Will of Allis

157 N.W. 548, 163 Wis. 452, 1916 Wisc. LEXIS 196
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedJune 13, 1916
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 157 N.W. 548 (Will of Allis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Will of Allis, 157 N.W. 548, 163 Wis. 452, 1916 Wisc. LEXIS 196 (Wis. 1916).

Opinion

The following opinion was filed April 11,1916:

KeRwin, J.

Edward P. Allis, at the time of his death, conducted and operated large machine shops and foundries consisting of what is known as Eeliance Works, .covering about three blocks, the Bay State Works, covering about one block, the South Foundry, covering about ten acres, and certain dock property on the south side, all in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The real estate, tools, and machinery were carried on the testator’s books at the time of his death at about $1,000,000. The business was operated by the deceased and his sons William W., Edward P., Jr., and Charles Allis, who constituted the executive operating force. The three sons mentioned were connected with the father’s business for a period of about twenty years prior to his death. Louis Allis was connected with the business for a period of about six months prior to the testator’s death, but none of the other boys had been connected with the business before that time.

At the time of the death of the testator the business had a working capital of $550,000 and an outstanding indebtedness of about $415,000, so that the net working capital of the business at the time of the death of the testator was about $136,000. The indebtedness outside of the business was estimated somewhere about $490,000. After the panic of 181T3 the testator became insolvent and compromised with his creditors. After the testator’s death it was found difficult to carry on the business on account of lack of credit on the part of the estate. Under the provisions of the will the executors and trustees were required to execute a mortgage upon the plant in the sum of $250,000 for the benefit of the so-called daughters’ fund [457]*457provided for in the fourth provision of the will. This mortgage was not recorded because of the financial condition existing. The son Gharles raised money upon his individual life insurance in order to help along the business. It appeared to the executors and trustees under the will shortly after the death of the testator that the business of deceased was in such shape that it was doubtful whether the same could be continued successfully, and if not it would he necessary to go into liquidation, in which event little would be realized for those interested in the estate. A large part of the value, of the business consisted in the fact that it was a going concern. The testator was engaged in building large engine units and his field,of operation covered the world. The least amount of capital necessary to carry on the business successfully was thought to be $1,000,000.

In addition to the property in the business there was also property owned by the testator outside of the business, namely, the summer home, Lakeside, situate at Pewaukee Lake, a farm known as “Reliance Stock Earm,” located at Isinours, Fillmore county, Minnesota, 68,000 acres of land in Michigan, and his life insurance.

In view of the situation existing at the time of the death of the testator the executors under the will conferred with General Winkler, legal adviser of the deceased during his lifetime, for the purpose of ascertaining the best methods to be pursued to avoid impending difficulties. The result of this conference was the perfection of a plan by which it was understood that the property of the testator might be preserved and the terms of the will, whether valid or not, be given substantial effect, in pursuance of which on February 10,1890, all interested in the estate, except the son Jere, who had prior to that time disposed of his interest to his mother, made, executed, and delivered an agreement in writing relating to the property belonging to the estate. At the time this agreement was entered into all the children of the testator were of age [458]*458except Margaret and Gilbert Allis. This agreement provided that the property referred to in the fourth paragraph of the will he granted to the executors and trustees to hold for the sole use and benefit of the widow, Margaret W. Allis, during her lifetime, and upon her death to he conveyed with the accumulation thereof to the three daughters in such proportion as the widow might designate by her will, and in the event of the widow dying intestate then to said daughters in equal shares. It was further pro.vided in said agreement that a corporation be organized under the laws of Wisconsin to be named the Edward P. Allis Company, with a capital stock of $1,500,000, and that all the property of the deceased and of the estate of Edward P. Allis, deceased, except the property heretofore mentioned and described in the fourth paragraph of the will, and certain other described properties, he conveyed to said corporation, the Edward P. Allis Company. This contract provided in detail for the assumption and payment of indebtedness and certain other obligations and pro-, vided generally for the management and carrying on of the business of said deceased in harmony with the provisions of the will and in the manner thought for the best interest of all parties concerned.

On June 23, 1892, on account of dissatisfaction expressed by the widow and some of the children of deceased, a new agreement was made by the terms of which certain additional provisions were made for the widow, and this agreement was signed by Margaret and Gilbert Allis, children who had become of age since the signing of the prior agreement. From the time of making this agreement and until 1900 the business of Edward P. Allis Company was successfully conducted by the executors and trustees on a large scale. Afterwards on account of large business combinations, it was thought advisable to sell out to or make some combination with the Allis-Chalmers Company and a deal was carried out which resulted in a sale of the interests of the Edward P. Allis Company to [459]*459the Allis-Chalmers Company. The agreement respecting the sale to the Allis-Chalmers Company was participate4 in by all the stockholders of the Edward P. Allis Company and a resolution was adopted authorizing the sale, and the terms of the resolution were carried out and the respective parties entered upon the execution of such agreement pursuant thereto and received out of the proceeds derived from such sale their respective proportionate shares of the preferred stock in the Allis-Chalmers Company.

During the various transactions from the time of the death of Edward P. Allis up to the time of final division of the stock received upon the sale of the Edward P. Allis Company the interests of the grandchildren of Edward P. Allis were in nowise considered, and obviously from the dealings and transactions it was not thought that they had any interest.

It is quite clear from the record that if the grandchildren have no interest, even assuming the will to be valid, then the judgment of the court below must be affirmed, because it appears that all other parties interested participated in and assented to the various transactions and the administration of the estate resulting in the order of distribution and discharge which is appealed from here.

The appellants complain of the conclusions of the court below, which are as follows:

(1) That the will of Edward P. Allis was wholly void and that said Allis died intestate and his entire property has been distributed between the widow and heirs at law in accordance with their agreement of February 10, 1890, and modifications thereof, and that said executors and trustees are entitled to their final discharge as prayed for in their petition.

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Related

Will of Mathews
223 N.W. 434 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1929)
Will of Smith v. Mann
161 N.W. 749 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1917)
Stone v. Stone
158 N.W. 340 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1916)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
157 N.W. 548, 163 Wis. 452, 1916 Wisc. LEXIS 196, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/will-of-allis-wis-1916.