Title: In Re Cox'Estate

State: new-mexico

Issuer: New Mexico Supreme Court

Document:

260 P.2d 909 (1953) 57 N.M. 543 IN RE COX' ESTATE. CAMPBELL v. ARMSTRONG. No. 5634. Supreme Court of New Mexico. September 2, 1953. *910 Jess R. Nelson, Truth or Consequences, for appellant. Douglass K. FitzHugh, Truth or Consequences, for appellee. LUJAN, Justice. The claimant-appellee filed her claim with the administrator of the Estate of John Cox, deceased, alleging therein that the decedent was indebted to her for board and services performed at his instance in accordance to an oral agreement entered into by and between the decedent and herself. The administrator moved to disallow the same for the reason, as he claims, that it is barred by Chapter 66, Session Laws of 1947, being Section 33-814 of 1941 Compilation. The motion was denied and a trial was had, at the end of which, the issues were resolved in favor of appellee and the appellant appeals. The trial court found that: Based upon the foregoing findings of fact the court concluded as a matter of law: Neither of these findings, or others, is attacked by the appellant, and therefore are the facts upon which the question rests here, and are binding on this court. Krametbauer v. McDonald, 44 N.M. 473, 104 P.2d 900; Wells v. Gulf Refining Co., 42 N.M. 378, 79 P.2d 921; Arias v. Springer, 42 N.M. 350, 78 P.2d 153; In re White's Estate, 41 N.M. 631, 73 P.2d 316. Appellant's sole assignment of error is: The pertinent part of the act in question provides: The agreement was not an unusual one. Its provisions were such that if claimant would take care of the promisor for the remainder of his natural life, he would in turn deed to her or leave to her at his death a certain piece of real property. Does the Act prohibit a claim for reasonable value of her services rendered to carry out the agreement? We think not. Specific performance is not asked. "To adopt" means to take into one's family the child of another and give him or her the rights, privileges, and duties of a child and heir. An oral agreement to adopt will now support no claim against the promisor's estate. In the instant case there is no hint of an agreement to adopt. "To treat as an heir" is to deal with and conduct oneself towards a person *912 as a recognized lawful owner of an interest (at least inchoate) in the whole of an estate, except as such interest may be limited or withdrawn intentionally as by willing a different interest or by disinheriting. At the time said Act was introduced as a bill in the legislature a "treating as an heir" could be accomplished and result in a binding claim and charge against an estate without any memorandum as to such agreement or intention, as where a decedent generally, openly and notoriously recognized a person as his illegitimate child. The Act could operate in such a situation, but its companion Act, Chapter 112, Laws of 1947, accomplished a similar result directly. To agree to deed a certain piece of property to another is in no sense equivalent to "treating that person as an heir." Whether during the promisor's lifetime or after his death, the Statute of Frauds takes care of that situation if the agreement be not in writing and signed by the party to be charged. It seems clear, then, that the claim here presented can fall under the ban of the Act only if it can be said that an oral agreement to devise specific property in return for services rendered is the equivalent of an agreement to treat the claimant as an heir. There is no hint in this case of an agreement to treat the claimant as an heir, when those words are fairly construed. A devisee or legatee, as such alone, is not an heir. The use of the word "heir" in a will or deed will not be construed to mean a devisee unless the intention of the testator or maker to embrace such meaning is made clear by the instrument. We must assume that the legislature means just what the words it uses mean, and that it chose its words advisedly to express its meaning, until the contrary clearly appears. We must assume also that the legislature well knew the rule that one who has performed all the conditions of a contract entitling him to receive a devise by will in compensation for his performance, may enlist the powers of equity in his behalf and have considered as made in his favor the will which ought to have been made, even in cases where no writing or memorandum of the agreement was made. Did the legislature intend to nullify such contracts which for hundreds of years have been deemed valid, yes, have even the peculiar subjects of equitable favor, and all claims for reasonable compensation based thereon, unless the recipient of the benefits left his written and signed memorandum of the agreement? If so, the legislative intent so to do could have been made perfectly clear by the use of a few simple words. The legislature refrained from using those few words. Instead it used other words which cannot be said to refer to an agreement to make a will, except by a strained and unusual construction. It seems to us that this was intentional; that it was not the purpose of the legislature to change the age-old rule relating to the right to contract to make wills to certain intents, or to the right to recover for services rendered under contracts if they cannot be caused to be specifically performed. Of course, in all such cases, if there be no signed memorandum, the proofs must be clear and strong, but that has always been the rule in such matters. The Act is intended to protect estates from claims that can be easily made but are hard indeed to defend against. But the agreement itself is not immoral or unlawful; it is not declared void. The claim based on it is struck down and disallowed only because the decedent neglected to make and sign a memorandum of it in writing. So to an extent the statute is penal in its nature. It must be given effect in every proper case. But its application should not be extended beyond its fair meaning. The claim is not founded on that. The claim is for compensation for services rendered and promised to be paid for in some certain manner which agreement was lawful and valid; the manner of collecting cannot be now carried through according to the promise, but the worth of the services may be recovered. We are of the opinion, and so hold, that the Act does not bar claimant's claim, and the district court did not err in so holding. *913 By the cross-appeal, appellee seeks a reversal of that portion of the judgment of the trial court which gave her the sum of $1,540, as the reasonable value of her services and board furnished by her to the decedent. The lower court in determining the amount due appellee by decedent, took into consideration the amount of board and services furnished by her to decedent as well as certain benefits which she received as a result of the arrangement and agreement, and so determined the amount due her by decedent as shown by finding No. 8, which was not attacked by appellee. Appellee also claims that the court erred in refusing to adopt certain requested findings of fact which were diametrically opposed to Finding No. 8 referred to above. These requests were a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence to support the above finding of fact. The facts thus found by the court are the facts to be reviewed, and if, as here, they are supported by substantial evidence they will not be disturbed by this court. Finding no reversible error the judgment should be affirmed. It is so ordered. McGHEE, COMPTON and SEYMOUR, JJ., concur. SADLER, C.J., absent from State and not participating.