Law Commons^™

The Effect Of Guardianship On Estate Plans, George T. Stevenson

Michigan Law Review

One responds to the certainty of death with dread and respect, and one lays plans for the event. Few, however, admit or even think of the possibility that they may become incompetent in their old age; hence, provision is rarely made for this possibility in estate plans. The increased longevity resulting from the recent rapid strides in medicine has as its corollary an increase both in the number of persons who become incompetent before death and the duration of their affliction. This poses a challenge to estate planners and the law of guardianship.

Today the guardianship of the person of …

Wills--The Receipt Of Substantial Benefits Under A Will By One In Confidential Relationship With Testator Raises A Presumption Of Undue Influence Which After Rebutting Evidence Is Introduced Remains As A Permissible Inference For The Jury--In Re Wood Estate, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Testator bequeathed to proponent, his private secretary, a substantial portion of his estate. Contestant, testator's niece and sole heir, attacked the validity of the bequest on the grounds of proponent's alleged undue influence, and introduced evidence indicating the existence of a confidential relationship between proponent and testator. Proponent denied both the existence of a confidential relationship and the allegations of undue influence, and introduced evidence that independent counsel had advised testator in the making of his will. The trial court granted proponent's motion for a directed verdict. On appeal, held reversed, two justices dissenting. The receipt of substantial benefits under …

Future Interests--Implying A Requirement Of Survival In Future Interests: Continued Confusion--Schau V. Cecil, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Contingent future interests have caused considerable confusion in cases in which the holder of the future interest dies before the fulfillment of the condition. This confusion stems from a tendency by some courts to use the word "contingent" as a shorthand way of indicating that the interest holder must survive until a certain time or event. A future interest is correctly said to be "contingent" when it is subject to a condition, in addition to the termination of the prior estate, which must occur before the interest becomes a present estate. The two usages of the word are often overlapping, …

An Inquiry Into The Utility Of "Domicile" As A Concept In Conflicts Analysis, Russell J. Weintraub

Michigan Law Review

No attempt is made here to conduct an exhaustive case study of any one particular area in which the concept of "domicile" is used as a tool for analysis in the conflict of laws. A number of thorough and useful studies have been made in narrow areas and are cited at appropriate places in the body of this article. Instead, this article will review the use of "domicile" in analyzing certain typical conflicts problems, particularly its use as the contact or pointing word in choice of law rules concerning the testate and intestate distribution of movables, and, as is newly …

Federal Estate Tax-Determination Of Marital Deduction In Community Property State When Surviving Spouse Elects To Take Under Decedent's Will, Jon E. Denney

Michigan Law Review

Decedent, a Texas resident, provided that if his wife elected to take under his will she would receive one-third of the total community property and one-third of his separate estate. The remaining two-thirds of decedent's total estate was devised in trust for the benefit of his children. The widow elected to take under the will, thereby allowing her interest in the community property to pass as provided in the will. The executors claimed a marital deduction for the one-third separate property passing to the widow. Since she received less under the will than the value of her relinquished community property, …

Wills--Sequestration--Acceleration Of Life Interest Upon Renunciation Of Prior Interest, Daniel R. Elliott Jr.

Michigan Law Review

Testator made an inter vivos agreement in which he promised to bequeath to his son a certain portion of his estate. Upon testator's failure to comply with this agreement, the bequest actually given, a life interest in sixty percent of the estate, was renounced by the son, who instead elected to receive one million dollars from the estate in settlement of his claim. The will gave a remainder interest for life to the son of the renouncing legatee, testator's grandson. The ultimate remaindermen of the corpus of this part of the estate were two hospitals. In regard to the remaining …

Wills - Probate - "Fraudulent" Destruction Notwithstanding Testator's Knowledge, Alan Rothenberg

Michigan Law Review

Decedent executed a will in which he exercised a general testamentary power of appointment making plaintiff beneficiary of a trust. The will was delivered for safekeeping to a notary in Germany and subsequently destroyed in a bombing raid. Decedent, having learned of the destruction of his will, died ten months later without executing a new will in the interim. The Surrogate admitted the will for probate as one "fraudulently destroyed" under New York law. The Appellate Division reversed. On appeal to the New York Court of Appeals, held, reversed, three judges dissenting. The will was "fraudulently destroyed" within the meaning …

