Stuart v. Walker

72 Me. 145, 1881 Me. LEXIS 55
CourtSupreme Judicial Court of Maine
DecidedMarch 9, 1881
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 72 Me. 145 (Stuart v. Walker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Judicial Court of Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stuart v. Walker, 72 Me. 145, 1881 Me. LEXIS 55 (Me. 1881).

Opinion

Peters, J.

A testator makes the following devise : "I give, devise, and bequeath unto my wife, Mary Berry, all the rest and ; residue of my estate, real and personal, of what kind soever and ■wherever situate, with the right to use, occupy, lease, exchange, : sell or otherwise dispose of the same, and the increase and income thereof, according to her own will and pleasure during her lifetime. Meaning and intending hereby that the said Mary Berry ^during her lifetime shall have the absolute right, power, and authority to use and dispose of, by sale or otherwise, all said 'devised estate, real and personal, for her own support, and for • any and all other purposes to which she may choose to appropriate it.

"And so much of said estate so devised to my said wife, together ’ with the increase, income and proceeds thereof, as may remain -.unexpended and undisposed of by her at her decease, I give, devise, and bequeath unto the said Prances L. Sargent, her heirs •and assigns forever, if she shall be then living; and if not living, then to such children or child of said Prances as may be living :at that time.”

Did Mary Berry take a fee simple, or only a life-estate, in the ■property devised?

The defendants contend that, where a life-estate is devised, whether impliedly or expressly given, with an unqualified power [149]*149of disposal annexed, a gift or limitation over is of no effect. That; is true where the life-estate is created by implication, but not true where it is expressly created in direct and positive terms.

A life-estate by implication usually arises, where a. donor devises property generally, without any specification of the quantity of interest, and adds some power of disposition of the property, and provides a remainder. For instance : A gives an estate to B, with a power of disposal annexed, and a gift over to C. Here is an association of purposes and intentions, divisible into three parts. What does A mean by all of them combined? What is implied by them ?

A first gives the estate to B in general terms. Stopping there, by our revised statutes, he gives an estate of inheritance. But an estate in fee first described, may be cut down to a lesser éstate by subsequent provisions.

A power of disposal is annexed by A to his bequest to B. The effect of this depends upon whether it is a qualified or an unqualified power. If it is an absolute and unqualified power, it really neither takes from, nor adds to, the amount of the estate previously given, though there be a gift over. It would be merely equivalent to adding words of inheritance, making the gift to B and his lieirs and assigns. But those words were implied before. The law presumes in such case, that a testator superadds the unlimited power of disposal, to make his intention as emphatic and unequivocal as possible. The gift over in such case, is regarded as repugnant to and controlled by prior provisions. There is nothing to go over. A man cannot give the same thing twice. Having given if once, it is not his to give again. Such a devise comes within the principle of the class of cases where a testator gives an estate of inheritance, and then undertakes to provide that the devisee shall not alien the property ; or that it shall not be taken for bis debts ; or that be shall dispose of it in some particular way indicated; provisions which are powerless to control the prior gift.

But where the power of disposal is not an absolute power, but a qualified one, conditioned upon some certain event or purpose,, and there is a remainder or devise over, then the words last used: [150]*150do restrict and limit tbe words first used, and have tbe force and efficacy to reduce wbat was apparently an estate in fee to an estate for life only. Thus: A gives an estate to B, with tbe right to dispose of as much of it, in his lifetime, as be may need for his support, and if anything remains unexpended at B’s death, the balance to go to C. Here there may be something to go over. B is to dispose of the estate only for certain specified purposes. He can defeat the remainder, only by an execution of the power. The clear implication' of such a bequest, taking all its parts together, is that B is to possess a life-estate. Here a life-estate is implied, and is not expressly created.

But A makes this devise : "I give to B, my -estate to have and hold during his lifetime and no longer, with the right to dispose of all the same during his lifetime, if he pleases to do so, and any unexpended balance I give to C.” Here a life-estate is expressly created, instead of arising by implication. Here, an absolute and unqualified power of .disposal annexed, does not enlarge the estate to a fee. Where an estate is expressed, it need not be implied. An absolute control does not amount in such case to an absolute ownership. There is no conflict between the three parts of such a devise. Each clause in the combination may be literally executed. They are in no wise inconsistent with each other.

An examination of the cases invoked to the aid of the defendants, shows that all or nearly all of them pertain to life-estates by implication, and are mostly instances where the purpose was, not to extend a life-estate, but to reduce what was apparently an estate in fee. In some of the cases cited, may be found general expressions appropriate enough in the connection where used, which would be misleading when applied to devises such as the one now presented.

• The English cases cited fail to sustain the defendants’ view. As favorable a case as any upon their briefs, is Parnell v. Parnell, L. R,. 9 Ch. Div. 96. There the words of the testator were: "I give and devise to my wife, my real and personal -property for her sole use and benefit. It is my wish that what- ■ ever property my wife might possess at her death, be equally [151]*151divided among my children.” The question was, whether the property was affected by a trust for the benefit of the children, which would debar the widow, then living, from disposing of it. The court replied that there was no definite gift over and no trust. It will be, noticed that the gift was absolute, and not in any express words limited to an estate for life. Breton v. Mockett, Id. 95, is also much relied upon by the defendants. In that case it was declared that a gift for life, to the wife of the giver, of farming stock and materials, she not to he liable for diminution or depreciation, gave an absolute property in those articles which ipso usv, conswnuntur. The question was, whether the widow was entitled to the proceeds on a sale of the articles. But that case is an exception to the general rule. "There is an exception to the rule in case of the bequest for life of specific things, such as corn, hay, and fruits, of which the use consists in the consumption. Sucli a gift is in most cases, of necessity, a gift of the absolute property,” 1 Jarman on Wills, 5th ed. (Bigelow) p. '*879, and cases in note. In Merrill v. Emery, 10 Pick. p. 512, it is said, "that -where the use of things is given, which are necessarily consumed by the use, the gift is absolute, and the limitation over is void.” It is plain enough that the principle of those eases docs not apply to the ease at bar.

Nor do our own cases support the position advocated by the defendants. In no case in ibis State has it been directly or indirectly held that, where there is a devise for life in express terms, a power of disposal annexed, can enlarge it to a fee.

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Bluebook (online)
72 Me. 145, 1881 Me. LEXIS 55, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stuart-v-walker-me-1881.