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Full-Text Articles in Law
Trusts-Descent And Distribution-Wife's Forced Share And An Inter Vivos Trust, Fredric L. Smith
Trusts-Descent And Distribution-Wife's Forced Share And An Inter Vivos Trust, Fredric L. Smith
Michigan Law Review
Settlor had created an inter vivas trust, retaining income for life, right to revoke, and control over the investment. Upon settlor's death, plaintiff, settlor's wife, was to receive income for life, with gift over to settlor's children. Plaintiff elected to take against settlor's will in favor of a statutorily provided distributive share. Upon application for declaratory judgment the trial court declared the trust to be valid, but granted relief to plaintiff as to her distributive share out of the trust assets, and the court of appeals affirmed. On motion to certify, held, reversed. Since the trust is valid, title …
Wills-Construction-Effect Of Precatory Words Relating -To Disposition Of Property On Donee's Death, Donald M. Wilkinson, Jr.
Wills-Construction-Effect Of Precatory Words Relating -To Disposition Of Property On Donee's Death, Donald M. Wilkinson, Jr.
Michigan Law Review
After two bequests, each of an absolute interest in one-third of her property, to a niece and a nephew, testatrix bequeathed the remaining one-third of her estate to her husband " ... to have and to hold subject to the request hereinafter stated. It, however, is my wish and desire and I charge my said husband ... to make disposition ... so that it will not pass to his heirs upon his death, but shall revert, after his death, to my heirs and be distributed to the legatees named in subparagraphs A. and B. of this clause Eighth ... subject, …
Trusts-Illusory Transfer-Rights Of Surviving Spouse, Carl S. Krueger
Trusts-Illusory Transfer-Rights Of Surviving Spouse, Carl S. Krueger
Michigan Law Review
ln 1939 Henry Halpern drafted a will naming his wife executrix and sole beneficiary of his estate. In 1946, about the time he and his wife separated, Halpern opened four savings accounts in his own name in trust for his infant granddaughter. While Halpern made subsequent deposits in two of them, he made no withdrawals; nor did he in any other manner revoke the trusts. Although evidence did not establish them as irrevocable trusts, it did show that Halpern on occasion indicated he meant the bank books to go to his granddaughter. Subsequently his wife, as executrix, instituted proceedings to …
Trusts-Construction-Whether Devise Of "Any Undisbursed Income" After Life Tenant's Death Includes Income Which Accrued Before Life Tenant's Death, Jean Engstrom S. Ed.
Trusts-Construction-Whether Devise Of "Any Undisbursed Income" After Life Tenant's Death Includes Income Which Accrued Before Life Tenant's Death, Jean Engstrom S. Ed.
Michigan Law Review
Testator's residuary estate was put in trust to pay income, dividends and profits to the testator's wife "so long as she shall live." In the same paragraph the will provided that at her death the "trustee shall stand seized and possessed of said residuary estate including any undisbursed income in trust." In a sub-paragraph the trustee was directed to "pay over the balance of said residuary estate to St. Joseph's Hospital." During her widowhood, testator's wife was in Switzerland where wartime exchange controls precluded payment of income to her under the terms of the trust. Both her administrator and the …
Quasi-Contracts-Taxation-Rescission Of Gifts Where Gift Fails To Achieve Donor's Purpose Of Minimizing Federal Income Taxes, Charles M. Soller S.Ed., Edwin F. Uhl S. Ed.
Quasi-Contracts-Taxation-Rescission Of Gifts Where Gift Fails To Achieve Donor's Purpose Of Minimizing Federal Income Taxes, Charles M. Soller S.Ed., Edwin F. Uhl S. Ed.
Michigan Law Review
A recent Michigan case, Stone v. Stone, presents problems of complexity and far-reaching importance. The plaintiffs, husband and wife, each owned a one-half interest in a family business partnership, and each apparently reported a proportionate share of the partnership earnings for federal income tax purposes. For the purpose of further reducing taxes on the income of the family unit, each parent transferred a one-quarter interest in the partnership to one of their two minor children, and thereafter each parent and child filed separate income tax returns reporting one-fourth of the partnership earnings as individual income. Each parent, under a …
Witnesses-Dead Man Statutes-Competence Of Spouse Of Party Or Interested Person-Effect Of Divorce, James E. Tobin S.Ed.
Witnesses-Dead Man Statutes-Competence Of Spouse Of Party Or Interested Person-Effect Of Divorce, James E. Tobin S.Ed.
