Stearns v. Witt

258 Ill. App. 494, 1930 Ill. App. LEXIS 601
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedAugust 27, 1930
DocketGen. No. 8,227
StatusPublished

This text of 258 Ill. App. 494 (Stearns v. Witt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stearns v. Witt, 258 Ill. App. 494, 1930 Ill. App. LEXIS 601 (Ill. Ct. App. 1930).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Boggs

delivered the opinion of the court.

Sarah Jane Witt, a resident of Boone county, Illinois, died testate March 22,1904, leaving her surviving Isaac N. Witt, her husband, but leaving no child or children or descendant of any child or children. At the time of her death, the deceased owned a certain residence property in the City of Belvidere. The will of said deceased consisted of seven paragraphs. The first paragraph provided for the payment of debts, funeral expenses, etc. The second provided that after the payment of said debts, expenses, etc., all the rest of the property of said deceased, whether real or personal, should go to her husband, for life, with power “to sell, dispose of, deliver and convey,” the same as the deceased could do if living. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth paragraphs are as follows: “Third, — After the death of my said husband, I will and direct that all that shall then remain of my said estate, shall as soon as may be thereafter, be converted into money and the sum of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) thereof paid to Richard T. Stearns, who has lived with myself and husband for some time, and to whom I hereby give and bequeath the said sum of One Thousand Dollars, to him and his heirs forever.

“Fourth, — I give and bequeath unto Helen Anderson (formerly Helen Chase) if living at the time of the death of my said husband, the sum of Five Hundred Dollars ($500), to her and her heirs forever, provided however that, if she shall not be living, then what I have herein given and bequeathed to her shall be considered and treated as a part of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, hereinafter mentioned, and shall go as hereinafter provided in the sixth paragraph of this will.

“Fifth, — I give and bequeath unto each of the children of my husband’s brothers and sisters, who shall be living at the time of the death of my husband, the sum of Fifty Dollars ($50), to them and their respective heirs forever, meaning and intending hereby to give to each of my husband’s nieces and nephews living at the time of his death, the said sum of Fifty Dollars.

“Sixth, — All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, remaining after the death of my said husband, either real, personal or mixed property and wheresoever the same may then be found to exist, I give, devise and bequeath unto Myra Johnson, Earl Lucas and Alice C. Babcock, children of my deceased sister, Edna Lucas, to be divided among them equally share and share alike, to them and their respective heirs forever, including the gift and bequest hereinabove to the said Helen Anderson, if she shall not be living at the time of the death of my husband.”

The seventh paragraph nominated the said Isaac N. Witt to be the executor of said will, but did not empower himf as such to sell said real estate.

Said will was duly admitted to probate, and Isaac N. Witt qualified as the executor thereof. Thereafter, on January 14, 1928, Isaac N. Witt departed this life, without having sold or disposed of said real estate. Prior to the death of said Isaac N. Witt, Helen Anderson, mentioned in the fourth paragraph of said will died, and Earl Lucas, one of the residuary legatees, died leaving him surviving no child or children or descendant of any child or children, but leaving him surviving appellant Sylvia Lucas, his widow.

Richard T. Stearns filed a bill in the circuit court of said county for the sale of said real estate and for the appointment of a commissioner to make such sale and to distribute the proceeds thereof under the provisions of said will and the order of the court. Appellants, as persons interested in the premises in question and the proceeds thereof, were made parties defendant to said bill.

Failing to answer said bill, appellants were defaulted, and a decree pro confesso was entered against them. On the hearing, the court ordered a sale of said premises, and the payment of the specific legacies mentioned in said will. Grace DeWolf was appointed commissioner to make said sale and distribution. Said property was sold for $3,700 and, after the payment of said specific legacies, expenses, etc., there was left a balance of $1,578.56, to be disposed of under the provisions of paragraph 6 of said will.

The litigated question arising on the record is with reference to the right of Sylvia Lucas in the one-third interest of said balance which would have gone to her husband had he survived. The chancellor held that said fund should be considered as real estate, and found the interest of Mrs. Lucas therein to be $305.62. Counsel for Mrs. Lucas insists that the court erred in said finding, and strenuously contends that said fund should be considered as personal property, and that só considered she is entitled to a one-third interest in said fund.

On the other hand, counsel for appellee insist in support of said decree that, while paragraph 3 orders said real estate sold, paragraph 6 discloses that said real estate should be converted into personal property only so far as necessary to pay costs of administration, etc., and the specific legacies mentioned in said will. The principal case relied upon in this connection is Bennett v. Bennett, 282 Ill. 266.

In the Bennett case, the will of the testator, Alvin Bennett, contained eight paragaphs, the second, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh being as follows :

“Second — It is my will and I hereby direct my executor to pay to my wife, Margaret Bennett, the part or portion of my estate which may be legally due her by virtue of her rights under and in conformity to the laws of the state of Illinois.

"Fourth — It is my will and I hereby direct my executor to sell at public sale, according to the laws of the State of Illinois, any and all of the real estate of which I may die seized, for cash in hand, to the highest and best bidder.

“Fifth — After the payment of all my just debts and the payment of what money may be due my wife, Margaret Bennett, as her part or portion of my estate, and the payment of all costs connected with the settlement of my estate, it is my wish that the remainder be divided as follows:

‘ ‘ Sixth — I give, devise and bequeath to my daughter, Olive Bennett, the sum of five hundred dollars ($500) in cash.

‘ ‘ Seventh — It is my will that the remainder, after deducting said bequest of $500, be equally divided among my surviving sons and daughters, share and share equally. ’ ’

The court had before it for determination in the Bennett case the question as to whether the interest of said widow was to be determined on the theory that the real estate had been converted into personal property, or on the theory that it had not been so converted. The court, in discussing this question, at page 276, says:

“Language similar to that used in the second clause of the will under consideration occurs in a great many wills, and it must be assumed that it was used in this will with knowledge of the law in this State; . . .

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Bluebook (online)
258 Ill. App. 494, 1930 Ill. App. LEXIS 601, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stearns-v-witt-illappct-1930.