Morrison v. Morrison
Morrison v. Morrison
Opinion of the Court
Mary L. Morrison died August 18, 1881, being at the time a resident of the territory of Washington. She left surviving her Walter E. Morrison, Sr., her husband, and also Louise Gertrude Morrison, Ethan Allen Morrison, Walter E. Morrison, Jr., and Madeline M. A. Morrison, children by her said husband, and all minors at the time of her death. She left a will by which she bequeathed all her property to her husband, in this language:
“I grant and bequeath unto my beloved husband, Walter E. Morrison, Sr., of North Yakima, Yakima county, Washington Territory, all my property both personal and real.”
The children were not mentioned- in the will. The husband was named as executor. In due course this will was admitted to- probate, and letters of administration were issued to said executor. After the issuance of letters, the executor, having experienced difficulty in disposing of the property, and being desirous of having an interpretation of the said will which would make it appear valid, filed his complaint in the superior court of Yakima county against the said children, praying that said will be construed. Summons was duly issued and placed in the hands of the sheriff of Yakima county, who made return that he had served each of the defendants personally with a copy thereof, and at the same time and place had delivered a copy of said summons to said Walter E. Morrison, Sr., father of said minors,- in whose care and control he found them. Thereupon, after the time for answering had expired, neither of the minors having appeared, the court made an order in which it was adjudged that the minors had been regularly served with process, that they had no other guardian than their father, and that it was neces
It is conceded by respondents that the lower court has jurisdiction to vacate and modify judgments after the term at which they are rendered, under § 5158, Bal. Code;
“In such proceedings the party shall be brought into court in the same way, on the same notice as to time, mode of service and mode of return, and the pleadings shall be governed by the same principles, and issues be made up by the same form, and all the proceedings conducted in the same way, as near as can be, as in original action by ordinary proceedings, except that the facts stated in the petition shall be deemed denied without answer, and defendant shall introduce no new cause, and the cause of the petition shall alone be tried.”
If it be conceded that this section is applicable to the case before us, and prescribes the method and forms of procedure, still no statutory method is here given which modifies the general procedure in any way except in the provision that no answer is required and no new cause may be introduced by defendant. • This section specially provides that the pleadings shall be governed by the same principles, and issues made up in the same form as near as can . be, as an original action by ordinary proceedings. What is here meant evidently is that the petition or- complaint
It is next argued that Louise Gertrude Morrison, a party defendant in the original action, is not made a party in this action, and for that reason there is a defect of parties. It appears from the complaint that Louise Gertrude Morrison when this action was commenced was at least twenty-three years of age, or one year past the time when she could maintain this action. So far as the complaint shows, she has no further interest in the litigation, and no relief is sought against her, and she is therefore not a necessary party. The rights of all parties interested may as well he determined without her.
It is claimed by appellants that proper service was not made in the original action upon the minors, because a copy of the complaint and summons for each of said minors was not left with the father, with whom they resided. It appears that a copy was left with each of said minors and one copy with their father. This was sufficient. The object of the service was notice, and one copy answered the purpose as well as any number thereof. Huggins v. Dabbs, 57 Ark. 628 (22 S. W. 563); Richardson v. Loupe, 80 Cal. 490 (22 Pac. 227); Rodgers v. Rodgers’ Adm'r (Ky.), 31 S. W. 139.
This court in several cases has held that failure of deceased to mention his children in a will renders such will void as to such children, and that oral testimony that deceased intended to omit them is inadmissible. Bower v. Bower, 5 Wash. 225 (31 Pac. 598); In re Barker's Estate, 5 Wash. 390 (31 Pac. 976); Hill v. Hill, 7 Wash. 409 (35 Pac. 360); Purdy v. Davis, 13 Wash. 165 (42 Pac. 520). It is alleged in the complaint that the will made no provision for any of said children, and that oral evidence
We conclude, therefore, that the complaint is in proper form; that the court had jurisdiction of the subject matter; that the plaintiffs and defendants are proper parties; that there is no misjoinder; and that the complaint states a cause of action.
The judgment of the lower court will therefore be reversed, and the cause remanded, with instructions to overrule the said demurrer.
Anders, Dunbar, Fullerton, Hadley and White, JJ., concur.
Eeavis, O. J. not sitting, being disqualified.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Walter F. Morrison, Jr. v. Walter F. Morrison, Sr.
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- JUDGMENT AGAINST MINORS — VACATION- — PROCEDURE. Under Bal. Code, § 5153, subd. 8, which provides that a judgment may be modified or vacated for error therein shown by a minor within twelve months after arriving at full age, and un,der § 5157, Id., which provides that “in such proceedings the party shall be brought into court in the same way, on the same notice as to time, mode of service and mode of return, and the pleadings shall be governed by the same principles, and issues be made up by tbe same form, and all tbe proceedings conducted in the same way, as near as can be, as in original action by ordinary proceedings, except that the facts stated in the petition shall be deemed denied without answer, and defendant shall introduce no new cause, and the cause of the petition shall alone be tried,” it is not required that the petitioner shall file his motion or petition in the original case, nor is any statutory form of procedure prescribed by such sections which must be strictly pursued. SAME-PARTIES. In an action by a minor within one year after attaining majority to vacate a judgment, a sister affected by the same judgment, but who was past the age when she could maintain the like kind of action, and against whom no relief was sought, is not a necessary party to the action seeking to open up the judgment. PROCESS — SERVICE UPON GUARDIAN OP MINORS-NUMBER OP COPIES NECESSARY. Service of one copy of summons upon the father, in an action in which his three minor children were defendants, was sufficient, where a copy was left with each of the minors, since the object of the service is.notice, and one copy served on the father would answer that purpose as well as an increased number of copies. WILLS-FAILURE TO MENTION CHILDREN-ADMISSIBILITY OP EVIDENCE TO SHOW TESTATOR’S INTENT. In an action by a minor within one year after arriving at the age of majority to vacate a judgment awarding all the property of plaintiff’s deceased mother to her surviving husband, under a will which failed to mention the children of the testator, the complaint states a cause of action when it alleges that the will made no provision for any of the children, and that oral evidence was received by the trial court for the purpose of showing an intention to omit them, since the admission of such evidence to vary the will constituted error of the trial court.