Wills-Revocation By Act To The Document-Effect On Codicil, Roger W. Kapp S. Ed

Michigan Law Review

The term codicil generally refers to a supplement to a will by which the testator alters or adds to his will. It may be nominated a codicil by the testator or held to be one by judicial construction. If it is to be operative at all, a codicil must of course be executed with all the formalities required by the statute of wills. But, just as it is difficult to describe a codicil without reference to a primary testamentary document, so also is it difficult to determine the status of an otherwise valid codicil when the will it supplements has …

Trusts - Charitable Trusts - Ascertainment Of Dominant Intent In Application Of Cy Pres, Stuart S. Gunckel

Michigan Law Review

Testator made a residuary bequest to the city of Detroit "for a playfield for white children." The city agreed to accept this bequest if the racial restriction were removed under the doctrine of cy pres. In an action by the heirs to recover the bequest, the circuit court refused the application of the doctrine of cy pres although the city could not accept the gift unless it was permitted to establish a playfield for children of all races. On appeal, held, affirmed, by an evenly-divided court. Cy pres wiII not be applied in the absence of phrases in the …

Trusts - Interchangeability Of The Inter Vivos Trust And The Will - Various Tests Of Trust Validity, Stephen B. Flood S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

This comment will be devoted to an examination of various tests of trust validity in this setting and their relative utility as tools for analysis.

Probate And Administration On The American Frontier: A Study Of The Probate Records Of Wayne County- Northwest Territory 1796-1803; Indiana Territory 1803-1805; Michigan Territory 1805-1816, William Wirt Blume

Michigan Law Review

As late as 1815 there was only one county in Michigan Territory- Wayne County- made up of parts of the territory to which the Indian titles had been extinguished. As other counties were organized beginning in 1817, Wayne County was reduced to its present size. A law adopted July 27, 1818, provided that a probate court should be held in each county. By a proclamation dated October 2, 1818, Acting Governor Woodbridge declared it was "no longer expedient to continue the present subdivisions of this territory into districts" for probate purposes; instead, each county should be "a separate District and …

Wills - Contract To Devise - Rights Of Subsequent Spouse With Notice Of Prior Contract At Time Of Marriage, Glenn O. Fuller

Michigan Law Review

Decedent and his first wife executed reciprocal wills pursuant to a contract appearing on the face of the instruments. Each gave the other a life estate, with remainders to substantially identical beneficiaries. After his first wife's death, decedent remarried and in an antenuptial contract agreed to bequeath a sum of money to his second wife in lieu of all her claims against his estate. The second wife had actual notice of the prior agreement at the time of their marriage. Decedent then executed a new will which expressly revoked all prior wills, confirmed the terms of the antenuptial contract, and …

Wills - Testamentary Additions To The Corpus Of An Inter Vivos Trust-Recent Judicial And Legislative Developments, Richard I. Singer S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

The shape of the law relating to testamentary additions to the corpus of an inter vivos trust was outlined in 1951 by Professor George E. Palmer in an article entitled "Testamentary Dispositions to the Trustee of an Inter Vivos Trust." It is the purpose of this comment to consider recent developments in this area. A generalized formulation of the problem to be dealt with is-may a valid bequest be made to the trustee of an inter vivos trust without setting out the terms of the trust in the will?

Wills - Legacies - Presumption Of Satisfaction Of Debt, Harry D. Krause S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Petitioners, the residuary legatees under their father's will, sought an accounting of dividends from stocks and rents from real property belonging to them but which had been collected by their father during his life and commingled with his own assets. The will did not state that the legacy to petitioners was intended to be in satisfaction of claims against the estate. To review an order of the chancellor requiring them to elect between accepting the legacy or prosecuting their claims against the estate petitioners brought certiorari. Held, certiorari granted, order requiring election quashed, and cause remanded. There is no …

Restitution - Equitable Remedies - Imposition Of Equitable Lien To Carry Out Provisions Of Will, David C. Berg

Michigan Law Review

H and W each conveyed their separate farms to themselves as joint tenants by means of a third-party conduit. The deeds were not recorded, and H and W continued to regard their respective farms as belonging to themselves individually. In 1951, W, faced with imminent death, executed a will calling for the payment of certain bequests out of her farm or its proceeds. H agreed to act as executor and promised that the bequests would be paid. H had recorded the joint tenancy deeds before W died, but had not paid the bequests when he died intestate two years …