Michigan Law Review
The "Dead Man" statutes, enacted in various forms in almost every state, generally forbid a party or person interested to testify in an action involving a decedent's estate. As is well known, these statutes are the lone survival of the common law rule disqualifying parties and persons interested as witnesses in all actions, a rule which has otherwise been universally repudiated because of the realization that pecuniary interest does not necessarily raise any large probability of falsehood and that, even if it did, the risks of admitting such testimony can easily be minimized and are far outweighed by the advantages …
Taxation--Estate Tax--Transfers Taking Effect At Death--Hallock Doctrine, John W. Riehm
Taxation--Estate Tax--Transfers Taking Effect At Death--Hallock Doctrine, John W. Riehm
Michigan Law Review
In 1925 and 1926 decedent and his wife created two trusts, decedent contributing 80 per cent, and his wife 20 per cent. Each trust provided for income to the wife during decedent's life, and on his death income was to be divided between the wife and a daughter or go to the survivor for life. On the death. of the survivor of the wife and daughter the corpus was to be distributed "According to the Statutes of descent and distribution of the State of Ohio, to the heirs at law of [decedent] and [wife], providing the heirs of [decedent] and …
Wills - Joint And Mutual Wills - Contracts To Bequeath And Devise - Statute Of Frauds, Charles J. O'Laughlin
Wills - Joint And Mutual Wills - Contracts To Bequeath And Devise - Statute Of Frauds, Charles J. O'Laughlin
Michigan Law Review
The husband and wife made joint and mutual wills, each giving to the survivor a life interest in his or her separate property with the remainder to their foster daughter, the plaintiff. The wife died first, but the husband destroyed the entire will, and took possession of all the wife's property. The husband then died intestate, and plaintiff brought suit against the heirs to enforce the dispositions made by the joint and mutual will. Plaintiff introduced evidence to show that the will was the product of a contract, and therefore irrevocable. Defendant objected on the grounds that the agreement was …
Wills - Joint And Mutual Wills - Contracts To Bequeath And Devise - Statute Of Frauds, Charles J. O' Laughlin
Wills - Joint And Mutual Wills - Contracts To Bequeath And Devise - Statute Of Frauds, Charles J. O' Laughlin
Michigan Law Review
Husband and wife made joint and mutual wills, each giving to the survivor a life interest in his or her separate property with the remainder to their foster daughter, the plaintiff. The wife died first, but the husband destroyed the entire will, and took possession of all the wife's property. The husband then died intestate, and plaintiff brought suit against the heirs to enforce the dispositions made by the joint and mutual will. Plaintiff introduced evidence to show that the will was the product of a contract, and therefore irrevocable. Defendant objected on the ground that the agreement was not …
Wills - Provisions For Construction Of The Will By Umpire Named By Testator, Alfred I. Rothman
Wills - Provisions For Construction Of The Will By Umpire Named By Testator, Alfred I. Rothman
Michigan Law Review
Testatrix created a trust and bequeathed one-fifth of the income to her son W and to S, his wife, with a proviso that if S survived her husband such income should not be paid to her in case she remarried. S divorced Wand remarried. Under a clause in the will giving them the power to determine with finality any question as to the construction or administration of the will, the executors and trustees construed the will to mean that S was not to receive any further share of the income, that testatrix would consider the divorce and remarriage during …
Contracts - Consideration - Moral Obligation To Pay For Services Rendered In Past, Michigan Law Review
Contracts - Consideration - Moral Obligation To Pay For Services Rendered In Past, Michigan Law Review
Michigan Law Review
After decedent's wife died, claimants, her mother and sister, at the request of the decedent, broke up their home and came to live with him, to keep house for him and to care for his children. These services continued for ten years, at which time the decedent gave claimants his promissory notes aggregating $2,000. They entered these notes as claims against his estate. Held, the claimants' services, even if rendered gratuitously, were performed at the decedent's request and raised a moral obligation which was sufficient consideration for the notes. In re Schoenkerman's Estate, (Wis. 1940) 294 N. W. …
Trusts - Confidential Relationship - Imposition Of Constructive Trust On Transferee Of Land On Oral Promise To Reconvey, Michigan Law Review
Trusts - Confidential Relationship - Imposition Of Constructive Trust On Transferee Of Land On Oral Promise To Reconvey, Michigan Law Review
Michigan Law Review
Plaintiff was induced to transfer his half interest in realty to his mother, because of her and his sister's fear that the income from the land, to which the mother was entitled during her life, might be tied up by the son's wife with whom he was having marital difficulties. There was no written evidence of the trust, but the mother had promised that she would act as trustee until the marital difficulties were settled, and then reconvey. Thereafter she conveyed to the sister, who, with knowledge of the agreement, refused to reconvey. Held, because of the confidential relationship …
Dower - Power Of Husband To Defeat His Surviving Spouse's Statutory Succession Rights By An Inter Vivos Transaction, Elbridge D. Phelps
Dower - Power Of Husband To Defeat His Surviving Spouse's Statutory Succession Rights By An Inter Vivos Transaction, Elbridge D. Phelps
Michigan Law Review
Ferdinand Straus died July 1, 1934, leaving a will dated May 5, 1934, which named his wife life beneficiary of a trust composed of one-third of his real and personal property, this being the minimum provision which he could make for her and yet preclude an election on her part to take against the will under the New York Decedent Estate Law. Three days before his death testator executed trust agreements by which he transferred all his real and personal property to trustees, who are defendants herein, and which named plaintiff herein as ultimate beneficiary. In general, all powers granted …