Russ's Estate

18 Pa. D. & C. 412, 1932 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 399
CourtPennsylvania Orphans' Court, Elk County
DecidedMay 2, 1932
DocketNo. 12
StatusPublished

This text of 18 Pa. D. & C. 412 (Russ's Estate) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Orphans' Court, Elk County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Russ's Estate, 18 Pa. D. & C. 412, 1932 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 399 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1932).

Opinion

Baikd, P. J.,

Dr. Eben J. Russ, late of St. Marys, Elk County, Pa., died November 13, 1921, leaving to survive him a widow, Clare H. Russ, his second wife, and one son, born to him by his first wife, after having first made and executed his last will and testament, bearing date March 22, 1921, duly probated and registered in the office of the Register of Wills of Elk County. His wife, Clare H. Russ, was named in said will as Clara H. Russ, and his son, Eben George Russ, was named Eben Russ.

The following are the dispositive parts of his will:

“1. After all just debts against me or my estate, if any such remain after my decease, are paid and adjusted, I give, devise and bequeath all my property of every kind, except as hereinafter otherwise disposed of, whether real estate or personalty, wherever the same may be situate, unto my wife, Clara H. Russ, to be hers without any conditions or subject to any charges, other than hereinafter set forth.

“2. At the expiration of six months from the date of this will my executors hereinafter named shall transfer from the estate to my son, Eben Russ, the following stocks from my holdings in the said companies: . . .

“3. I give, devise and bequeath to my son, Eben Russ, without any condition or restriction whatever, and excepting the same from out of all the other provisions of this will, my real estate in Benzinger Township, Elk County, Pennsylvania, purchased by me in November, 1912, by deed from St. Marys Coal Company and all leases, royalties and incomes of every kind pertaining to the said property. All the holdings are to go to him, his heirs and assigns forever without condition of any kind.

[413]*413“4. In like manner I give, devise and bequeath to my wife, Clara H. Russ, the residence property we now occupy on Center Street, in the Borough of St. Marys, with all the improvements and buildings thereon; and all the household effects, library, furniture, paintings and everything else in or connected with the house; and all the motor cars, equipment, etc. which I own, as well as all garage implements, and everything connected with the house and garage.

“5. In like manner I give, devise, and bequeath to my wife, Clara H. Russ, the house I own on the south side of Center Street, in the Borough of St. Marys, the lot and all property connected therewith. This is the house now occupied by the Taylorson and Phelan families. And in like manner I give, devise and bequeath to her what I commonly have described as the Garner lot. This is a lot on the west side of St. Marys Street, in the Borough of St. Marys between the Hall, Kaul & Hyde Company property and the property of Hauber & Dippold.

“6. In like manner I give, devise and bequeath unto my son, Eben Russ, the half interest I have in a lot at Sunbury, Pennsylvania; to be the property of the said Eben Russ, his heirs and assigns forever.

“7. The devises and bequests hitherto made to my wife, Clara H. Russ, are to be without condition of any kind to her, and she may use the same, or any part thereof as she sees fit, but at the time of her death such portion as remains undisposed of I desire to pass to my son, Eben Russ, absolutely, the same as the other devises and bequests I have made to him herein.”

An inventory and appraisement of his personal estate was made and filed, showing a total personal estate of $839,095.21, composed of cash in bank of $13,042.83; war savings stamps, $274.80; bonds, $153,009; accrued coupon interest on bonds, $2488.36; notes, $22,145.17; accounts due, $388.50; stocks, $433,998; judgment, $850; household effects, $7779.50; personal property on farm, $3041.50; and personal property in garage, $2077.25. The appraisement should be corrected: (1) error in adding value of bonds, so that this item should be $135,909.50; (2) adding value of $5000 of Kingdom of Belgium bonds, eight per cent., of 1941, value $4995; making a total appraisement of $626,990.71. Of this amount there was turned over to Eben Russ, as directed in the will, stocks to the value of $177,383. The balance of this estate, except cash in bank to the amount of $4856.99 and personal property on farm and in garage, was taken charge of by Clare H. Russ.

Mrs. Clare H. Russ died on or about January 3, 1930, after having made and executed her last will and testament, bearing date of October 2, 1928, and duly probated and registered in the office of the Register of Wills of Elk County. She also executed, by signing and sealing in the presence of witnesses, a paper bearing date of February 13, 1928, referred to in paragraph three of her will, and which itself refers to the will, but was not probated as part of her will, probably because she directed that “it is not to form any part of my will as my will is entered of record.” In this writing she undertakes to dispose of all of her own property, as well as most of the property coming into her hands under the will of her husband, Eben J. Russ, and remaining undisposed of by her, and including the increase and accumulations of the same.

An inventory and appraisement was made in her estate of a total amount of $1,117,675.91, made up as follows: cash in bank, $195,953.98; household effects, $3088.35; jewelry, $13,528.50; stocks, $855,270.45; furs and personal belongings, $402.25; bonds and interest, $48,932.38; notes, $500. The substantial increase over the appraisement of the estate of Eben J. Russ is due in part to increased value of the stocks belonging to him at his death.

[414]*414On August 21,1980, Eben George Russ presented his petition to the Orphans’ Court of Elk County, praying for a citation upon the executors of Clare H. Russ, deceased, and also upon all those persons mentioned in her will and letter accompanying the will as being beneficiaries thereunder, to show cause why the executors should not turn over to said Eben George Russ certain personal property as listed therein and added by subsequent amendments, on the ground that such property was that which was received by the said Clare H. Russ under the will of her husband, Dr. Eben J. Russ, together with the accretions and accumulations thereof, and that under the said will of her husband she had the possession of such property during her lifetime, with the right to consume the same or any part thereof, but that what remained unused and undisposed of was given to Eben George Russ, the petitioner. Said citation was duly served, and some of the parties receiving minor bequests waived and relinquished any claim or title to said property, but answers were filed by the majority admitting that some of the articles named were received by Clare H. Russ under the will of her husband, but denying that others were so received or acquired, and averring, further, that the petitioner, Eben George Russ, acquired under his father’s will only a claim for the value of such portion of said property as remained undisposed of at the time of her death, as determined by the appraisal thereof at the time of the death of Dr. Eben J. Russ, and denying the right of the petitioner to any of the property in kind. Later, an amendment was filed, in which the respondents set up and averred that Clare H. Russ took an absolute estate in the property coming to her under the will of her husband, and denying that petitioner had any claim either to the property or its value, so that the controversy presents the following issues:

1. The construction of the will of Eben J. Russ. The petitioner claims that the proper construction of the will gives to Mrs. Clare H.

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Bluebook (online)
18 Pa. D. & C. 412, 1932 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 399, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/russs-estate-paorphctelk-1932.