Title: Briscoe v. Latta

State: alabama

Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court

Document:

471 So. 2d 405 (1985)
Daisy BRISCOE
v.
Billy Joe LATTA, Doris Ann Parrish, Glenna S. White, and Ruth Veasey.
83-731.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
May 3, 1985.
*406 Walter W. Kennedy III of Nash, Walker & Kennedy, Oneonta, for appellant.
R.O. Hughes of Barber, Johnston & Hughes, Birmingham, for appellees.
EMBRY, Justice.
This appeal by Daisy Briscoe is from a decree determining the assets of the estate of Lottie M. Sherrer and construing her will. The decree was adverse to Briscoe in all respects. We reverse.
Mrs. Daisey Briscoe is the only surviving sibling of Lottie M. Sherrer. Among the assets of the decedent are seven certificates of deposit. They were issued by two Blount county banks to "Lottie M. Sherrer or Daisy Briscoe" on the dates and in the amounts specified below:
We note at the outset there are two code sections particularly significant to the resolution of this case: Code 1975, § 5-1-25 and § 5-5A-41. The latter section superseded the other on 28 May 1980. They read as follows:
It is apparent that upon the death of Mrs. Sherrer the two certificates of deposit designated as A10098 and A11119 became the property of Daisy Briscoe. Jones v. Jones, 423 So. 2d 205 (Ala.1982).
With respect to the other certificates of deposit, the trial court, having heard the case upon ore tenus evidence, made the following express finding of fact:
It is evident that the remaining certificates of deposit should have been disposed of in accordance with Code 1975, § 35-4-7. Farmer v. Farmer, 455 So. 2d 1 (Ala.1984). This section provides as follows:
*408 Consequently, the trial court erred in finding that the remaining certificates of deposit are exclusively the property of the Sherrer estate. In fact, under the terms of Code 1975, § 35-4-7, only a one-half interest in the remaining certificates of deposit descends through the estate of Lottie Sherrer. The remaining one-half interest is the property of Daisy Briscoe. Accordingly, the judgment of the trial court is due to be, and is hereby, reversed.
REVERSED.
TORBERT, C.J., and FAULKNER, ALMON and ADAMS, JJ., concur.