Lawrence v. Bellingham Bay & British Columbia Railroad
Lawrence v. Bellingham Bay & British Columbia Railroad
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
The allegations of the complaint filed in this action show that the title under which plaintiff claims, in part, at least, is that of heir of her husband. In the case of Balch v. Smith, ante. p. 497 (decided by this court on July 6 last), we held that the usual method by which an heir was vested with such a perfect title to property, real or personal, of his ancestor, as would enable him to maintain an action therefor, was, by a decree of distribution of the probate court, pending, or at the close of, administration upon the estate of the ancestor. The rule therein announced is decisive of this case, for, while it is true that, in the case above cited, the court expressed an opinion that there might be exceptions to said rule, which, if pleaded and proved, would authorize the heir to maintain an action without administration, yet the allegations of this com
Judgment affirmed.
Anders, C. J., and Stiles, J., concur.
Dunbar and Scott, JJ., concur in the result.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Sarah A. Lawrence v. The Bellingham Bay and British Columbia Railroad Company, Clarence W. Carter, P. D. McKellar and Annie E. Llewellyn
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- DECEDENTS’ ESTATES — COMMUNITY PEOPEETY — ACTION PENDING ADMINISTEATION. Under the statute requiring the property of the community to he administered with the estate of that member of the community who is first deceased, the widow of a decedent cannot maintain an action for her half interest in a community contract until after a decree of distribution in the probate proceedings is had.