Levine v. Ramler
Levine v. Ramler
Opinion of the Court
On August 1, 1928, Israel Ramler, then an unmarried man, made his will, giving all his property to his sister, Clara Levine, and appointing her executrix of his will. The will did not mention any contemplated marriage. On July 4, 1932, he married Dora Rubin. On October 9, 1933, Dora Ramler, formerly Rubin, filed a libel for divorce against him, and on February 16, 1934, obtained a decree nisi for divorce, which under the statute became absolute on August 16, 1934. On July 8, 1948, Israel Ramler died, leaving his mother, Fanny Ramler, as his only heir. Clara Levine petitioned for proof of the will. The Probate Court found “that said instrument was executed before the marriage of said testator and was not made in anticipation of said marriage,” and disallowed it. Clara Levine appealed.
At the hearing in the Probate Court Clara Levine testified that her brother said to her in 1941, “If anything should
The appellant states the issue as follows: “When a testamentary instrument is made, not in contemplation of marriage, and marriage thereafter occurs, and then a divorce, will the law give validity to the subsequently expressed declarations of the testator that the said testamentary instrument is his will and admit the said will to probate?”
General Laws (Ter. Ed.) c. 191, § 9, which originated in St. 1892, c. 118, provides, with a single exception, in-: applicable to the present case, relative to the exercise of a power of appointment, that “The marriage of a person shall act as a revocation of a will made by him previous to such marriage, unless it appears from the will that it was made in contemplation thereof.” The statutory doctrine just stated was not altogether new in our law. Hertrais v. Moore, ante, 57. In Swan v. Hammond, 138 Mass. 45, an unmarried woman made her will, then she married, and afterwards died. It was held that her will was revoked by the marriage.
We think the statutory revocation of the will took effect upon the marriage, and that the will could not be revived by evidence that the testator nevertheless intended it to
Decree affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Clara Levine v. Fanny Ramler
- Status
- Published