132 Iowa 664 | Iowa | 1907
The material parts of the will now before us for construction read as follows:
2nd. I give and devise to'the heirs (children) of my deceased son, Warren, the north half of the timber -tract situated in the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 28, township 86, range 6, in Linn county, Iowa, or proceeds of sale of said tract as they and my said executor may mutually agree.
3rd. I give, devise and bequeath to my son, Norman, the south half of said timber tract mentioned in Number Two as being situated in 28 — 86—6, Linn Co., Iowa, to have and to hold unto himself his heirs and assigns forever'
4th. I give and devise unto my sons, Isaac, Norman, Orin and Harmon, each an equal share in and to all the property, real and personal, of which I may die possessed, after the bequests hereinbefore and hereinafter mentioned, together with all debts and expenses, shall have been paid or set off, it being understood under this head that in the case of Norman the land devised him under Number Three above, is to be considered in the whole or aggregate of property to be equally, as to value, ’divided among the four legatees, he to have and to hold said land in any case, even though it- be more than one-fourth of all property mentioned under this head, and should it be less than one-fourth, then balance is to be apportioned him by my said executor who is also to make all divisions under this head.
These are clear and unambiguous; and the questions arising grow out of transactions occurring after the execution of the will. It appears that thereafter, and before the death of the testator, he executed a deed to Norman Hall for the land devised by the third paragraph of the will, and took a receipt from him, Norman, for $625 as having received that much from his (Benjamin’s) estate, on account of the land. The deed was taken to the recorder, but he would not file it for record because not acknowledged. The deed was returned to be corrected; and testator then changed his
The decree must therefore be reversed and the cause remanded for one in harmony with this opinion.
Reversed and remanded.