Security-First National Bank v. Jephcott
Security-First National Bank v. Jephcott
Opinion of the Court
By findings made on a hearing for distribution of the estate of Rebecca Jephcott, deceased, and objections thereto, the following facts were established.
Rebecca Jephcott was the surviving wife of 'Montague F. Jephcott; all the property which was in her estate at the time of her death was acquired by her through gift, devise and bequest from the estate of her husband. Joseph, Leon, Israel and Henry Belous, are nephews of Rebecca, her next of kin and only heirs at law. Douglas S. Jephcott and Norman C. Jephcott are the children of Montague Frank Jephcott by a former wife, and are his next of kin and only heirs at law. Rebecca made a will by which .she left more than one-third of her estate to charities and she died four months and ten days thereafter. When the estate was ready for distribution the nephews filed objections, claiming the right- to receive the excess of said one-third of the estate. The stepsons, Douglas and Norman, also filed objections and sought distribution of the excess to themselves. All objections were overruled and distribution was made to the charities. Upon this appeal, Douglas and Norman are the appellants and the charities are the respondents.
The claim of appellants is based upon section 229 of the Probate Code which, so far as material here, provides a rule of succession where there is no will and the estate of the decedent was the separate estate of a predeceased spouse and came to the decedent by gift, descent, device or bequest. In that event the estate goes to the heirs of the former spouse, who, in the present ease, upon the facts related, are appellants. If the property had been the community property of decedent and her former husband, and there had been no will, then, under section 228, Probate Code, appellants would have taken one-half the estate and the nephews of decedent the other half. The finding that the property came “from the estate of her previously deceased spouse, Montague F. Jephcott” means, we assume, that it was the separate estate of the former husband. It would appear, therefore, that the objections of the nephews were ineffective for any' purpose for the reason that in the absence of a will the entire estate would have gone to appellants as sole heirs of the decedent’s predeceased spouse. (See Estate of Randall, 86 Cal.App.2d 422 [194 P.2d 709].)
The judgment settling the final account and decreeing distribution is affirmed.
Wood (Parker), J., and Vallée, J., concurred.
“‘All property bequeathed or devised contrary to the provisions of this section shall go to the spouse, brother, sister, nephew, niece, descendant or ancestor of the testator, if and to the extent that they would have taken said property as aforesaid but for such devises or legacies; otherwise the testator’s estate shall go in accordance with his will and such devises and legacies shall be unaffected.
“Nothing herein contained is intended to, or shall be deemed or construed to vest any property devised or bequeathed to charity or in trust for a charitable use, in any person who is not a relative of the testator belonging to one of the classes mentioned herein, or in any such relatives, unless and then only to the extent that such relative takes the same under a substitutional or residuary bequest or devise in the will or under the laws of succession because of the absence of other effective disposition in the will.”
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Estate of REBECCA JEPHCOTT, SECURITY-FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF LOS ANGELES, Petitioner HADASSAH MEDICAL ORGANIZATION v. DOUGLAS S. JEPHCOTT
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published