402 Pa. 212 | Pa. | 1961
Lead Opinion
Opinion by
The question raised on these appeals is whether the court below erred in refusing to award an issue
The long established rule as to when a party in interest has a right to a jury trial of an issue of fact concerning the validity of a testamentary writing is now embodied in §745(a) of the Act of August 10, 1951, P. L. 1163, as amended, 20 PS §2080.745(a), as follows: “When a substantial dispute of fact shall arise concerning the validity of a wilting alleged to be testamentary, any party in interest shall be entitled to a trial of this fact by a jury . . . .” It devolves upon us, therefore, to review all the evidence of record, both oral and documentary, and determine whether or not a substantial dispute of fact does exist as to the decedent’s mental capacity understandingly to execute a will at the time she signed the testamentary writing in controversy.
The testimony at the hearing in the court below very definitely discloses that in 1953, Mrs. Hall, the decedent, then being upwards of eighty years old, began to fail mentally to a very noticeable degree; that her mental deterioration was apparently hastened by the death of her husband in 1954; and that her impaired mentality worsened until, in the spring of 1955, it was such as to alarm her friends and neighbors. A number of them testified that by that time Mrs. Hall was in an advanced stage of senility. They related relevant and pertinent facts and circumstances concerning Mrs. Hall’s changed appearance, conduct and condition in support of their assertions as to her evident mental debility. It was during this period, viz., April of 1955, that one Elton Gillow, of the village of
Pursuant to Gillow’s request, Mr. Nielsen met Mrs. Hall at Gillow’s home in April, 1955, and obtained from her a list of names of certain persons with addresses and amounts pertaining to suggested bequests to be made. Gillow was to be named executor of her will. Mr. Nielsen was unable, however, at that time to secure from Mrs. Hall the information which he deemed necessary for a bequest to Gillow and for the disposition of a certain farm which she owned. Nor did he then secure from her any information concerning the size of her estate or the disposition which she might wish to make of the residue. Mr. Nielsen departed without having drafted a will for Mrs. Hall’s signature and did not see her again until two months later after she had become a patient (during what proved to be her last illness) at the Wayne County Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, to which she was admitted on June 4, 1955.
According to the testimony of Mrs. Hall’s physician, Dr. Howard It. Patton, at the time she was admitted to the hospital she was “a critically ill patient,” suffering from cerebral arteriosclerosis and manifesting increasingly baleful symptoms of senility. Shortly after her admission to the hospital, Mr. Nielsen told persons in contact with Mrs. Hall at the hospital of the uncompleted will and asked that he be notified
The next time Mr. Nielsen saw Mrs. Hall was on June 17th when he went to the hospital as a result of having been contacted, “around the 15th” by Mr. Gil-low and Mr. Pethiek, the superintendent of the hospital, who was concerned that the nurses’ bills had not been paid and that the hospital had not been paid.
On the morning of June 20th, in response to a call, Mr. Nielsen went to the hospital and talked to Mrs. Hall about her will. This, it will be noted, was the first time he had attempted to do so since her admission to the hospital on June 4th. As already pointed out, on two of his prior visits for the purpose of discussing a will with her, he had avowedly found Mrs. Hall incompetent to consider a will and, on his third visit, the subject of a will, significantly, had not even been mentioned. However, on June 20th, Mr. Nielsen, after talking to Mrs. Hall, returned to his office and there drafted a will which he caused to be typed and which he took, a little later, to the hospital and handed to Mrs. Hall’s nurse, Miss Helen Lorenz. He asked Miss Lorenz to read the will to Mrs. Hall, which Miss Lorenz testified she did while Mr. Nielsen and Mr. Pethick, the hospital superintendent, awaited in the hallway outside of the door to Mrs. Hall’s room. After the nurse had finished reading the will, Mrs. Hall signed it and Miss Lorenz and Mr. Pethick signed it as subscribing witnesses. This was between 11:30 and 11:40 a.m. on June 20th. After some specific bequests, the will left the residue of approximately $50,000, roundly 70% of the decedent’s estate, in equal shares, to the Equinunk Methodist Church (of which Mrs. Hall was not a member and which she did not attend) and the Wayne County Memorial Hospital (an institution to which she had theretofore steadfastly refused to contribute).
After the will had been executed, Mr. Nielsen placed it in the safe in Mr. Pethiek’s office in the hospital. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Nielsen went back to the hospital, took the will from the safe and, without see
The codicil provided that, in the event of Mrs. Hall’s death within thirty days, the bequest to the Equinunk Methodist Church and the Wayne County Memorial Hospital should be paid “to Louis B. Nielsen, Jr., & W. D. Pethick, whom I believe will carry out my wishes.” This dispositive provision of the codicil never became effective. Mrs. Hall died on July 28, 1955, more than thirty days after the will had been executed.
