Court Opinion

ID: 9810525
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 21:52:33.168251+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:39:59.376452
License: Public Domain

Connor, J.,
dissenting: I do not agree with the Court that the question stated in its opinion is necessarily involved in this appeal. It is now settled by our decisions that an estate by entireties in personal property is not recognized in this State, Turlington v. Lucas, 186 N. C., 283, although such estate, with all its incidents as at common law, is recognized, with respect to real property. Crocker v. Vann, 192 N. C., 422. It is needless to discuss now whether the distinction is based upon sound principles or is supported by authorities. The distinction is not, in my opinion, determinative of this appeal.
By her will Mrs. Wadsworth bequeathed ten thousand dollars of her North Carolina bonds to L. H. Cutler and his wife, Laura D. Cutler. If no further language had been used by her with respect to the interest which the legatees took under the will, in the bonds, the same would have been held by them, not as owners by entireties, with the incident of survivorship, but as owners or tenants in common. She expressly provides, however, that Mr. and Mrs. Cutler shall have and hold the bonds, not only as husband and wife, but also by entireties, and to the survivor in fee simple, or absolutely. Her intention with respect to the estate or interest in the bonds which they should take under her will, is manifest. Such intention ought not, in my opinion, to be defeated by a construction of her language, used in her will, which results in hold*703ing as a matter of law that Mr. and Mrs. Cutler take tbe bonds as tenants in common, and deprives tbem of tbeir joint estate or interest in tbe bonds, during tbeir lives, and further deprives tbe survivor of bis or ber absolute estate in tbe bonds. Tbe estate or interest wbicb Mr. and Mrs. Cutler take in tbe bonds, is determined not by tbe law, but by tbé language of tbe testator, wbicb shows ber intention as to such estate or interest.
I am authorized to say that Stacy, C. J., concurs in this dissent.