Rowan v. Warner
Rowan v. Warner
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The will of John Ramsey is: “First, I do will,
The question is, do the children of the deceased daughter, Mrs. No wan, take any interest (under the will), in the real estate? We think not. The first and last clauses of the will seem to conclusively settle the question against their claim. By the first the devise is in the positive language: ' ‘ That my real estate be divided equally between my son, John Eagle-ton Ramsey and Martha Susannah Ramsey, the heirs of my deceased daughter, Mary Jane Rowan, being hereafter provided for in this instrument.”
By the last clause a home is to be provided for Susannah Ramsey by a division of the farm or by the son paying to her the value of the half interest. If there was a doubt of the intention of the testator as expressed in the first clause, there can be none, as we think, when the two clauses are construed together Requiring the son to lay off to the sister the one-half of the farm or to pay her the value of the one-half thereof makes it clear that the testator meant what the language of the first clause imports, that the real estate should be equally divided between them. The language of the first clause, “after settling all claims for and against the estate, the balance, together with personal property I leave,” etc., was, we think, intended to embrace monies due or to be due to the testator, and that such monies when collected, should be first applied to the payment of debts owing by the testator and if there be a balance after the discharge of indebtedness, that balance was to be dis
Leaving such property to the judgment of the son and daughter is an absolute bequest for the benfit of the children of the deceased daughter, and confers no discretion upon the son and living daughter. Ve do not think the record shows the testator to have been responsible .for any debt for which the children of the deceased daughter should account under the directions of the will.
The defendants will pay all costs that have accrued up to the present time. If complainants desire the cause will be remanded for an account upon the principles indicated in this opinion.
The decree of the chancellor and report of the Referees will be modified to conform to this opinion, and in other respects affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- John R. Rowan v. J. C. Warner
- Status
- Published