Wilbar v. Smith
Wilbar v. Smith
Opinion of the Court
The first clause in the testator’s will gives to his wife, during her lifetime, all his real and personal estate after paying his debts, funeral charges, and the legacies named in the subsequent clauses. The eight subsequent clauses give to certain of his children and grandchildren pecuniary legacies to the amount of nine hundred and fifty dollars, and to Francis B. Smith, one of his sons, in full of his portion, the testator’s real estate in Kansas. No question is made as to the meaning of these first nine clauses. The question in the case is, what are the meaning and legal effect of the tenth clause ? Although that clause is confusedly and obscurely expressed, we think it is not void for uncertainty, but that we can reasonably deduce
The decree of the court will therefore be, that the administrator de bonis non of the testator, after making provision for payment of the legacies given in the first nine clauses of the testator’s will, appropriate the residue of the estate to the payment of the legacies given by the tenth clause, in manner following, namely, that out of said residue he pay the notes mentioned in said clause, as specific legacies chargeable upon said residue; and that he pay the remaining balance of said residue, in equal shares, to the ten persons who are therein named as legatees thereof “ in equal proportions.”
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Joseph Wilbar v. Hannah B Smith & others
- Status
- Published