Smullin v. Wharton

125 N.W. 1112, 86 Neb. 553, 1910 Neb. LEXIS 129
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedApril 9, 1910
DocketNo. 16,430
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 125 N.W. 1112 (Smullin v. Wharton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smullin v. Wharton, 125 N.W. 1112, 86 Neb. 553, 1910 Neb. LEXIS 129 (Neb. 1910).

Opinions

Rose, J.

This appeal presentó one phase of a protracted controversy over the residuary estate of George H. Boggs, who died without issue Dune 1, 1895, leaving a will through [555]*555which he gave his wife, Ida M. Boggs, now Ida M. Wharton, all of his personalty, the home property, and a lot in Omaha. The rest and residue of his estate was devised to Harry A. Westerfield, trustee, who was directed to pay to testator’s wife during her lifetime the income therefrom and the proceeds of any sales made pursuant to her written directions, and at her death to distribute the remainder of the trust estate among testator’s brothers and sisters and the children of any deceased brother or sister. When the will was offered for probate, it was contested by the collateral relatives described. The contest resulted in a judgment probating it and in the affirmance of that decision. Boggs v. Boggs, 62 Neb. 274. Later the contestants brought a suit in equity in the district court for Douglas county to establish and enforce a constructive trust for their benefit, with Mrs. Wharton as trustee ex maleficio, and to require her to account as- such according to the terms of an oral promise to testator to divide among them annually the net income of the trust estate, after deducting her living expenses. John C. Wharton, the present husband of Ida M. Wharton, succeeded Westerfield as trustee, and was joined with her as a defendant. The suit, after a trial, was dismissed, and upon plaintiffs’ appeal to this court it was held that the amount of any surplus liable to be divided among the plaintiffs was so uncertain and indefinite that a court of equity would not attempt to establish or administer such a trust. Smullin v. Wharton, 78 Neb. 667.

This position, however, was abandoned on rehearing. A constructive trust was subsequently declared in an opinion by Chief Justice Holcomb, and the following conclusion was reached: “The case is remanded, with directions to the district court to take an account of and ascertain what • sum per annum is sufficient to support and maintain the appellee, Ida M. Wharton, using the family homestead, according to the style of living to which she was accustomed at the time of the death of the testator, and to charge the payment, of the same annually during her life [556]*556upon the income of the trust estate devised to Westerfield, and upon the corpus thereof if the income is insufficient, and according to the conditions of said trust; second, to charge the said appellee as trustee in trust, to pay and distribute annually all such surplus income from the trust estate, if any there be after providing for the maintenance of the appellee as aforesaid, and such gifts to charitable purposes as she may desire to make from time to time, not exceeding $10,000 in all, to the brothers and sisters of the testator, share and share alike, the issue of deceased brothers and sisters, if any such issue, to take the share of the deceased parent; third, for such other accounting and decree as may be necessary to carry fully into effect the provisions of the constructive trust declared to exist, and of the trust declared by the Avill in Westerfield, and according to the vieAvs expressed in the opinion by Chief Justice Holcomb, and of this opinion.” Smullin v. Wharton, 73 Neb. 705.

The district court, after the case reappeared there for further proceedings, alloAved Mrs. Wharton, by a decree rendered June 1, 1908, to retain for her maintenance and support $5,400 a year, beginning January 1, 1908. From the alloAvance thus made she appealed to this court, insisting it should begin at the death of testator, June 1, 1895, instead óf January 1, 1908. This contention Avas sustained, though part of the decree of June 1, 1908, Avas not disturbed. Smullin v. Wharton, 83 Neb. 328. In again remanding the case for further proceedings these directions Avcre given: “The judgment of the district court, as to the questions herein reviewed and set aside, is reversed and the cause is remanded, with directions to said court to enter a supplemental decree requiring the trastee to pay to the defendant, Ida M. Wharton, out of the trust estate-, a sum equal to the sum of $5,400, per annum, from June 1, 1895, to January 1, 1908, less such sums as have been heretofore paid to or received by her out of the trust estate, as established by the facts found and set forth in the decree of said court, and that all [557]*557taxable costs of tlie last trial and of this appeal be taxed to the trust estate to be paid by the trustee. * * * Qhie only matter now left for an accounting is as to the amount received by defendant out of the-trust estate since the death of Mr. Boggs to be charged up against the $5,400 per annum to which she is entitled. To our minds tlie findings of the district court are not éntirely specific upon this point, but, should it be so held by that court, or should tlie court be able to arrive at a satisfactory-conclusion from the evidence offered upon the trial, which is not before us, no accounting will be necessary; if not, it will have to be made.” Smullin v. Wharton, 83 Neb. 346.

In the further proceedings thus directed by.this court, the trial court supplemented the decree of June 1, 1908, by the following findings and judgment:

“1. That Harry A. Westerfield, as special administrator, collected from the income of the real estate of which the testator died seized the sum of $27,653.15, and expended therefrom, for taxes and repairs and other expenses of maintaining the said property, the sum of $9,194.83, leaving the net yield from the income of the said real estate the sum of $18,458.32.

“2. That said Harry A. Westerfield, as special administrator, converted the personal property which passed under the will, and which is described in finding numbered 3 in said decree of June 1, 1908, as of the value of $10,000, and received therefrom the sum of $7,949.78, and expended in the process of collecting and reducing the same to money tlie sum of $201.73, leaving the net yield from the personal estate the sum of $7,748.05.

“3. That the amounts received by Harry A. Westerfield, as special administrator, and set forth in the two preceding findings, were mingled by him, as stated in the fifth finding of said decree of June 1, 1908, and out of the same he paid to the defendant, Ida M. Wharton, the sum of $20,700 on account of her allowance as widow, and paid to himself, for his services in reducing the per[558]*558■sonal property to money and collecting the same, the sum of $794.97, and for the expense of collecting the income of the real estate and for his services in caring for the said estate, the'sum of $2,259.93, making a total retained by him for his services of $3,054.90, and paid for the expenses of erecting a mon'ument upon the grave of George H. Boggs, deceased, the sum of $1,400. That the said special administrator paid to Irving F. Baxter, administrator with the will annexed, the sum of $1,051.47, that being the amount remaining in his hands after the foregoing-disbursements. Upon the foregoing findings of fact and the findings of fact made in the decree of June 1, 1908, the court adopts the following conclusions of law, to wit:

“(a) The devise to Westerfield, trustee, as set forth in the will, being the devise of the ‘rest and residue’ of the.estate of which the testator died seized, the gift of personal property to the defendant Ida M.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
125 N.W. 1112, 86 Neb. 553, 1910 Neb. LEXIS 129, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smullin-v-wharton-neb-1910.