Court Opinion

ID: 9574723
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:07:32.993806+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:44:52.919442
License: Public Domain

TRAYNOR, J., Dissenting.
In the fifth clause of her will, the testatrix made three bequests, each representing 25 per cent of her residuary estate. Twenty-five per cent thus remained unbequeathed. It is immaterial whether the omission of a fourth beneficiary was intentional or inadvertent; obviously the court cannot add a beneficiary. Likewise it cannot increase the amount of the bequests; the will specifies 25 per cent and there is no evidence that 33% per cent was intended. The introductory clause, “all the rest, residue and remainder of my estate I give and bequeath as follows,” designates the fund from which the bequests were to be paid. The legatees and quantum thereof were specified “as follows”; there were three legatees, and each was to receive one-fourth of the fund. There is no evidence that testatrix intended that they should also receive proportionate shares of the remaining one-fourth of the fund.
In reading such an intention into the will the majority opinion relies on the presumption against intestacy. There is, however, “no room for the application of the rule [against intestacy] if the testator’s language, taken in the light of surrounding circumstances, will not reasonably admit of more *32than one construction. A court’s inquiry in construing a will is limited to ascertaining what the testator meant by the language which he used. If he used language which results in intestacy, and there can be no doubt about the meaning of the language which was used, the court must hold that intestacy was intended.” (Estate of Beldon, 11 Cal.2d 108, 112 [77 P.2d 1052]; Estate of Hoytema, 180 Cal. 430, 432 [181 P. 645]; Estate of Lyons, 36 Cal.App.2d 92, 95 [96 P.2d 1018]; Estate of Sullivan, 31 Cal.App.2d 527, 529-530 [88 P.2d 225]; Estate of Maloney, 27 Cal.App.2d 332, 336 [80 P.2d 998].)
I cannot agree that this court is bound under applicable rules of appellate review to affirm the trial court’s interpretation of the will. The will clearly prescribes the disposition of only 75 per cent of the testatrix’ residuary estate. It is not for the trial or appellate court to rewrite her will by enlarging her bequests on the conjecture that the failure to bequeath 25 per cent was unintentional and that had it been pointed out to the testatrix, she would have divided it equally among the three specified beneficiaries rather than have given it to a fourth beneficiary.
The majority opinion relies on Estate of Northcutt, 16 Cal.2d 683 [107 P.2d 607], for the proposition that “where the construction placed on the language of the Will by the probate court is reasonable and appears to be consistent with the testatrix’ expressed intention the appellate court will not substitute another although equally tenable interpretation.” It is conceded that the trial court’s interpretation of the will was based solely on its terms, without the aid of any extrinsic evidence. The dictum of the Northcutt case is not applicable to the interpretation of a document when there is no extrinsic evidence. “Whatever confusion might have existed in the law on this subject prior to 1942 was set at rest by the decision in Estate of Platt, 21 Cal.2d 343 [131 P.2d 825], Since the decision of that case it is settled law that the interpretation of a document, including a will or a decree, is a question of law, and that it is the duty of an appellate court in such eases to interpret the document independent of the construction given to it by the trier of the fact, and to make a final determination in accordance with the applicable principles of law.” (Estate of Norris, 78 Cal.App.2d 152, 159 [177 P.2d 299]; Estate of Platt, 21 Cal.2d 343, 352 [131 P.2d 825]; Western Coal & Mining Co. v. Jones, 27 Cal.2d 819, 826-827 [167 P.2d 719, 164 A.L.R. 685]; Union Oil Co. v. *33Union Sugar Co., 31 Cal.2d 300, 306, 318 [188 P.2d 470]; Estate of Pearson, 90 Cal.App.2d 436, 438[203 P.2d 52].)
The only evidence of testatrix’ intention is her will. It offers no support for the construction placed upon it by the trial court and by the majority opinion herein. I would therefore reverse the decree of distribution and direct the escheat to the State of California of 25 per cent of the residuary estate.
Edmonds, J., concurred.