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Carlton v. CameronCarlton v. Cameron

Texas Supreme Court
Dec 7, 1880
Case No. 3943
Reporters:
,
Before:
Gould
Gould, Associate Justice.

Although the instrument of July 16, 1836, had the form of a deed, and was placed upon record, ‍​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‍it was nevertheless testamentary in its character, and inoperative as a deed, if the intention of the maker appears to have been that it should take effect only on his death. LooMng to the terms of the instrument, the ‍​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‍nature of the reservation, and of the estate to be created, and bearing in mind that the court below, acting without a jury, passed upon all questions of fact, we are of opmion that the court did not err ‍​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‍in its judgment, if it was based on its opimon that the intention of the maker was that the instrument take effect only on Ms death, and-that it was therefore testamentary in its character. There is ample authority ‍​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‍supporting such a construction of similar instruments. Hester v. Young, 2 Kelly, 46; Turner v. Scott, 51 Pa. St., 130; Epperson v. Mills, 19 Tex., 67; Ferguson v. Ferguson, 27 Tex., 344. As we are of opinion that on this ground the judgment is correct, it is not material to ‍​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‍pass on other grounds on wMch it is also sought to support it.

The judgment is affirmed.

Affirmed.

[Opimon delivered December 7, 1880.]

Case Details

Case Name: Carlton v. Cameron
Court Name: Texas Supreme Court
Date Published: Dec 7, 1880
Citations: 54 Tex. 72; 1880 Tex. LEXIS 127; Case No. 3943
Docket Number: Case No. 3943
Court Abbreviation: Tex.
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