Wills - Lapse Of A Residuary Gift, Phillip Jacobus

Michigan Law Review

Testatrix left a will containing the following bequest: ". . . I give, devise and bequeath to my brothers and sisters, A, B, C, D and the children of E (naming them), and F and G, all the ... residue ... of my Estate ... both real and personal of whatsoever kind . . . and wherever situated should be sold and distributed in equal share, share and share alike .... " G died before the testatrix, and her share lapsed. The trial court held that G's share passed as intestate property of the testatrix. On appeal, held, …

Future Interests - Construction - Implied Condition Of Survivorship, Herbert A. Bernhard S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Decedent's will gave the income from his estate to his widow for life. After her death the estate was to be held for an additional ten years, during which time the income was to be equally divided among his named daughters, Jennie, Bertha, Ida and Martha. At the end of the ten-year period, the estate was to be divided among the four daughters in equal shares, with the children of a daughter not surviving the ten-year period to take her share. Martha died three years after decedent's widow died. Plaintiff, as administrator of Martha's estate, objected to the payment by …

Wills - Execution - Attestation, Max H. Bergman

Michigan Law Review

Prospective witnesses to a will saw the testatrix standing in an adjoining room engaged in writing. Soon thereafter, the testatrix asked them to come in and sign a paper. Her name had already been written on the document, and she neither signed it in the witnesses' presence nor in any manner indicated the writing to be her will. The witnesses read enough of the document, however, to know it was a will, before subscribing it in the presence of the testatrix and one another. Three of the testatrix' sons objected to the probate of the will on the ground that …

Wills - Ademption - Sale Of Property By Guardian Of Physically Incompetent Testator, David W. Swanson S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

By a will executed in 1950, testator devised his undivided one-half interest in his home to his wife in fee simple. A year · later and with his consent, the probate court appointed a guardian for him on the ground of physical incompetency. In 1952 the guardian sold the devised property under court order, at which proceeding the testator was properly before the court, was consulted, and agreed to the sale. A small portion of the proceeds was used for the support of the testator but $7271 remained at his death five months later and was turned over to his …

Trusts - Spendthrift Trusts - Reduction In Income As Justification For Termination In Favor Of Beneficiary, Norman A. Zilber S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Testatrix died in 1913 leaving a will which established a $20,000 spendthrift trust. The income from this trust was to be paid to her son for life with the remainder, in default of issue and the exercise of a general testamentary power of appointment, to go to the other descendants of the testatrix then living. The stated purpose of the trust was to assure her son of "a support throughout his . . . whole life, under any circumstances.'' The son, 65 years old and without issue, sought to terminate the trust on the ground that he was about to …

Wills - Revocation By Change In Circumstances - Effect Of A Separation And Property Settlement Agreement, Paul R. Haerle

Michigan Law Review

Testator's will, executed in 1944, named his wife executrix and sole devisee. One month before his death in 1952 he entered into a detailed separation and property settlement agreement with her in which, though not referring directly to the will, the wife released any present, future or after-acquired interest in the same realty as was devised in the will. The widow's offering of the will for probate was contested by the heirs. The lower court directed a verdict for the contestants on the ground that the agreement operated to revoke the will. On appeal, held, reversed. Since neither a …

Legal Effect Of Contracts To Devise Or Bequeath Prior To The Death Of The Promisor: Ii, Bertel M. Sparks

Michigan Law Review

After there has been a contract to make a will it is often said that the promisor is a trustee of the property for the use of the promisee. This statement is usually offered as a reason for or an explanation of the relief granted in a particular case, without any indication as to how such a premise was arrived at and without any consideration of other possible results that might How from the designation of the relationship as a trust.

