Cameron's Estate, In re, 1067

• Decision Date: 16 May 1968
• Docket Number: No. 2,No. 1067,1067,2
• Citation: 236 N.E.2d 626,142 Ind.App. 645
• Parties: In the Matter of the ESTATE of Alice H. CAMERON, Deceased. George S. COGGESHALL and Margaret E. Coggeshall, Appellants, v. Albert J. KUSTER, Executor of the Estate of Alice H. Cameron, Deceased, Ruth Van Auken, Nancy Carlson, Howard LaFollette, Maude Wolfe, Abe Price, Edith Miller, Wilma Kuster, and Ann Hunt, Appellees. A 78
• Court: Indiana Appellate Court

Page 626

236 N.E.2d 626

142 Ind.App. 645

In the Matter of the ESTATE of Alice H. CAMERON, Deceased.

George S. COGGESHALL and Margaret E. Coggeshall, Appellants, v. Albert J. KUSTER, Executor of the Estate of Alice H.

Cameron, Deceased, Ruth Van Auken, Nancy Carlson,

Howard LaFollette, Maude Wolfe, Abe

Price, Edith Miller, Wilma

Kuster, and Ann

Hunt, Appellees.

No. 1067 A 78.

Appellate Court of Indiana, Division No. 2.

May 16, 1968.

Gates, Gates & McNagny, Columbia City, for appellants.

Albert J. Kuster, Ligonier, Philip C. Barker, Goshen, F. Jay Nimtz, South Bend, R. Stan Emerick, Kendallville, for appellees.

BIERLY, Judge.

This is an appeal from a nunc pro tunc order admitting an alleged codicil to probate, as of a date more than two years prior to the entry of the order.

The original order of probate was dated May 17, 1965, and on March 23, 1967, the executor filed a motion to correct record, to which motion appellant George S. Coggeshall filed objections. On July 19, 1967, the Noble Circuit Court granted the executor's motion to correct the record.

The trial court's order book entry, inter alia, stated;

'(3) That such written instrument purporting to be a codicil to such decedent's Last Will and Testament was duly executed in all respects according to law, has been duly proven is a codicil to the Last Will and Testament of decedent herein and is entitled to be admitted to probate as such in such County.'

The purported codicil, as found in the transcript, and typed out by us as best we can decipher, it, is as follows:

                                           "Codicil
                                                             May               1965
                           In addition to my Last Will
                         and Testament "duely executed and
                         witnessed" on 1965, I wish
                         to make this "bequest", gift
                         with out tax.  I wish to give
                         all of my Kenneceot Copper
                         to Howard LaFollette, 605
                         South 29th St. South Bend, Ind
                         Howard's Mother 1 was my
                         cousin's son (Blanche Hayward
                         LaFollette) (He make me think of
                         my Father's gentle ways)
                         To my Executor
                           1st Transfer UK and SN (by way of
                         MLFBS of Fort Wayne) to Margaret
                         and George Coggeshall
                           2nd Transfer NAC to Robt
                         Van Auken and Nancy Carlson
                         1/2 each of all my NAC.
                           3rd Transfer K to Howard
                         LaFollette.
                         Sell at Merrell Lynches
                                           100 Alummum (?)                      3,800
                                           103 Lytton (?)                      10,000
                                             6 Lytton pl 3% con                 6,360
                                            22 Glidden                          1,320
                                            82 Fansteele                        1,820
                                            82 Standard Jersey                  7,000
                                                                               ----------------
                (Mr. Pletcher)?             House                              20,000
                                                                               ----------------
                                            (Pay mortgage
                Pay Mr. Kuster              with contract)                     41,300
                     2 Taxes
                     3
                                   140000
                         ----------------
                                        7  State Tax           Fed Tax is
                                   980000                      usually the
                                   980000                      same
                                           Mr. Kuster        5%
                         ----------------
                                30,000.00   " "              2-1/2%
                                           ----------------------------------
                                                             7-1/2
                

1. We are not sure as to the correctness of this word because of

illegibility.

                        If you can salvage
                      about 40000--Then
                      I should like that 10000.
                      be given like this: Codicil #2
                                          To Maud Wolf        500.
                                          To Abe Rice         500.
                                          To Edith Miller     500.
                                          To Wilma Kuster     500.
                                          To Ann Hunt        1000.
                                                             -----------------
                                                             3000.
                

The rest of the money to go to George Coggeshall." 2

2. A copy of the codicil is appended.

It is obvious that the above 'codicil' was neither signed by the testatrix nor attested by two witnesses. Proofs of codicil, other than by subscribing witnesses, were filed by three persons. Each proof was limited to an opinion that the 'codicil' was in the handwriting of the decedent, and two of them stated that the decedent was competent and of sound mind. Two of these witnesses were beneficiaries under the 'codicil'.

Appellant attacks the jurisdiction of the court below in admitting to probate a document which is non-testamentary on its face.

Appellees contend that appellants cannot collaterally attack the probate of the 'codicil' since they have failed to file objections as provided in Burns' Stat.Ann. § 7--117, (1953 Replacement).

Under Burns' Stat.Ann. § 7--113, (1953 Replacement), it is provided that:

'When a will is offered for probate, if the court or the judge * * * finds that the decedent is dead and that the will was executed in all respects according to law, it shall be admitted to probate * * *.' (Emphasis supplied)

The above statute certainly was not complied with in the case at bar, for it is obvious from the face...