Case Title: Fast v. Gulley

Citation: 155 S.E.2d 507, 271 N.C. 208

Docket Number: 

State: north-carolina

Court: North Carolina Supreme Court

Date: 1967-07-24T00:00:00Z

Document:
155 S.E.2d 507 (1967) 271 N.C. 208 Helen Justice FAST v. Donald GULLEY, Executor under the Last Will and Testament of Oliver T. Justice, Deceased, and Mrs. Oliver T. Justice. No. 521. Supreme Court of North Carolina. July 24, 1967. *509 Mordecai, Mills & Parker, Raleigh, for defendant appellants. Sanford & Cannon, by Charles G. Rose, III, Raleigh, for plaintiff appellee. PARKER, Chief Justice. Defendants have two assignments of error to the admission of evidence. The evidence was clearly admissible, and these assignments of error are overruled. Defendants' assignments of error to the findings of fact by Judge Braswell are overruled, for the simple reason that they are supported by competent evidence. The agreement or contract between Helen J. Fast and her father Oliver T. Justice was entered into in the State of New Jersey, as shown by the finding of fact. In interpreting a contract made outside of this State our courts long ago established the principle that the law of the country where the contract is made is the rule by which the validity of it, its exposition, and consequences are to be determined. Watson v. Orr, 14 N.C. 161; Anderson v. Doak, 32 N.C. 295; Williams v. Carr, 80 N.C. 294; Hall v. Western Union Telegraph Co., 139 N.C. 369, 52 S.E. 50. In Cannaday v. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co., 143 N.C. 439, 55 S.E. 836, 8 L.R. A.N.S., 939, Justice Connor, speaking for the Court, explained this principle at some length as follows: Accord, Keesler v. Mutual Ben. Life Ins. Co., 177 N.C. 394, 99 S.E. 97 (1919); Bundy v. Commercial Credit Co., 200 N.C. 511, 515, 157 S.E. 860 (1931). A recent case, Roomy v. Allstate Ins. Co., 256 N.C. 318, at 322-323, 123 S.E.2d 817 (1962), reiterates the now well-established rule in North Carolina by citing Cannaday v. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co., supra, and quoting with approval the portion of Justice Connor's opinion set forth above. Competent evidence in the record shows that the plaintiff Helen J. Fast and the testator Oliver T. Justice intended between themselves in New Jersey on 21 June 1951 that the 50 shares of Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company capital stock, Certificate No. NYO33877 and the 10 shares of United States Steel Corporation common stock, Certificate No. P706238 should be issued with the name of owner as follows: "Oliver T. Justice and Helen Justice Fast, as joint tenants with the right of survivorship and not as tenants in common," as shown by Judge Braswell's finding of fact. Both the testimony of Helen J. Fast and the deposition of Dora W. Vellenoweth show that New Jersey was the place where the last act of the parties was performed which resulted ultimately in the issuing of the stock certificates as above stated. In Bundy v. Commercial Credit Co., supra, our Court said: Appellants in their brief contend that there exists in this case an inter vivos gift which fails for lack of donative delivery, and rely upon Buffaloe v. Barnes, 226 N.C. 313, 38 S.E.2d 222. In our opinion, and we so hold, the principle of an inter vivos gift as discussed in Buffaloe v. Barnes, supra, is not here involved, but rather the question is: Is there a right of survivorship in a joint tenancy under the law of the State of New Jersey? New Jersey Statutes Annotated, § 46:3-17, reads as follows: It clearly and affirmatively appears from Judge Braswell's findings of fact that it was the intention of plaintiff and her father to create a joint tenancy with the right of survivorship and not as tenants in common in respect to the 50 shares of Pittsburgh *511 Plate Glass Company capital stock and the 10 shares of the United States Steel Corporation common stock as set forth above. Such being the case, it is the law in the State of New Jersey, as we understand it, that Helen J. Fast and her father became in respect to this stock joint tenants, and hence with the right of survivorship for the reason that "[t]he incident of survivorship exists by implication in a joint tenancy." Burlington County Trust Co. v. Di Castelcicala, 2 N.J. 214, 66 A.2d 164, at 168. Shearin v. Allen, 137 N.J.Eq. 276, 44 A.2d 210, at 211, involved the construction of a will with a devise and bequest by testator of all her property, real, personal, and mixed, which she may own or have the right to dispose of at the time of her death unto her sister and unto her brother "to have and to hold the same in equal shares as joint tenants and not as tenants in common." The Court in the unanimous opinion affirmed for the reasons expressed in the opinion of Vice-Chancellor Lewis, who said: The court properly overruled defendants' motion for judgment of compulsory nonsuit. All defendants' assignments of error have been carefully considered and all are overruled. We have received valuable help from the excellent brief of plaintiff's counsel in this case. The judgment of Judge Braswell is Affirmed.