135 Ky. 333 | Ky. Ct. App. | 1909
Opinion of the Court by
Affirming.
Mrs. Mary L. Low died, after making lier last will, which was probated in January, 1888. By this will the testatrix gave her son, Wiatt Low, all of her personal and real estate, declaring that he should pay $1.00 to each of her children, viz., Mary E. Jordan, Harry, Josie, Aaron, Elgie, and Samuel. The balance of her estate, both real and personal, she devised and bequeathed to him “with the understanding that he is to take and raise my children Harry and Josie until they are 15 years old.” At the time the testatrix died, Josie Low was between seven and eight years old. Shortly after the probate of the will Wiatt Low sold the real estate devised to him to James Ramsey, and moved out of the state, taking with him Harry Low. Ramsey remained in possession of the land from the time he bought it from Wiatt until his death in 1908, when it descend
In our opinion the provision in the will charging Wiatt Low with the duty of caring for Josie and Harry until they were 15 years old created a lien upon the land in their favor and for this purpose, and as the will was put to record the vendee of Wiatt was charged with notice of its provisions and held it subject to the liabilities imposed upon Wiatt.
It is insisted by counsel for appellant that the provisions in the will imposing upon Wiatt the duty of supporting and caring for these children was either a condition precedent to the vesting of the devise in him, or a condition subsequent, that by his failure to perform forfeited the estate; but in this view we do not agree. Giving to the provision in the will the
Assuming’ then that it was the duty of Wiatt to support and care for these beneficiaries, .the question remains whether or not the appellant has not surrendered her claim by the long delay before attempting to enforce it. Her cause of action first accrued'when Wiatt failed to furnish her support, and her full cause of action was perfected when she became 15 years of age. She might then, under the facts stated in the petition, have recovered everything that was due her under the will; but, as she was an infant when her right accrued, she had the same length of time after becoming of age to bring the suit that she would have if she had been of age when her cause of action accrued — section 2525 of the Kentucky Statutes, reading: “If a person entitled to bring any of the actions mentioned in the third article of this chapter, except for a penalty or forfeiture, was, at the time the cause of action accrued, an infant, * * * the action may be brought within the like number of years after the removal of such disability, * * * that is allowed to a person having-no such impediment to bring the same after the right accrued.”
The next question is: How many years did she have after becoming of age to bring the action? Section 2515 of the Kentucky Statutes provides in part that “an action upon a contract not in writing signed by the party * # # shall be commenced within
As the claim of appellant is barred by the statute, can this defense be presented by a general demurrer? The rule is that the statute of limitations must
Wherefore the judgment of the lower court is affirmed.