Melot's Estate
Melot's Estate
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The single question raised by the seven assignments of error in this appeal, is whether appellant, who was the husband of Esther K. Melot, was bound by the terms of his wife’s will. Esther K. Melot died April 5, 1909, leaving to survive her a husband and five daughters, four of them children of a former marriage, and one the child of her marriage with appellant. She left a will which was duly admitted to probate, whereby she gave her husband a smaller interest in her estate than he would receive by taking against the will. She named as executors her husband and one daughter, who both qualified, and letters
The general rules for determining whether there has been an election by matter in pais have been many times set forth. Thus in Bradfords v. Kents, 43 Pa. 474, Mr. Justice Strong said (p. 484): “That an election may be evidenced by matter in pais as well as by matter of record is certain, and it was conceded in the court below. It is true, nothing less than unequivocal acts will prove an election, and they must be acts done with the knowledge of the party’s rights, as well as of the circumstances of the case. Nothing less than an act of choice intelligently done will suffice.” A statement of the rule which is in line with our Pennsylvania decisions is found in 11 Am. & Eng. Ency. of Law (2d. ed.), 97, as follows: “In order that an
In the present case it can hardly be doubted that appellant had full knowledge of the situation. He was an executor of the will and was active in the settlement of the estate. It also appears affirmatively from the testimony that he knew what his rights were, both under the will and without regard to it. One of the acts of appellant which the court below considered evidence of his intention to take under the will, was the fact that in his account as executor appellant claimed credit for cash paid for the funeral expenses of his wife. This was in accordance with a direction in the will, and it operated to transfer the primary liability for these expenses from the husband upon whom it would otherwise rest. This payment was inconsistent with an intention on the part of appellant to take against the will. If he had not intended to accept under the will, he could not consistently have repaid to himself the amount expended for funeral expenses. The fact that he did make such repayment is therefore persuasive evidence
The assignments of error are overruled, and the decree of the court below is affirmed.
Reference
- Cited By
- 11 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Wills — Election to take against will — Husband and wife. 1. In order that an act may amount to an election to take against a will, two things are essential: first, it must be clear that the person alleged to have elected was aware of the nature and extent of his rights; second, it must be shown that having that knowledge he intended to elect. 2. Where a husband who is the executor of his wife, with full knowledge of the facts and circumstances of the estate, files an account in which he claims credit for cash paid for the funeral expenses of his wife, in accordance with a direction in her will that they should be paid out of her estate, and files at the audit a schedule of distribution signed by himself asking the court to distribute the estate in exact accordance with the terms of the will, including the award of a legacy to himself, he cannot thereafter elect to take against the will, inasmuch as his conduct showed a clear intention to accept the provisions made for him in the will.