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In re Estate of Pete Charowhas, Deceased. (Pete Charowhas, Jr., Appellant, v. Harlow L. Preston, Executor, Appellee.)

Kansas Supreme Court1957-05-11No. No. 40,501
181 Kan. 322310 P.2d 947

Summary

Holding. The court affirmed the judgment, holding that the will created an absolute fee simple estate in Preston with no binding trust obligation to support Pete Jr., as the language expressing reliance on Preston's voluntary assistance was precatory rather than mandatory and could not restrict the testator's clear prior disposition of the entire estate to Preston.

Pete Charowhas, Jr. challenged the final settlement of his deceased father's estate, arguing that the will created a trust requiring the executor to use estate funds for his benefit. The testator's will explicitly disinherited Pete Jr. and his sister, leaving the entire estate to Harlow L. Preston as sole beneficiary and executor. The will included language expressing the testator's belief that Preston would voluntarily help Pete Jr. with necessities of life, but contained no mandatory directives binding Preston to do so. The court examined whether this language constituted a binding trust or merely expressed a precatory wish.

The court held that the language was precatory rather than mandatory because it was directed at Preston in his capacity as beneficiary, not as executor. When testators give binding instructions to executors, they use mandatory language; precatory language directed at beneficiaries lacks legal force. The will's earlier paragraphs clearly conveyed an intent to give Preston absolute ownership of the entire estate without restrictions. Under established principles, when one portion of a will unambiguously creates a complete estate, later vague or uncertain language cannot reduce or limit that estate.

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

Key issues

  • Whether precatory language in a will creates a binding trust or merely expresses a testator's wish
  • Distinction between mandatory directives to executors and precatory language directed to beneficiaries
  • Whether subsequent vague language can restrict or limit a clear prior devise of an absolute estate

Procedural posture

Pete Jr. appealed the district court's affirmation of the probate court's judgment approving the final settlement of the estate.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

majority opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Robb, J.:

This is an appeal from a judgment of the district court affirming, on appeal from the probate court, a journal entry of final settlement in the estate of a deceased testator. Defendant prevailed and plaintiff appeals.

It is conceded that only oné question is involved herein and we will not burden the opinion with the preliminary matters relating tq. the journal entry of final settlement which ultimately assigned the ;reál; and personal property of which testator died seized to appellee, who was testator’s sole legatee, devisee and beneficiary under the will. The will provided for appointment of appellee as executor, and then further provided:

“First: I direct that my Executor, hereinafter named, pay all of my just debts and obligations, including funeral expenses, as soon after my death as is practicable, and I request that my Executor erect in my memory a suitable tombstone on my grave site.

“Second: I give, devise and bequeath all the rest, residue and remainder of my property of whatsoever kind or nature, whether real, personal or mixed, and wheresoever situated, to my dear friend, Harlow L. Preston, of Topeka, Kansas, if he shall survive me, to be his absolutely to do with as he may wish.”

Up to this point in the will, there can be no question but that appellee took an absolute fee simple title to the entire estate of the testator. However, the following paragraph is the one appellant relies upon to establish a “precatory” trust in his favor:

“Third: I am not unmindful of two children born to my former wife, Etta Charowhas, during the years of our marriage, said children being Pete Charowhas, Jr. and Cherrie Charowhas, who are now residing at Bogota, New Jersey, and while I am doubtful as to the paternity of the said Cherrie Charowhas, it is my will that whether she be the issue of my body or not, neither she nor Pete Charowhas, Jr., my dear son, shall take anything by reason of this will; but I believe that my dear friend, and the sole beneficiary of this will, Harlow L. Preston, will never permit my little son, Pete Charowhas, Jr. to suffer want or to lack the necessities of life and while I put no restrictions upon my said friend’s use of the property in my estate, I make this will in reliance upon him to use such part of my estate as in his sole discretion may be necessary and advisable to be used for the benefit of my son.”

The remaining paragraphs of the will need not be set out here as they are not necessary to a determination of the question before us.

This will is without a doubt clear, unambiguous, and concise. Therefore, we must apply our cardinal rule for the construction of a will, to which all others must yield, and that is we are bound to ascertain and follow the intention of the testator. In construing a will the court is the judge of the law and must consider all the provisions of the will. It cannot delete any part of it. (Diver v. Hendrix, 178 Kan. 253, 257, 284 P. 2d 1080.)

Appellant claims this will by its third paragraph establishes a “precatory” trust in his favor, but it is evident from the record and from remarks made during oral presentation of the case before this court that a constructive trust was meant by the use of the term “precatory trust.” He further contends the words,

“I believe that my dear friend, and the sole beneficiary of this will, Harlow L. Preston, will never permit my little son ... to suffer want or to lack the necessities of life . . . ,”

are mandatory, but we cannot agree with that interpretation. The words are precatory because they clearly apply to appellee in his role of beneficiary. As was stated in the Diver case, supra,

. . while precatory words may apply to beneficiaries they do not apply to executors. When executors are given directions as to what to do or not to do it is their duty to conform. They have no right or capacity to do otherwise.” (p. 257.)

Another and very potent reason for this will creating a devise of testator s entire estate in fee simple to appellee is the rule stated in Holt v. Wilson, 82 Kan. 268, 108 Pac. 87, that,

“Where one part of a will clearly indicates a disposition in the testator to create an estate in fee it will not be restricted or cut down to any less estate by subsequent vague or doubtful expressions.” (Syl. f 1.)

All the principles stated herein were set out and discussed thoroughly in the recent case of In re Estate of Cribbs, 180 Kan. 840, 308 P. 2d 111.

While courts do not favor a parent disinheriting a child, we must carry out the intent of a testator when he makes that intent clear and definite by the terms of his will.

The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.

concurrence opinion

Price, J.,

concurring: I am in agreement with the decision reached in this case, but wish to add these brief remarks.

The syllabus states that after the usual provision for payment of debts “the executor was to receive all the remaining property absolutely to do with as he may wish.” This statement is technically incorrect. It is true the executor and the sole beneficiary are one and the same person, but, particularly in view of the question involved in this appeal, and in the interest of accuracy, the statement should be that the beneficiary was to receive all the remaining property absolutely to do with as he may wish.

Also, I am not in agreement with the first part of the sentence comprising the next to the last paragraph of the opinion, in which it is said that courts do not favor a parent disinheriting a child. The will in question is clear and unambiguous. After payment of debts, including the cost of erecting a suitable tombstone, all property remaining is devised and bequeathed to a named beneficiary, to be his property absolutely. Then, in the next paragraph of the will, appear the “precatory” words in the nature of an expression of wish and desire on the part of testator with respect to the sole beneficiary seeing to it that testator s son never be permitted to suffer want or to lack the necessities of life. On the record before us, we are not concerned with testator’s motive in disinheriting his son, and in his status he had a perfect legal right to devise and bequeath any or all of his property to whomever he chose. The statement in question, not being in issue, and being unnecessary for a decision, is dictum.

In other respects I agree with what is said in the opinion of the court and that the judgment should be affirmed.