Succession of Rosenbrock

145 So. 4, 175 La. 1049, 1932 La. LEXIS 1934
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedNovember 28, 1932
DocketNo. 31929.
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 145 So. 4 (Succession of Rosenbrock) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Succession of Rosenbrock, 145 So. 4, 175 La. 1049, 1932 La. LEXIS 1934 (La. 1932).

Opinion

LAND, J.

On June 2, 1931, George Decker Rosenbrock died intestate at his domicile in the city of New Orleans, leaving two sisters, Anna and Sophie Rosenbroek, and a surviving widow, Leonora Jones Rosenbroek.

Anna Rosenbroek opposed the application of Leonora Jones Rosenbroek for appointment as administratrix, on the grounds that an administration of the estate of decedent was unnecessary and that opponent, as beneficiary heir, had a better legal right to be appointed administratrix.

Later on it was agreed between Leonora Jones Rosenbroek and Anna and Sophie. Rosenbroek, their counsel, and all interested parties, that an administration of the estate was necessary, and that Anna Rosenbroek had a better legal right to be appointed administratrix, which accordingly was done.

The late George Decker Rosenbroek was a partner with the late William Theobold O’Brien in the firm of O’Brien & Rosenbroek, and decedent’s one-half interest in the firm amounted to $1,349.08.

Decedent also had a drawing account in, and was a creditor of, the late firm for $1,-442.11, making a total of $2,791.19, all of which belonged to the separate estate of George Decker Rosenbroek, deceased.

On April 1, 1932, the administratrix filed her final account showing total liabilities of $1,708.44 and a cash balance of $333.66.

Leonora Jones Rosenbroek opposed the account on the ground that she is the widow in necessitous circumstances of the decedent, George D. Rosenbroek, and a preferred creditor of his estate in the sum of $1,000, and that she had not been placed upon the account for that amount.

The claim of the surviving widow for her homestead right was dismissed in the lower court, on the ground that the same had been waived by notarial act .of partition and settlement of date December 16, 1929, between Mrs. Leonora Jones Rosenbroek and her late husband, George Decker Rosenbroek, passed before W. B. Hamlin, notary public, in and for the parish of Orleans.

From this judgment the opponent, Mrs.. Leonora Jones Rosenbroek, has appealed. .

After appearers declared in the act that they had been separated from bed and board, by virtue of a judgment rendered December 16, 1929, they further declared that “they desire to partition and settle the property, effects, credits and rights and obligations of the community of acquets and gains existing between them, which was dissolved by the-rendition of the said judgment, and all claims, of Blrs. Leonora Jones Rosenbroek against the said George D. Rosenbroek, for alimony,, past, present and future, and are appearing before me, Notary, for the purpose of making a full, final and complete partition of the-property, effects, credits and rights and obligations of said community of acquets and. *1053 gains heretofore existing between them, as well as a full and final settlement of all alimony, past, present and future.”

Then follows the declaration in the act: “And the said Mrs. Leonora Jones Rosenbrock, wife of George D. Rosenbrock, declared unto me, Notary, that she does hereby accept, in full and complete settlement of all claims she has or may have against her said husband, George-D. Rosenbrock, in the settlement of the said community of acquets and gains existing between them, and in settlement, full, final and complete, of all claims for alimony which she has or may have against her said husband for past, present and future alimony, the following, to-wit:”

(Certain household 'furniture, and the sum of $930.65, accepted by-,'Mrs. Leonora Jones Rosenbrock in full settlement, with the declaration that -her husband has abandoned all right, title and interest in and to the furniture then in her possession.)

The notarial act then continues as follows: “And here the said Mrs. Leonora Jones Rosenbroek declared unto me, Notary, that she does by these presents abandon, set over and deliver unto the said George D. Rosenbrock all of her right, title, share and interest, in all of the residue of the said community property, of whatever nature or kind, now in the possession of her said husband, and particularly any interest'her husband may have in the firm of O’Brien & Rosenbrock, which interest belongs to said Rosenbrock’s separate estate, biit which may be indebted unto the community of acquets and gains existing between them; and said Mrs. Rosenbrock does forever release and relinquish all claims she has or may have against said separate estate of her said husband, and does further give and grant to her said husband a full and final receipt for all alimony which may be due to her, past, present and future, and waives forever any claim she may have against her said husband for alimony for her support and maintenance.”

The above notarial act shows upon its face, unmistakably, that the sole purpose of the partition and settlement between Mrs. Rosenbrock and her husband was to compromise any claim that she had against the community existing between them, and any claim.that she had for alimony, past, present and future. This sole purpose of the parties is expressly declared at least three times in the notarial act, and the language of the act makes it clear and certain that Mrs. Rosenbrock abandoned any right, title, or interest, that she had in the separate estate of her ' husband, consisting of his interest in the firm of O’Brien & Rosenbrock, only in so far as it “may be indebted unto the community of acquets and gains existing between them,.” and only in so far as her claim for alimony: was concerned. As. any indebtedness of the separate estate of the husband to the community constituted an asset of the community, in which the wife had a half interest,, such indebtedness, necessarily and properly, was included in the compromise and settlement of the community between the husband and wife.

It jumps to the eye that the only reason for any reference at all in the notarial act to the separate estate of the husband was to relieve it, primarily, of any claim by the wife, of indebtedness to the community, and, sec *1055 ondarily, from) any liability to her for alimony.

It is also equally evident that the separate estate of the husband, referred to in the notarial act, was not his separate estate after death, or-his succession, but the property which he then owned while he was alive.

Not the slightest allusion can be found, in the notarial act of compromise and settlement between the parties, to the claim of the widow in necessitous circumstances against the succession of her husband, consisting of his separate estate.

We conclude, therefore, that the widow’s homestead in this case was not one of the differences between the parties included in the notarial act of compromise and settlement effected between them, and that any renunciation made by her in this act did not affect her right to claim the sum of $1,000 as a widow in necessitous circumstances, as it was not a matter covered by the compromise and settlement.

It is provided in article 3073 of the Civil Code that:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Succession of Lacay
204 So. 2d 793 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1967)
Futch v. Fidelity & Casualty Company
166 So. 2d 274 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1964)
Succession of Bradford
130 So. 2d 702 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1961)
Succession of De Witt
119 So. 2d 669 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1960)
Succession of Guichard
72 So. 2d 744 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1954)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
145 So. 4, 175 La. 1049, 1932 La. LEXIS 1934, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/succession-of-rosenbrock-la-1932.