Testamentary capacity is to be determined by a testator’s mental condition at the time current with the execution of the will: Skrtic Will, 379 Pa. 95, 100, 108 A. 2d 750; Williams v. McCarroll, 374 Pa. 281, 293, 97 A. 2d 14; Lewis Will, 364 Pa. 225, 231, 72 A. 2d 80; Dichter Will, 354 Pa. 444, 448-449, 47 A. 2d 691. What constitutes testamentary capacity was well defined in Lewis Will, supra, at p. 232, as follows: “A decedent
In view of the unrefuted testimony concerning the progressive and patently evident mental incompetence of the senile testatrix in the instant ease, it seems not only clear but beyond dispute that, for some time prior to the maMng of the disputed will, Mrs. Hall was mentally incapable of transacting business. Witness the necessity of having her execute a power of attorney on June 17th in order that her overdue bills for nurses and hospital could be paid. In Cressman Estate, 346 Pa. 400, 404, 31 A. 2d 109, Mr. Chief Justice Maxey declared for a unanimous court that “The Court below correctly held: ‘Where a will was properly executed in every particular, a presumption of testamentary capacity and lack of undue influence arises, compelling evidence to upset the will, since the law favors its validity, unless it appears that the testator for some time prior to its execution has been mentally incapable of transacting business, in which event the burden of proof is on the proponent of the contested will.’ ” (Emphasis supplied.)
The proponents, in an effort to meet the burden of establishing that Mrs. Hall possessed testamentary capacity at the time of the preparation and execution of her will on June 20, 1955, offered the testimony of Mr. Nielsen, the scrivener, Dr. Patton, the decedent’s attending physician, and Miss Lorenz, her nurse. Nielsen testified that, when he talked to her about her will on the morning of June 20, 1955, she realized the import of what she was doing, the extent and nature of her estate, was aware of the identity of her relatives,
Dr. Patton was not present when Mr. Nielsen discussed the will with Mrs. Hall, nor was he or Mr. Nielsen present when the will was read to her and signed by her. He testified that he had examined Mrs. Hall about 9:30 or 10 a.m. on June 20th and that, later in the day at the request of Mr. Nielsen, he had made the following entry in Mrs. Hall’s hospital chart. “Have today found Mrs. Hall to be clear and lucid in her thought and content of her thoughts. She is aware of her location in the hospital and her status as a patient in the hospital. She at this time is perfectly capable of making her last Will and Testament.” Dr. Patton admitted that this was the only time in his approximately 20 years of active practice that he had ever made such an entry in a hospital chart. He also re-examined Mrs. Hall early in the afternoon of June 20th, again at the request of Mr. Nielsen, and testified that, “Her condition at the time of the second examination seemed to be just the same as when I saw her previously. I am talking about her mental condition.” Dr. Patton added that Mrs. Hall realized who she was, that she was in the hospital and understood the import of her acts of that
Considering the testimony of the witnesses as a whole, and in view of the fact that the burden of affirmatively establishing testamentary capacity is, under the evidence in this case, on the proponents of the will, it is not possible for a chancellor to say, as a matter of law, that Mrs. Hall, at the time she signed her will, possessed a full and intelligent knowledge and understanding of the property she possessed and a rational conception of the disposition she wished to make of it by will or of the persons and objects she desired to share in her testamentary bounty. A jury’s verdict against the will could not justly be set aside by the court. There is present, therefore, in this case a substantial dispute of fact concerning Mrs. Hall’s testamentary capacity on June 20, 1955, which should have impelled the award of an issue devisavit vel non and the chancellor’s failure so to do is reversible error.
The appellants’ remaining assignment of error, relative to asserted undue influence, is not supported by
The decree is reversed, at the estate’s costs, and the record remanded for trial by jury of the issue of fact whether or not at the time of the decedent’s execution of her purported will on June 20, 1955, she was a person of sound mind and possessed of testamentary capacity.
Dissenting Opinion
Dissenting Opinion by
I dissent from the action of a majority of this Court in reversing the decree of the chancellor in the court below and awarding an issue d.v.n. on the question of testamentary capacity. In my opinion, the majority of this Court in reaching this result ignore precedents long recognized in this area of the law, substitute their findings of facts for the findings of the chancellor who had the opportunity of hearing and observing the witnesses and introduce a novel theory as to the burden of proof as to testamentary capacity in will contests.
