Shock v. Berry

• Citation: 285 S.W. 122
• Decision Date: 14 June 1926
• Docket Number: No. 15689.,15689.
• Parties: SHOCK v. BERRY et al.
• Court: Court of Appeal of Missouri (US)

285 S.W. 122

SHOCK v. BERRY et al.

No. 15689.

Kansas City Court of Appeals. Missouri.

June 14, 1926.

Appeal from Circuit Court, Boone County; D. H. Harris, Judge.

Will contest by Charles E. Shock against Henry Berry, C. W. Settle, executor, and others. From a decree setting aside the will, C. W. Settle, executor, appeals. Appeal dismissed.

Arthur Bruton, of Centralia, and Don C. Carter, of Sturgeon, for appellant.

North T. Gentry, of Jefferson City, for respondent.

BLAND, J.

This is a suit contesting the will of one Nancy I. Berry, who died September 9, 1924, while a resident of Boone county, Mo. The suit was brought by her son, who alleged in his petition that deceased was unduly influenced in making her will, and at the time thereof was a person of unsound mind and of not sufficient mental capacity to make a will.

The defendants, other than Henry Berry, Harrison Berry, and 0. W. Settle, executor of the will, are beneficiaries under the will. The two Berrys are the heirs of Jasper Berry, deceased, Mrs. Berry's last husband, whom she predeceased. Most of the other defendants are not heirs at law of the deceased, but are her nieces and nephews. Personal service was had upon the defendants Fannie Riggs, Dorcas Chrisman, Sallie Newman, Belle McCammy, John R. Younger, Nannie B. Hulen, and John A. Chrisman. Defendants Henry Berry, Harrison Berry, Dora Turner, and John Gay were duly and legally notified by order of publication. None of the defendants filed an answer except English Gay, Irene Burgess, and C. W. Settle, executor of the will. Defendants English Gay and Irene Burgess admitted in their answers that at the time deceased made the will the latter was not of a sound and disposing mind, that at that time deceased was unduly influenced, and they consented that the will be set aside. The answer of the defendant Settle, in his capacity as executor of the will, was a general denial, and asking that the will be decreed the last will and testament of the deceased. The reply was a general denial. There was a trial before a jury, resulting in a verdict declaring that the instrument was not the last will and testament of the deceased. The executor alone appeals.

Plaintiff has filed a motion to dismiss the appeal, for the reason that appellant is not such a party as is entitled to take an appeal in this proceeding. There is no doubt but that this point is well taken. It was held in Braeuel v. Reuther, 270 Mo. 603, 193 S. W. 283, 285, L. R. A. 1918A, 444, Ann. Cas. 1918B, 533, that an administrator should not be made even a nominal party to a will contest, that he has no interest whatever in such a suit. In an effort to distinguish the case at bar from those cited by respondent, appellant states:

"* * * In the present case, we have this situation which is fully established by the record printed and on file in this court. The plaintiff in bringing his suit made the executor named in the will and qualified in the probate court a party defendant. Having done this the executor undoubtedly had a right to employ counsel and file answer in the circuit court. This he did. Other defendants did not file answer, depending upon the executor to contest the case on the part of all defendants. At the trial in the circuit court, the plaintiff appeared and filed reply to the answer of the executor, and issue was joined on the petition of the plaintiff and the answer of the executor and the plaintiff's reply thereto and trial was had in the circuit court, and instructions asked and given on the part of the plaintiff fully recognizing the authority of the executor to defend in said case. After the verdict of the jury setting the will aside, the executor filed his motion for a new trial and in arrest of judgment, this was heard by the court without objection on the part of the plaintiff and was overruled. The executor then filed his petition and affidavit praying for an appeal to this court which was by the circuit court heard and granted without objection on the part of the plaintiffs. At the next term of court, the executor presented and asked to have filed his bill of exceptions in said cause which had previously been submitted to counsel for plaintiff and by him approved, which bill of exceptions was filed and allowed without objection on the part of plaintiff. Executor then prepared his printed abstract of the record, also statement, brief and argument, which was submitted to attorney for plaintiff and service acknowledged: And plaintiff prepared and filed a brief on his part in this court. Then on the day the case was to be argued, for the first time respondent challenges the authority of the executor to prosecute this appeal, having previously served on counsel for appellant just a few days before the time for hearing a copy of said motion. In view of this state of facts it appears that the challenge of the authority of the executor is not timely and the motion to dismiss appeal...