Goldstein v. Hammell
Goldstein v. Hammell
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff’s action is based on a title created by the second and third clauses of the will of Zachariah Goldstein, as follows:
“Second: I give and bequeath to my wife Mary Gold-stein and to my daughter, Catherine Goldstein Heron, the rents of all my other properties (real estate after the taxes and expenses accruing from said properties are deducted) share and share alike for and during the term of their natural lives, the daughter, Catherine Goldstein Heron, to inherit the share of the mother, Mary Goldstein, and after the decease of my daughter, Catherine Goldstein Heron, I give and devise the properties mentioned in the second item to her children to do as they choose with them.
“Third: If my daughter Catherine Goldstein Heron should die without leaving any children, I give and bequeath all the properties mentioned in the second item to my brother Charles Goldstein, his heirs and assigns forever.”
After the will was made the testator and his wife executed a declaration or deed intended to effect the adoption of a child, Helen Kitchen. This was done with the consent of the surviving parent of the child, and.the instrument was recorded in the office for the recording of deeds in the city of Philadelphia. The testator died on June 25, 1898, without having made any change in his will and without having provided for Helen Kitchen. Catherine Goldstein, one of the legatees mentioned in the second paragraph of the will, died in November, 1902, without issue. After the death of Catherine the defendant collected the rent for the
It is claimed in the second place that the effect of the adoption deed signed by the testator was to revoke the will as to Helen Kitchen and give to her a share in his estate and thus exclude the plaintiff’s claim as set up, under sec. 15 of the act of April 8, 1833, P. L. 249, which provides:
“When any person shall make his last will and testament, and afterwards shall marry or have a child or children not provided for in such will, and die, leaving a widow and child, or either a widow or child or children, although such child or children be born after the death of their father, every such person, so far as shall regard the widow, or child or children after-born, shall be deemed and construed to die intestate, and such widow, child or children, shall be entitled to such purparts, shares and dividends of the estate, real and personal, of the deceased, as if he had actually died without any will.”
Assuming that the adoption was accomplished by the testator and his wife under the act of April 2, 1872, P. L. 31, with the force and effect of an adoption under the act of May 4, 1855, P. L. 430, to which the former was a supplement, it does not follow that the act of 1833 is to be given the effect claimed for it. That statute having been passed before the act of 1855, manifestly had no reference to conditions created by the latter statute. At that time there
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
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- Wills — Construction—Survivorship—Joint tenancy. 1. Where a testator gives to his wife and to his daughter the rents of real estate “share and share alike for and during the term of their natural lives,” the daughter to inherit the share of the mother and after the death of the daughter the real estate to go to the daughter’s children, and if the daughter should die without leaving children then all the properties are to go to testator’s brother, if the daughter dies in the lifetime of the mother the brother will be entitled to half of the rent inasmuch as the title vested in him on the death of the daughter. Where there is a devise to two or more by name without a clear intention to vest the estate in the survivor the estate will be held to vest severally. Parent and child — Adoption—Wills—After born children — Acts of April 8, 1888, P. L. 849, May 4, 1856, P. L. 480, and April 8, 1878, P. L. 81. 2. Children adopted either under the Act of May 4, 1855, P. L. 430, or under the Act of April 2, 1872, P. L. 31, are not entitled to any rights in their adopting parents’ estate, where the adoption took place after the adopting parent had executed a will. The Act of April 8,1833, P. L. 249, relating to after born children has no application to adopted children.