Martin's Estate
Martin's Estate
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The decedent, William C. Martin, had resided for a long term of years with the family of the appellant, Mary L. Moorhead, and there is evidence that he had been paying for his boarding $20.00 per month. In the distribution of the estate the appellant claimed for board for the decedent at the rate of $20.00 per month from October, 1907, to May 9, 1909, — nineteen months — amounting to $380. The learned judge of the orphans’ court rejected this claim and the appellant excepted to the decree and appealed.
A careful examination of the testimony leads us to the conclusion that there was sufficient evidence to sustain the appellant’s claim and that the court erred in rejecting it. We think the testimony was sufficient to establish the fact that the decedent boarded with the appellant during the period above stated under an agreement to pay $20.00 per month to the appellant and that the evidence overcame the presumption of periodical payments, such as are usually made under the circumstances.
Sherman Moorhead, the nineteen-year old son of the appellant, was sworn and testified: “Q. How long had Mr. Martin been with your folks? A. Before I remember. Q. What board did he pay? A. $20.00 per month. Q. He paid $20.00 in the old house and agreed to pay $20.00 in the new house? A. Yes. . . .” This witness was recalled and testified: “Q. Did you ever hear any conversation between your mother and Mr. Martin during the time you lived in the Sutton house and about the time you moved into the new house with reference to Mr. Martin’s board? A. Yes. Q. State to the court what you heard Mr. Martin and your mother say with reference to the board. A. I heard him say that if she would let him keep the board and
Maggie Powell was produced and testified: “Q. Did you ever live at Everson? A. Yes, I lived with Mrs. Moorhead. Q. Did you live with her in the fall of 1907? ,A. Yes. Q. About the time this new house was built and
Mrs. Ida Dayton also testified: Q. Then the Moorheads cleaned up the new house and you assisted? A. Yes. Q. About that time did you hear any conversation between Mr. Martin and Mrs. Moorhead with reference to his board bill? A. Yes. Q. State to the court the conversation you heard — what Mr. Martin and Mrs. Moorhead said. A. He said, Mrs. Moorhead, if you will leave the board go until I get my stock in the bank, then I will write you a check for the amount and give it all to you. Q. I believe the stock he meant was the stock he had up as collateral security? A. Yes. Q. He told you it was in the bank? A. Yes. Q. Do you remember the time when they moved into the new house? A. Yes, between the first and fifteenth of October, 1907. Q. Did Mrs. Moorhead agree to that? A. Yes. Q. Was there anything said by Mr. Martin or Mrs. Moorhead as to the amount? A. $20.00 was what he had been paying her. ...”
The learned court did not refuse the appellant’s claim on the ground that the witnesses were unworthy of belief, but for the reason that “the testimony does not show any contract or any demand made by the claimant on the
The learned court below decided as a matter of law that the testimony was not sufficient to sustain the appellant’s claim and to rebut the presumption of periodical payments, and in reaching this conclusion relied on Cummiskey’s Estate, 224 Pa. 509. But in that case the decedent was a woman of means and she boarded for several years with a former domestic servant and was nursed by the latter, and a claim presented by the latter against the estate of the former for boarding and nursing for three years prior to the death of the decedent was not allowed because
But in the present case there is satisfactory evidence of a request by the decedent for an extension of time for the payment of his board bill and an agreement to this on the part of the claimant and the reason is given why the decedent desired to withhold payment until the happening of a certain contingency.
The next case relied on is Winfield v. Beaver Trust Co., 229 Pa. 530. But that case was decided on the same ground and presumption relied on in Cummiskey’s Estate, supra. In the former case the Supreme Court said: "The same rule is applicable in cases of boarding and nursing under circumstances such as are disclosed in this case. It is the habit and usage of people to pay their board bills as well as for services for nursing at stated periods. This is so well understood in this country that, as in the case of servant’s wages, a presumption arises that they are periodically paid.” But in the case under consideration here we think there was sufficient evidence of an agreement to pay for the boarding and also to rebut the presumption that it was periodically paid.
The next case relied upon by the court is Wise v. Martin, 232 Pa. 159. That was a case where this court held that the claimant could not recover and the court below was reversed by this court and on appeal to the Supreme Court, the judgment was affirmed on our opinion in Wise v. Martin, 42 Pa. Superior Ct. 443. That case was somewhat close, but one of the controlling points in it was that the appellant bad been employed for a long time by the de
But there is another matter for consideration in this case. There is some slight evidence that no rent was to be paid on the new house but it is very slight and is not sufficient to warrant a holding that appellant and her family were to have the use of the new house for nineteen months rent free. At the hearing it was agreed by counsel representing both sides of the controversy that the fair rental value of the Martin property occupied by the Moor-heads for nineteen months from October, 1907, was $13.50 per month. It was in evidence that they paid no rent for the nineteen months in question and the learned court below so found. We have reached the conclusion that appellant’s claim of $380 for boarding the decedent nineteen months should be allowed, but we think justice requires that $256.50, the rental value of the new house for the same period of time should be set off against that sum. This will leave a balance of $123.50, with interest from the .time it should have been paid due the appellant, and unless other equitable or legal reasons appear to the contrary, distribution should be made accordingly.
So far as in harmony with this opinion, the assignments of error are sustained, and the decree is reversed with a procedendo. The cost of this appeal to be paid out of the funds of the estate.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.