John West, et al. executors, plaintiffs in error, vs. James N. Bolton, and others, defendants in error

Supreme Court of Georgia1857-11

23 Ga. 531

Summary · law.co

Holding. The trial court erred in instructing the jury that the testator's grandchildren were not bound to account for advancements made to their parents, as an advancement to a parent constitutes in law an advancement to the child under the will's language. The judgment is reversed and the case is remanded for a new trial.

A testator's will required legatees to account for all money or property received from him to ensure equal distribution, including any advancements. The question arose whether the testator's grandchildren (children of his deceased daughter) were bound to account for advancements made to their parents. The court held that under the language of the will and principles of law governing advancements and distributions, money or property given to a parent constitutes an advancement to the child, making the grandchildren accountable for amounts their parents had received from the testator.

The court also addressed whether statements made by the testator about certain notes representing advancements to his son-in-law were admissible as evidence. The court determined these statements were admissible because they were against the testator's interest—characterizing notes as advancements rendered them worthless, whereas if they represented valid debts they retained value. Although the taking of notes by the testator created a presumption that the sums were loans rather than advancements, this presumption was rebuttable and the question of whether it had been overcome was for the jury to decide.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

Whether grandchildren must account for advancements made to their parents under a will's equality clause
Whether statements of a testator characterizing notes as advancements are admissible as declarations against interest
Whether advancements to parents are attributable to children for purposes of equal distribution

Procedural posture

The case came before the court on a writ of error challenging the trial court's jury charge and evidentiary rulings.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion · public domain

majority opinion

By the Court. —

Benning, J.

delivering the opinion.

The Court charged the jury, that the children of Mr. and Mrs. Bolton, were not bound to account for advancements made to Mr. and Mrs. Bolton. Was this charge right ?

The words of the will are, “ each one shall be charged with, and account for, all money or property they have received from me, so as to make them share, equally in the property to be divided and in advances.”

By the words “each one,” “they,” “them,” the testator, no doubt, meant, the persons named as legatees, in the third item of his will. Among those persons, were “ the children of” his “deceased daughter, Polly Bolton.

It follows, therefore, that according to the words of the will, those children were bound to account for money and property, which they had received from the testator, if they had received money and property from him.

Their parents had received money and property from the testator. Was that, a receipt of the money and property, by them ?

We think, that, in law, it was.

An advancement to the parent is, inlaw,an advancement to the child. The statute of advancements, is amendatory of the statute of distributions, and, indeed, is adoptive of that statute. Consequently, it is to be construed in connection with that statute. And that statute says this — “And1 in case any of the children shall die before the intestate,, their lineal descendants shall stand in their place and stead.” Cobb’s Dig. 291, 293. But, if, in such case, the lineal descendants of any of the children, stand in the place and stead of the children, then, it must be true, that what the children received, they received, what the children were-advanced, they were advanced. In other words, it must be true, that an advancement to the parent, is in law, an advancement to the child.

This is the result of a strict and literal interpretation of the language of the will. And there can hardly be a doubt, that it is a result, that subserves the intention of the testator. And certainly, we may be justified in holding that a testator-means by words denoting an advancement, any thing that is,. in law, an advancement, if in so holding, vve accomplish his intention.

We think, therefore, that the charge of the Court, was-erroneous.

Was Dyson’s testimony admissible; that is to say, were the sayings of the testator, going to show, that he had made advancements to Charles L. Bolton, admissible ?

These were not “ vague” sayings. The notes, &c.,to which they referred, were lying before the speaker, at the time of the sayings.

Now the sayings were admissible, if they were against the interest of the speaker. And, Ave think, that they Avere against his interest. It is true, that the notes, &c. were out of date. But a contract being out of date, does not make the contract^ extinct. It cannot be said, therefore, that a contract out of date, is a Avorthless thing. If these notes, &c., then, represented contracts, debts, they Avere not worthless, though they Avere out of date.

But if they represented advancements, they Avere utterly worthless. They could not in that case, have been collected, if in date. It folloAvs therefore, that Avhen the testator, speaking of them, said, that they represented advancements, he spoke Avhat Avas against his interest.

The cases read from the Pennsylvania Reports, Avent upon the ground, I think, that the sayings they refer to were too vague, too uncertain, failing as those sayings did, to specify and identify, the property referred to by them, as that Avhich had been advanced. See 4. Whor. 138.

The cases from the Connecticut Reports, seem to be in favor of the admission of such sayings. 20. Conn. 320. 6. Conn. 356.

That notes, &c., were taken by the testator, from the son-in-laAV, Mr. Bolton, for the sums advanced to Mr. B., is matter from Avhich, a presumption arises, that those sums Avere intended, not, as advancements, but as loans. This presumption, hoAvever, is not a conclusive one, it is subject to be rebutted. And the question, Avhelher, it has, or has not, been rebutted, is a question for the jury.

The charge of the Court being, as Ave think, erroneous, we must give a new trial.

Judgment reversed.