Charlevoix county herald., 1921-01-21
Probate Judge
Makes Report
OF BUSINESS TRANSACTED
FOR THE YEAR OF 1920
Ninety-four Cases Commenced
Exclusive of Juvenile Div
ision-MakeS Some
Suggestions.

Report OF the Probate court OF Char
levoix County: / submit the following
as my annual report to the people OF
said county as the summary OF the
work of this court for the year ending
December 31st, A. d. 1920. Ninety
four cases have been commenced in
this court exclusive OF the Juvenile
Division, and are as followes: forty
three intestate estates have been be-
gun, twenty mine of which were in the
regular course of probation and four
teen were the short method of proceed
ure by determination of heirs. In ad-
dition to this, quite a number. of inte-
state estates have been before the court
for adyice and adjustment by the heirs
and parties interested. which have
been settled without legal procedure.
These cases involve orly personal
property of which heirs have possess
ion and pay the funeral expenses, eX'
penses of last sickness and outstand-
ing obligations against the deceased
and make distribution by general con-
sent.
Nine wills have be en- admitted to pro-
bate without contest in any case. IT
we compare the number of testate es-
tates with the number of intestate es-
tates we see that only one person in
five makes provision for the DISPOSE
ton of his estate by will. In some in
stances the heirs claim that the deceas-
ed has made a will but they are unable
to find it, In other instances the ef-
forts at making will do not comply
with the law, consequently are of no
force and effect. To those making
wills, would say, deposit your will in
a safety deposit box in the bank, or
with some good reliable friend not in
Dterested therein, who has no metive in
destroying the same, or you may de-
posit it with the probate court and get
a receipt for the same in accordance
with the law.
would also suggest to all persons
contemplating wills, that they consult
an attorney and have it properly drawn
and executed.
Five adult persons and one child
have been admitted to the University
Hospital for treatment; in every case
during the year, the treatment has
proved beneficial as far as has been re-
ported. No deaths have resulted from
operations or treatment for commit
ments this year.
Thirteen guardians have been ap-
pointed for minors, and three guard
ians for mentally incompetent persons.
One other application was made for
guardian of a mentally incompetent
and contested with the result that the
petition was dismissed. Eight children
have been adopted by residents of this
county during the year.
Eleven petitions filed alleging insan-
ity and asking commitment to the State
Hospital for the insane. The petitions
were dismissed in four cases, and order
made admitting to the State Hospital in
six cases and one sent to the Psyche
, pathic Ward at Ann Arbor for observ-
alton.
Au order was made admitting one
person to the Michigan Home for the
Feeble Minded at Lapeer which has not
been carried out on account of the
crowded condition of the home.
In the Juvenile division of the court
twenty-seven children have appeared
before the court either as delinquents
or dependent children. In only four
cases were the delinquents charged
with offences Of serious nature or
what might be classed as major offences
all others being minor offences. Where
the offence was a loss or damage to
property, on the property being re-
stored or damages paid, they were re-
turned to their parents on probation or
the petitions dismissed as the court
thought was for the best interest OF all
concerned. In every case before the
court this year, the offender was in the
first instance placed on probation be-
fore being sent to the Industrial School;
in only two cases have the terms of the
probation been violated, and the order
revoked and the child sent to Lansing.
No girls have been sent to the In
dustrial Home at Adrian during the
year.
Four estates we're subject to in.
heritance tax, and the tax determined
and paid amounting to $S9S.51.
The total expenses to the county in