Court Opinion

ID: 9552728
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 19:15:41.336671+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:28:45.315310
License: Public Domain

KEETON, Justice,
(dissenting).
I am unable to agree with the majority opinion in this case. The opinion states: “In the case at bar, the intention of the testator to dispose of his entire estate to his sons living at the time of his decease, is clear and unambiguous.” With this conclusion I agree.
The will being clear and unambiguous, it necessarily follows that the testator intended to omit the contestant and other persons privy with her. It would therefore follow that the contestant having been omitted and the will being clear and unambiguous the testator necessarily had her in mind and intended to disinherit her.
The majority opinion further states: “In order for it to appear that the pretermitted heir was intentionally not provided for, it must appear from the words of the will that the testator had the omitted heir in mind at the time the will was drawn and intentionally omitted such heir from the will.”
The testator, having clearly and unambiguously disposed of all of his estate, it appears clear from the will itself that he intended to disinherit pretermitted heirs, and the only inference or reasonable conclusion is that the omission was intentional on his part.
*408The opinion further states: “The presence of such intention [i. e., to omit other heirs] is not the subject of guess, surmise or conjecture.”
The will being clear and unambiguous, the testator’s intention is not the subject of guess, surmise or conjecture, but appears to be plain and certain.
The cases cited by the majority opinion to sustain the view: Estate of Utz, 43 Cal. 200, decided January, 1872; Bush v. Lindsey, 44 Cal. 121, decided July, 1872, if construed to be in point or an authority here, should not be followed.
It appears to me that the inference and conclusion is irresistible, that the omission to provide for the pretermitted heir was by the terms of the will plainly intended.
It is the province of this 'Court to construe wills not rewrite or set aside the clear intent of the testator, and a will should be construed to give effect to the testator’s desires to be determined from a reading of the entire will.
In the case before us, from an examination of the will, it appears to me that the intention of the testator was to divide his estate among his sons living at the time of his death, and that all others were by the testator, not only in mind, but intentionally excluded. The judgment should be affirmed.