Bowers v. Stubblefield
Bowers v. Stubblefield
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal from an order of the probate court denying appellant’s petition in which she asks the court to direct the payment of $150 per month from the estate of Homer Sager, deceased, to petitioner as the guardian of the person and estate of Clara Sager, an incompetent person.
Homer Sager died on January 4, 1940, leaving a will by which he left all of his estate in trust, the income, and if necessary the corpus of the estate, to be used for the support
‘11 further declare that my sister is now of the age of seventy years and is in constant need of the care and attention of some suitable person, and in order that my said sister may have the proper care and attention of such person I hereby nominate and appoint Maude Bowers as Guardian of the person and estate of my said sister, Clara Sager, and request that she at all times care for and maintain my sister in the homeplaee at 930 Pacific Avenue, Long Beach, California, and that during her guardianship my sister be permitted either to have Maude Bowers look after her personally or to select some other person to care for her, it being my desire that my sister’s wishes be respected at all times as to the person who shall look after her personal affairs. It is my request and I hereby direct that my said Executors and Trustees shall pay to the said Maude Bowers for her services as such Guardian such sum as the Court may declare reasonable, said Maude Bowers to reside at all times with my sister at 930 Pacific Avenue, Long Beach, California, after my death, and if she is unable to do so, her guardianship shall cease and my Trustees hereinafter mentioned shall appoint a new Guardian for my said sister.”
All of the affairs of the estate have been settled, the final account and petition for distribution showing a net estate of $73,803.12. The sum of $250 per month has been paid to Clara Sager as directed in the third paragraph of the will. Clara Sager and Maude Bowers, the appellant, have since the death of Homer Sager been residing at his residence at 930 Pacific Avenue in Long Beach. On February 13, 1940, appellant was regularly appointed guardian of the person and estate of Clara Sager and by order of the court made in the guardianship proceeding has received the sum of $150 per month for her services as guardian beginning with the date of her appointment. In her petition appellant asks the court that “the executor and executrix be ordered to pay to your petitioner as the said guardian of the person and estate of
An examination of the will in the light of the rule that the intention of the testator should prevail discloses that the principal desire of decedent was to provide for his aged incompetent sister. He provided a home for her and directed the payment of $250 per month for her during the administration of the estate. He nominated appellant as guardian of her person and estate with the request that appellant maintain Clara Sager and reside with her at the family residence, the additional provision being made that the sister’s wishes concerning her personal care be respected and that if appellant should be unable to reside with the sister at the family residence her guardianship should cease. Further provision was made that ‘‘my said Executors and Trustees shall pay to the said Maude Bowers for her services as such Guardian such sum as the Court may declare reasonable ...”
The provisions of the will have been carried out. The probate court has jurisdiction of both the proceeding to settle the affairs of the estate of Homer Sager and of the guardianship proceeding in the matter of the person and estate of Clara Sager. The same court which was called upon to approve the payment of the maintenance sum during the pendency of the administration has awarded the sum of $150 per month as compensation for the services of appellant as guardian. Both appellant and respondent appear to agree that the sum fixed as such compensation is reasonable.
Respondent contends that appellant has regularly received compensation as guardian at the rate of $150 per month and that when the Homer Sager estate came to the point of being closed appellant saw ‘‘in the provisions of paragraph fifth of the will of Homer Sager, what appears to her to be a golden opportunity to obtain an additional and even a double allowance for her services as guardian of Clara Sager.” Ap
The order is affirmed, respondent to recover costs from appellant,
Moore, P. J., and McComb, J., concurred.
A petition for a rehearing was denied July 17, 1941, and appellant’s petition for a hearing by the Supreme Court was denied August 25, 1941.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.