The issue is narrow: does the evidence present a dispute of fact as to testatrix’ testamentary capacity on the date of the execution of the will so substantial in nature as to require, under the statute,
In reviewing the refusal of an issue d.v.n. we seek to ascertain only whether the chancellor has abused his discretion: Masciantonio Will, 392 Pa. 362, 367, 141 A. 2d 362; Farmer Will, 385 Pa. 486, 487, 123 A. 2d 630; Williams v. McCarroll, 374 Pa. 281, 299, 97 A. 2d 14; Zakatoff Will, 367 Pa. 542, 552, 81 A. 2d 430. Upon appellate review, the findings of the chancellor,
It is the chancellor’s function, in the first instance, to determine the substantiality of the dispute of fact. The chancellor in the court below had to resolve this question: if this factual issue were submitted to a jury and the jury returned a verdict against the will, would such verdict have to be set aside as contrary to the weight of the evidence? If the ansAver was “no”, the dispute would be substantial; if the answer was “yes”, the dispute would not be substantial: Lewis Will, 364 Pa. 225, 233, 72 A. 2d 80; Lare Will, 352 Pa. 323, 42 A. 2d 801; DeLaurentiis’s Estate 323 Pa. 70, 79, 186 A. 359; Kline’s Estate, 322 Pa. 374, 378, 186 A. 364.
The basic error in the majority’s position is that it erroneously places the burden of proof upon the proponent in the instant factual situation and then concludes that proponent has failed to sustain this burden. In my opinion, the manner in which the majority opinion places the burden of proof upon the proponent introduces a new doctrine into this field of the law.
We have before us a will, normal in every respect, the execution of which by the testatrix is not disputed. The proponent offered and the chancellor received into evidence the record of the probate of the will. Under our case law, a presumption then arose that at the date of execution of this will the testatrix possessed testamentary capacity and the contestants had the burden of coming forward with evidence that the testatrix did not have such testamentary capacity.
To ascertain the extent to which the contestants carried their burden the record must be examined. Contestants sought to prove lack of testamentary capacity on testatrix’ part beginning in the early part of 1955
An examination of the record indicates that taking contestants’ testimony during testatrix’ pre-hospitalization period in its most favorable light, all that contestants proved was that testatrix was a woman of advanced years, untidy in her habits, who suffered lapses of memory and was at times unable to recognize friends. In Aggas v. Munnell et al., 302 Pa. 78, 85, 152 A. 840, we stated: “Neither old age, nor its infirmities, including untidy habits, partial loss of memory, inability to recognize acquaintances, and incoherent speech, will deprive a person of the right to dispose of his own prop
Contestants’ evidence, viewed in its most favorable light, would indicate that on various occasions while in the hospital the testatrix was unresponsive, incoherent, unable to recognize persons and generally unable to make a will. Such evidence, however, was of comparatively little weight in view of several important testamentary omissions. First, the contestants failed to prove that testatrix’ illness was of such nature and character as to preclude the existence of any lucid intervals
Prior decisions of tbis Court bave held that, while evidence of a testator’s testamentary capacity or incapacity for a reasonable time before or after tbe date of execution of a will may be admissible, it is tbe mental condition of a testatrix at the time she executed the will which is tbe important criterion: Williams v. McCarroll, 374 Pa. 281, 97 A. 2d 14; Skrtic Will, 379 Pa. 95, 108 A. 2d 750; Aggas v. Munnell, supra; Highee Will, supra.
Moreover, no principle is more settled in tbis area of tbe law than that where tbe scrivener of a will, subscribing witnesses and tbe attending physician testify that tbe testatrix bad testamentary capacity at tbe time she executed tbe will, strong, clear and compelling testimony is necessary to overcome such evidence: Kane’s Estate, 206 Pa. 204, 55 A. 917; Richmond’s Estate, 206 Pa. 219, 55 A. 970; Leisey’s Est., 280 Pa. 533, 124 A. 754; Phillips’s Est., 299 Pa. 415, 149 A. 719; Aggas v. Munnell, supra; Brennan’s Est., 312 Pa. 335, 168 A. 25; Highee Will, supra, 382; DeMaio Will, 363 Pa. 559, 560, 70 A. 2d 339; Franz Will, 368 Pa. 618, 622, 84 A. 2d 292.
In tbe instant situation, tbe scrivener, tbe sole surviving witness and tbe attending physician all testified, without any contradiction, that on tbe date of execution of tbis will tbe testatrix possessed testamentary capacity. I bave examined carefully contestants’ evidence and I am of tbe opinion that it entirely lacks proof of tbe quality necessary to overcome tbe uncontradicted testimony as to tbe testamentary capacity of testatrix on tbe date of tbe will and that tbe chancellor
In my opinion, the majority of this court ignores the presumption of this will’s validity and the presumption that the testatrix possessed testamentary capacity, accords little or no weight to the testimony of the scrivener, the sole subscribing witness and the attending physician, and improperly evaluates the quality of contestants’ evidence as compared with that of the proponent.
