Wilbert v. Wilbert

99 So. 36, 155 La. 197, 1923 La. LEXIS 2108
CourtSupreme Court of Louisiana
DecidedOctober 29, 1923
DocketNo. 25705
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 99 So. 36 (Wilbert v. Wilbert) 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
Wilbert v. Wilbert, 99 So. 36, 155 La. 197, 1923 La. LEXIS 2108 (La. 1923).

Opinion

LAND, J.

Peter G. Wilbert, the father of Philip A. Wilbert and Peter M. Wilbert, died in December, 1920, leaving his two sons as his sole heirs and legal representatives. Ophelia Le Blanc, the wife of the deceased, had departed this life 35 years before the death of her husband. On November 3, 1920, decedent made a last will and testament, mystic in form, in which he bequeathed certain special legacies, and instituted his two sons as universal legatees, with equal shares in his estate, subject, however, to the following conditions:

“I direct that no partition or division of my stock or of my interest in the A. Wilbert’s Bons Lumber and Shingle Co., or in the Myrtle Grove Planting and Manufacturing Company, or of any property that is held in common between me and my said brothers be made between my heirs within five years from my death, unless such company should be dissolved or the property sold before that time; in which event my said heirs are to receive, share and share alike, the portion of my estate in said sale or liquidation.
“I give eadh of my said heirs two thousand dollars per annum, payable quarterly, out of my interest in the companies above referred to for said period of five years. In the event of dividends being declared, these amounts are to be deducted therefrom, and the surplus of all dividends is to be paid over to my said sons share and share alike.
“I appoint my brother, Frederick Wilbert, George Wilbert, Charles Wilbert, and Joseph Wilbert, executors, with seizin and without bond, to handle, manage and conduct all of my affairs in the companies me'ntioned above and in all properties, movable and immovable, rights and credits, etc., which I own or hold in common with my said brothers, with full power to sell or dispose! of the same or any part thereof, and I charge them with the payment of my just debts.
“I also appoint my said sons Philip and Peter, my executors, with seizin and without bond,' for the management of whatever property, other than, that mentioned in the foregoing paragraph, I may own- at my death.”

On January 3, 1921, the last will and testament of Peter G. Wilbert was probated and ordered registered and executed.

On December 10, 1921, Philip A. Wilbert and Peter M. Wilbert, the sons of deceased, and the other testamentary executors obtained a loan in the sum of $80,922.36 from A. Wilbert’s Sons Lumber & Shingle Company,, represented by Frederick Wilbert, its president, for the purpose of liquidating the debts and legacies and other obligations due by the estate of Peter G. Wilbert, deceased, and executed a promissory note for said amount. In order to secure the payment of this note, said heirs and executors delivered in pledge to A. Wilbert’s Sons Lumber & Shingle Company 20 shares of the capital stock of said company, and pledged also to said company all amounts du,e as dividends on 70 shares of its capital stock held and owned by the estate of Peter G. Wilbert, with full authority to said company to collect and receive all the dividends of said stock, and to apply same, in full, to the payment of said note, principal, and interest, provided there was to be paid first from said dividends to the estate of Peter G. Wilbert the sum of $4,000 annually, to enable said estate to pay to the heirs, Peter M. Wilbert and Peter A. Wilbert, the annual legacy to each, as provided by the will of the deceased.

On April 20, 1922, the plaintiff, Philip A. Wilbert, instituted the present suit, citing all of the executors of the last will of Peter G. Wilbert, deceased, and Peter. M. Wilbert in his individual capacity and as one of the executors, and also the A. Wilbert’s Sons Lumber & Shingle Company.

Petitioner prayed: (1) That the nonpartition clause for 5 years in said will be declared null and void and unenforceable, and, if not in its entirety, then, in the alternative, that it be held not to affect the legitime [202]*202of petitioner, or the community claim of petitioner’s mother, aggregating the sum of $10,-000, more or less.

(2) That the clauses in said will he decreed to be without effect in so far as they seek to constitute Frederick Wilbert, George Wilbert, Charles Wilbert, and Joseph Wilbert, together with petitioner and his brother, Peter M. Wilbert, as executors, to manage, handle, and conduct all of the affairs of the deceased in the companies referred to, and that petitioner and his brother be held to be the sole and only executors of all of the property, rights, and credits of the estate, including the stocks turned over to them as such executors.

(3) That the ex parte order of the court below, of date January 3, 1921, ordering the registry and execution of said will, be modified as prayed for in plaintiff’s petition.

(4) That petitioner be placed in possession of his inheritance, and that said executors be ordered to deliver to him and his coheir all of the property belonging to the estate of Peter G. Wilbert, to be partitioned in kind, and, if not in kind, by licitation, and subject to such administration as the circumstances and the law require.

(5) That there be judgment decreeing the agreement of date December 10, 1921, between A. Wilbert’s Sons Lumber & Shingle Company, and the executors and heirs of Peter G. Wilbert, null and void, and of no effect, as far as the attempted loan was made to said estate, and in so far as the same undertakes to bind said estate for the repayment of said loan.

On April 27, 1922, the defendant coexecutors, Joseph, George, Frederick, Charles and Peter Wilbert, filed a plea of estoppel, alleging that plaintiff had qualified as coexecutor before filing this suit, and was .without legal right to prosecute an action to annul said will or any of its provisions, as he had taken an oath to maintain and carry out this will as written.

On June 6, 1922, the coexecutors above named filed an exception of no right or cause of action, and, reserving all rights under said exceptions, urged a second plea of estoppel of plaintiff’s right to bring the present suit, alleging that he is one of the universal legatees under the will, and that he has accepted the legacy and has actually received a part or portion of the said legacy and enjoyed benefits under the will of his deceased father, which he is now seeking to annul.

On June 6, 1922, the A. Wilbert’s Sons Lumber & Shingle Company filed an exception of no right or cause of action.

The pleas of estoppel were overruled, and the exceptions of no right or cause of action were maintained by the trial judge, and plaintiff’s suit was dismissed, at his cost.

[1 ] Defendants have neither appealed from the judgments against them rejecting these pleas of estoppel nor have they answered the appeal taken by plaintiff and prayed for an amendment of the judgment so as to sustain said pleas. Under such circumstances, the judgments of the lower court as to the disposition of the pleas of estoppel are final, and cannot be reviewed by this court. Thomas v. Whittington, 127 La. 551, 53 South. 860; Oglesby v. Turner, 127 La. 1093, 54 South. 400; City of New Orleans v. New Orleans Jockey Club, 115 La. 911, 40 South. 331; Alfred Hiller Co. v. Hotel Grunewald Co., 147 La. 129, 84 South. 520; Sickinger v. Board of Directors of Public Schools, 147 La. 479, 85 South. 212.

The case is therefore before us for consideration solely on the exceptions of no right or cause of action pleaded by defendants.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
99 So. 36, 155 La. 197, 1923 La. LEXIS 2108, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilbert-v-wilbert-la-1923.