Legal Effect Of Contracts To Devise Or Bequeath Prior To The Death Of The Promisor: I, Bertel M. Sparks

Michigan Law Review

Questions involving the rights, duties, powers, privileges, and immunities of parties to contracts to devise or bequeath are frequently raised prior to the death of the party promising to make the devise or bequest. In essence the problem is one of analyzing the legal relationships existing prior to the date set for performance. An analysis of these relationships is undertaken in this article. Vital questions concerning the formation of such contracts and their enforcement after the promisor's death are considered only when they appear essential to the development of the main theme which concerns the contract's effect prior to the …

Wills - Enforcement Of Parol Contract To Devise Real Property, John S. Slavens S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiffs and decedent made an oral agreement whereby plaintiffs agreed to pay decedent a yearly sum and to make repairs on certain real estate in return for which decedent agreed to devise the real estate to plaintiffs. Plaintiffs had been in possession of the property for several years and had vastly improved its value when decedent died, devising the property to third parties. Plaintiffs brought this action for specific performance against the devisees. The trial court, satisfied that the oral contract had been established, entered the decree for specific performance. On appeal, held, affirmed. A person can make a …

Trusts-Creation-Significance Of Creation Of Honorary Trust By Inter Vivos Transfer, John W. Hupp S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Settlor made an inter vivos transfer of certain property in trust for a specified period with directions that the trustees should, in accordance with their own discretion, apply the income of the trust fund toward all or any of several specified purposes. These purposes included the "establishment ... of good understanding, sympathy and co-operation between nations," "the preservation of the independence and integrity of newspapers," and "the protection of newspapers ... from being absorbed or controlled by combines." Summons was taken out by the settlor to have the validity of the trusts determined. Held, the trusts were void because …

Civil Procedure-Judgments-Collateral Attack On Decree Of Distribution Of A Probate Court, David W. Rowlinson

Michigan Law Review

Testator's will devised a tract of land to his three nieces and directed that the nieces should not sell or dispose of the land for twenty years after his death. This provision was incorporated in the decree of the probate court distributing the land to the three nieces. After the decree of distribution had become final, one of the nieces brought the present action for partition. Over the objection that the decree was conclusive and forbade this type of alienation, the trial court ordered partition. On appeal, held, affirmed. The condition restraining alienation for twenty years is forbidden by …

Fiduciary Administration-Fraud In Securing Probate-Constructive Trust Imposed On Devisee, Patrick J. Ledwidge S. Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff's complaint contained the following allegations: that plaintiff was the daughter and defendant the son of the decedent; that defendant had fraudulently destroyed written acknowledgements of the decedent that plaintiff was his daughter; that defendant had falsely secured the probate of decedent's purported will, in which the plaintiff was in no way mentioned. The complaint sought the recovery of the value of a one-half interest in the estate. The trial court sustained a demurrer to the complaint. On appeal, held, reversed. The complaint stated a cause of action entitling plaintiff to the imposition of a constructive trust on the …

Trusts And Estates - Relationship By Affinity-Meaning Of The Word "Stepchild" In A Tax Statute, Harold S. Lentz S. Ed.

Michigan Law Review

A widower with two children married Sarah Bordeaux and predeceased her. A child of the marriage died in infancy. The two children were raised by Sarah as if she had been their natural mother. A strong filial relationship developed, and at the death of Sarah in 1949, the bulk of her property passed to the two children by will. The inheritance tax division of the tax commission contended that the relationship by affinity had been terminated and that the children, no longer being "stepchildren," were not entitled to the lower tax rates under Class A of the inheritance tax statute …

Testamentary Disposition To The Trustee Of An Inter Vivos Trust, George E. Palmer

Michigan Law Review

The problem of this paper is narrow but important in connection with testamentary dispositions. A man establishes an inter vivos trust, in writing, and later attempts by will to add to the corpus of the trust without repeating in the will the terms of the trust. In some instances he thereafter amends the trust with the expectation that the property bequeathed to the trustee will be held in accordance with the amended terms. This is a simple and convenient method of disposing of property at death and most people probably would take for granted that the disposition is effective. Yet …

Specific Performance-Oral Promise To Devise In Consideration Of Personal Services, C. J. Rice

Michigan Law Review

Decedent orally agreed that if plaintiff would render services as housekeeper, practical muse and general business associate, he would devise and bequeath one-half of his estate to her. Decedent died without having made a will, and plaintiff sought specific performance of the agreement. Held, performance of these services did not take the oral contract out of the operation of the statute of frauds because the services were capable of measurement in money, and recovery on a quantum meriut basis was adequate. Snyder v. Warde, 151 Ohio St. 426, 86 N.E. (2d) 489 (1949).