Court Opinion

ID: 9807908
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 20:19:57.128947+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:04:36.042717
License: Public Domain

Clark, O. J.,
concurs in all that is so clearly and convincingly stated in the opinion of Walker, J., and for the additional reason that when the land was converted into money the estate by entireties ceased, for in England, whence was derived this anomalous estate, there was never any estate by entireties in personalty. Gooch v. Bank, 176 N. C., 216.
The estate by entireties was not created by statute either in England or in this State, but was a judicial creation in England, and we adopted it only to the extent that it obtained there. Gaston, J., in Motley v. Whitemore, 19 N. C., 537, says: “When lands are conveyed to husband and wife they have not a joint estate but they hold by entireties. Being in law but one person, they have each the whole estate as one person; and on the death of either of them the whole estate continues in the survivor.” This was quoted by Hoke, J., in McKinnon v. Caulk, 167 N. C., 412. It was also recognized that entireties did not apply to personalty in Hairston v. Glenn, 120 N. C., 341, where money was deposited in bank in the joint names of husband and wife, and a joint certificate made out for the amount, which was delivered to the husband, but on his death the wife was held entitled to recover one-half of it. While the point was not expressly raised it is clear that the counsel in that case and the court were aware that there was no estate by entireties in personalty.
There was this very good reason for this distinction for in England, until about 1880, all personalty of the wife, whether acquired before or after marriage, became the absolute property of the husband and there was no occasion for any estate by entireties. And such was the case in this State until the Constitution of 1868, which allowed a wife to retain her property, whether acquired before or after marriage.
As to realty, in England (as in this State till 1868) the realty of the wife became the property of the husband during his lifetime, and therefore for feudal reasons at her death, if he were the longer liver, it went *129absolutely to him instead of to ber heirs, as the land was burdened with the duty of furnishing a soldier for forty days each year, if called for in the wars, for there was no standing army. If, however, the wife were the longer liver it went to her absolutely instead of to his heirs who might be minors. This is the origin of the “antiquated absurdity” of this estate, as Justice Walker appropriately styles it, but for which there Avas a good reason as to realty Avhen it was created.
Even as to estates in entireties in realty, they have been abolished in England by the “Married Woman’s Act of 1882.” Thornley v. Thornley, 2 Ch. Div. (1893), 229. It would logically seem that such estate was abolished here by our statute of 1784 (now Rev., 1579) which converted all joint estates into tenancies in common, and still more conclusively by our Constitution of 1868 which, like the English “Married Women’s Act,” vested a Avife with her property, real or personal.
This Court, however, held differently (as to entireties in realty), and though it has often recommended to the Legislature the abolition of this anomaly, it has not been done.