199 N.W. 183 | N.D. | 1924
This is an appeal from a judgment of the district court of Wells county. The facts are as follows: One J.F. Maixner died on or about June 1, 1923, domiciled in Wells county, leaving an estate, the gross value of which was less than $4,500. At the time of his death, Maixner was married, but had no children. The mother of the decedent had died some time prior to the first of June, 1923. At the time of his death, there was a valid and subsisting policy of insurance upon his life, in the sum of $2,000, payable to the estate of the insured.
The defendants are the duly appointed, qualified and acting administrators of the estate of J.F. Maixner; the plaintiff is the father of the decedent. In September, 1923, the insurance company paid the proceeds of the policy to the administrators. Thereafter, the administrators paid the entire proceeds to the surviving widow. The plaintiff brings this action to recover one half of the proceeds of the policy, claiming that he is entitled thereto by reason of the fact that he is the father of the insured and one of his heirs. Appellant contends that there are only two heirs, the widow and the plaintiff, and that he is entitled to one half of the proceeds of the insurance policy.
The trial court held that the widow, as the sole distributee of the decedent's estate, was entitled to all the proceeds of the policy.
There is no disputed question of fact. The only question is whether *144 the father belongs in the class of "heirs, or heirs at law" of the son who died without issue, but left a widow surviving him.
Section 8719, Comp. Laws 1913, reads as follows:
"The avails of a life insurance policy or of a contract payable by any mutual aid or benevolent society, when made payable to the personal representatives of a deceased, his heirs or estate upon the death of a member of such society or of such insured shall not be subject to the debts of the decedent except by special contract, but shall be inventoried and distributed to the heirs or the heirs at law of such decedent."
Construing the foregoing section, this court has held that the proceeds of an insurance policy do not become a part of the decedent's estate under the circumstances detailed in this record; and that the persons who take the same take by contract and not by descent. Finn v. Walsh,
Section 5741, Comp. Laws 1913: "Succession is the coming in of another who takes the property of one who dies without disposing of it by will."
Section 5742, Comp. Laws 1913: "The property, both real and personal, of one who dies without disposing of it by will, passes to the heirs of the intestate, subject to the control of the county court and to the possession of any administrator appointed by that court for the purpose of administration."
Section 5743, Comp. Laws 1913: "When any person having title to any estate, not otherwise limited by marriage contract expressly, dies without disposing of the estate by will, it is succeeded to and must be distributed, unless otherwise provided in this code, and the probate code, subject to the payment of his debts, in the following manner:"
"1. . . .
"2. If the decedent leaves no issue and the estate does not exceed in value the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, all the estate goes to the surviving husband or wife, and as to all property in excess of fifteen thousand dollars in value, one-half thereof goes to the surviving husband *145 band or wife and the other one-half goes to the decedent's father or mother in equal shares, and if either is dead to the survivor. . . ." Amended by chap. 249, Sess. Laws 1915.
Section 5760, Comp. Laws 1913: "If there is no one capable of succeeding under the preceding sections and the title fails from a defect of heirs the property of a decedent devolves and escheats to the state. . . ."
Section 8662, Comp. Laws 1913, of the Probate Code, provides that the value of the estate must be proved before administration will be granted thereon by the county court.
It is the contention of the appellant that the plaintiff is an heir of the decedent within subdivision 2 of § 5743, supra; that is, that he is in the same class with the widow and is entitled to one half of the insurance policy notwithstanding the fact that he is not entitled to a distributive share of the estate, the value thereof not exceeding $15,000. On the other hand, it is contended by the respondents that plaintiff is not an heir within the meaning of § 8719, supra, because he is not entitled to share in the distribution of the estate, and that the two conditions must coexist in order to make him an heir, namely, that the decedent leave no issue and that the estate exceed in value $15,000. Stated otherwise, the contention of the respondents is that although the proceeds of the insurance policy do not become a part of the estate, nevertheless the law of succession must be resorted to in order to determine to whom the avails thereof shall be paid. That is, in this state, it is contended, that the persons to whom property, both real and personal, passes in case of intestacy, are determined by § 5743, supra, and that such persons are the "heirs," within the meaning of § 8719.
It is doubtless true that the common-law distinction with respect to the succession of real and personal property in case of intestacy has been wiped out by the code. The court cannot derive much assistance from judicial definitions of the phrase "heirs" or "heirs at law," for the reason that its meaning has been largely and by necessary implication settled by statutory enactments in this jurisdiction. We have set out the pertinent provisions of the chapter on succession. An examination of §§ 5742 and 5760, supra, clearly discloses that the legislature used the term "heirs" in a sense synonymous with those who succeed to the real and personal property of the intestate under chapter 53. *146
Section 5742 is a general enactment to the effect that all property, real and personal, "passes to the heirs of the intestate;" § 5743 prescribes the order in which persons — heirs of the intestate — succeed to the property; and § 5760 provides that if there be no heirs — persons entitled to succeed to the property of the decedent as provided in § 5743 — the property escheats to the state. Under the law of succession the appellant is not entitled to share in the distribution of the estate of the decedent, he is not entitled to succeed to any part of his estate, that is to say, he is not an "heir" within the meaning of that term as used in § 5743 and the chapter on Succession in the Civil Code. See Hochstein v. Berghauser,
Courts have on almost innumerable occasions formulated definitions of the term "heir" or "heirs at law." It will serve no useful purpose to review the authorities on this proposition. A reference to the language used in a few of them may be helpful. In Gauch v. St. Louis Mut. L. Ins. Co.
In Thomas v. Covert (Thomas v. Supreme Lodge)
In the cases cited the term "heirs" appeared either in wills or in contracts and it may be suggested that a different rule of construction is to be applied when the word is found in a statute. True, in some instances. If different here, then why and in what way different? Is it to be limited to those on whom the law casts real property, as at common law? That would exclude the widow, the very person for whose protection life insurance is most frequently purchased. Nothing in the context or in the purpose sought to be accomplished would justify such a limited and technical interpretation. Is it to embrace only the blood relatives of the insured? See Tillman v. Davis,
The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
BRONSON, Ch. J., and NUESSLE, CHRISTIANSON, and BIRDZELL, JJ., concur.