The rationale of the majority opinion is that, because there was evidence of progressive senility and incapacity on testatrix’ part prior to the time this will was executed, the proponent therefore had the burden of proof of testamentary capacity. With this imposition of the burden of proof upon the proponent I am thoroughly in disagreement. Had Mrs. Hall been adjudicated by a court as mentally incompetent prior to the date of execution of this will, then, of course, the burden would have been upon the proponent: Harden v. Hays, 9 Pa. 151; Titlow v. Titlow, 54 Pa. 216; Hoopes’ Estate, 174 Pa. 373, 34 A. 603; Sterrett’s Estate, 300 Pa. 116, 121, 122, 150 A. 159; Brennan’s Estate, supra; Mohlers Estate, supra.
In placing the burden of proof upon the proponent in this situation, the majority relies upon Cressman Estate, 346 Pa. 400, 404, 31 A. 2d 109, wherein this Court quoted with approval from the court below: “Where a will was properly executed in every particular, a presumption of testamentary capacity and lack of undue influence arises, compelling evidence to upset the will, since the law favors its validity, unless it appears that the testator for some time prior to its execution has been mentally incapable of transacting busi
Eeliance cannot be placed on Gressman. In the first place, Gressman incorrectly equates testamentary capacity and the capacity to transact business;
I see no useful purpose to be served by a recitation in detail of the testimony produced by contestants and proponent. Suffice it to say, that, in my opinion, contestants’ proof is weak, contradictory and refuted and falls far short of the standard of proof held requisite by this Court on many occasions. On the other hand, the testimony of the proponent as to testatrix’ condition on the date she executed this will is clear, positive and uncontradictory. While I disagree with a majority of this Court that the burden was on the proponent, yet even if it were, in my opinion, proponent has fully and completely sustained his burden.
Furthermore, the majority opinion places upon the proponent the burden of proof under these circumstances without any precedent in the law. Chancel
The dispute of fact as to testatrix’ testamentary capacity on June 20, 1955 — the date of execution of this will — is far from substantial under our prior decisions and the chancellor’s decree refusing an issue d.v.n. was eminently proper. I would sustain the chancellor in his refusal of an issue d.v.n. believing as I do, that the position taken by the majority of this Court in reversing the chancellor is supported neither by precedent nor by facts on this record.
Section 745(a), Act of August 10, 1951, P. L. 1163, Art. VII, as amended, 20 PS §2080.745(a).
It should be noted that tbe 1956 amendment to the Orphans’ Court Aet of 1951, supra, — in effect at the time of this hearing— provides that if the court is not satisfied with the justness of a jury verdict on the basis of all the evidence, the court may “set aside the verdict, grant a new trial or enter such other judgment as satisfies its conscience”.
Although one of contestants’ witnesses placed the onset of this incapacity as far hack as 1953, contestants’ counsel conceded that in 1954 the testatrix did not lack testamentary capacity.
By way of illustration: Mrs. Adams, contestants’ principal witness testified that as far back as December 1954 testatrix lacked testamentary capacity, yet in May 1955 this witness prepared and had the testatrix sign a paper purporting to make a cemetery bequest and stated that at that time testatrix knew what she was doing; the same witness testified that testatrix on March 14, 1955 was unable to take the minutes of the Water Company meeting yet the minutes themselves, in testatrix’ handwriting, clearly show the contrary; this same witness testified that in May 1955 testatrix was unable to transact ordinary bank business yet on that same date the testatrix drew five checks to pay bills, which checks on their face are regular in every respect; Mrs. Bullock, another of contestants’ witness, was the witness of a will drawn by the testatrix in the latter part of 1954 or the early part of January 1955 and the testatrix then knew what she was doing.
Cf: Dichter Will, 354 Pa. 444, 47 A. 2d 691; Moore’s Estate, 317 Pa. 42, 45, 176 A. 241. It is to be noted in this connection that
That the majority opinion adopts such equation is clear: . . it seems not only clear but beyond disirate that, for some time prior to the making of the disputed will, Mrs. Hall was mentally incapable of transacting business”. (Emphasis supplied.)
Tlio chancellor found the contrary to be the fact. To apply LanMs, the majority must aet as the fact finder and find that testatrix was mentally incapable prior to June 20, 19o5 and, in so doing, set aside the chancellor’s finding for which there is supporting evidence.