Stokes v. Weston

This action was brought to partition real estate. The only question presented upon this appeal is as to the proper construction of the will of Samuel Stokes.

Samuel Stokes died on the 24th day of October,' 1889, possessed of real and personal estate. He left him surviving his widow, Eliza Stokes, the plaintiff, Alfred Stokes and Clara McGee, his children, and' Henry Weston and Porter Weston, his grandchildren, and the children of Clara McGee. He left a last will and testament which has been duly proved and admitted to probate, in which he first devised and bequeathed to his wife Eliza the use of all of his property for and during the term of her natural life. Second: “ I give, bequeath and devise to my children Alfred Stokes, Charles E. Stokes and Clara McGee, the rest, residue and remainder of my property in equal proportions; but in case of the death of my sons Alfred and Charles E. or either of them, without issue living at the time of his decease, then the share of the one so dying without issue shall be divided equally between my grandchildren Henry Weston and Porter Weston.” The trial court has construed this provision of the will to the effect that the death of the sons without issue meant their death during the life of the testator, and that inasmuch as they had both survived him they each became vested with one-third of the estate, subject only to the life estate of their mother. The court, in its opinion, states that “there is nothing

“ But in case of the death of my sons Alfred and Charles E., or either of them, without issue living at the time of his decease, then the share of the one so dying without issue shall be divided equally between my grandchildren,” etc. The pronoun “ his ” preceding the word decease must refer to the noun or nouns that precede it. In other words “ his ” refers to the nouns Alfred and Charles, and the meaning is the same as if the words Alfred and Charles were substituted in place of the pronoun. This is the fair grammatical construction of the sentence. It is contended, however, that under the authorities the pronoun his refers to the testator, and that the time mentioned is that of the testator’s death instead of that of the sons, or either of them. Our reading of the cases does not sustain this construction. It is unquestionably a well-settled rule of construction that where there is a devise to one person absolutely, and in case of his death to another, the words of contingency refer to a death in the lifetime of the testator. (Clayton v. Lowe, 5 Barn. & Ald. 636 ; Doe v. Sparrow, 13 East, 359 ; Woodburne v. Woodburne, 23 L. J. Ch. 336 ; Gee v. Mayor, etc., 17 Adol. & Ell. [N. S.] 737; Livingston v. Greene, 52 N. Y. 118 ; Embury v. Sheldon, 68 id. 227 ; Quackenbos v. Kingsland, 102 id. 128 .)

But this rule has no application when the first devisee takes a life estate, and it is equally well settled that where there are words in the context indicating an intention on the part of the testator that the death of the devisee refers to some other time than that of the

In Mullarky v. Sullivan (supra), O’Brien, J., in speaking of the death within the lifetime of the testator, says: “ It is only in the case of an absolute devise or bequest to one and in case of his death to another, that the words are given such a meaning, and the rule has no application to a case where the first devisee or legatee takes a life estate.”

In Fowler v. Ingersoll (supra), Brown, J., says : “ The words of contingency are substitutionary merely and are intended to prevent a lapse in case the first devisee is not living at the death of the testator, and do not create an executory devise or remainder over upon the death at any time of the first taker. But this rule has no application when the first devisee or legatee takes a life estate, and is applied only when the prior gift is absolute and unrestricted. The reason assigned for the rule is that as death is the certain event and time only is contingent, the words ol contingency can only be satisfied bv referring them to a death before some particular period, and none being mentioned the time referred to must be presumed to be the testator’s own death. But this reason fails in the case of a life estate, as in such case the presumption would be that the words of contingency referred to the event which would determine the life estate.”

As we have seen the will devised and bequeathed to the wife Eliza, the use of all of the testator’s property for and during the term of her natural life. A life estate was thus created. It was the remainder only that was devised to the children; thus bringing the case within the rule stated in the case above referred to.

Again, the will under consideration contains the phrase: “At the

Note. The rest of the cases of this term will he found in the next volume (70) Hun— [Rep.

The decision of this court in the case of Matter of Tallmage, Executor, etc. (partially reported in 20 New York Weekly Digest, 69) is not 'in conflict with the views herein expressed. In that case the testator had given an estate to his daughters, Elsie and Jane. He then provided that “ In case of the decease of both of my said daughters Elsie and Jane and without any children of theirs then surviving, then and in such case I give and bequeath their said shares of said property aforesaid to my sister Jane M. Tallmage, but in case of the decease of either of my said daughters and without children, then and in such case the survivor of either of them shall have and hold and be the owner of the whole of my said property.” Here was a provision that in the case of the death of either daughter the survivor should take absolutely the whole estate. The sister, Jane M. Tallmadge, could not take unless the death of the daughters should occur simultaneously or unless the death of the daughters referred to a time preceding that of the testator. It was under these circumstances that we held that the death of the daughters mentioned in the will referred to a time preceding the death of the testator.

Upon the trial the plaintiff stated in open court that he did not desire a partition of the property unless he obtained a construction of the testator’s will in conformity with the allegations and prayer of his complaint. Our views are adverse to his contention.

The judgment should, therefore, be reversed and the plaintiff’s complaint dismissed, with costs.

Dwight, P. J., Lewis and Macomber, JJ., concurred.

Interlocutory judgment appealed from reversed, and the plaintiff’s complaint dismissed, with costs.