John F. Robinson, 10 Ohio Nisi Prius (N. S.), 1.; and to the opinion of the Circuit -Court reversing the Common Pleas Court in Pearl R. Lamkin v. John F. Robinson and Caroline Stevens v. John F. Robinson, 15 Ohio Circuit Court (N. S.), 126, affirmed in Lamkin v. Robinson and Stevens v. Robinson, 88 Ohio State, 603.

For the record and arguments in these cases reference is made to the printed Ohio Supreme Court Records and Briefs, 88 O. S., part 36, Cases No. 13759 and 13760. Since the important questions of law which must be decided in this case turn exclusively upon the construction and validity of Item 4 of the instrument of March 3,1905. that instrument is quoted verbatim, as follows:

“Whereas, I am the owner of certain stocks, to-wit: five hum dred and eight (508) shares of the capital stock of the United States Playing Card Comptny evidenced by Certificate No. ■——.
“Eight hundred and three and three-fourths (803%) shares of the capital stock of The United States Printing Company, evidenced by Certificate No.-and fifty (50) shares of the W. B. Oglesby Paper Company, evidenced by Certificate No. ---, now this agreement is to show:
“That for and in consideration of one dollar and other good and valuable considerations, to me paid, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged:
“1. The said John F.

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23 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 425, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/robinson-v-lamkin-ohsuperctcinci-1920.