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1 Walk. 256

Feiser's Estate

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Decided May 19, 1879

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania · decided 1879-05-19

John Feiser, late of Dover Township, York County, made his last will and testament devising all his real estate, consisting of two tracts… Held: under a well settled principle of construction, that the devise to the daughter was absolute, and the subsequent disposition intended to provide for the contingency of the death in the lifetime of the testatrix. “The principle upon which this and kindred cases are decided, is that when the bequest over is in case of the legatee’s…

Decided 1879-05-19

¶1On May 19, 1879, the Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court below in the following opinion:

Per Curiam.

¶2The legacy of Susanna, the testator’s daughter, was in the first .instance absolute, but by the subsequent clause the testator *267showed very evidently his intention that in no case should her husband derive any benefit from it. He provides, thereiore, that it she should die before her husband, and leaving no children back, the legacy should fall back to his son's (Samuel's) children. If she survived him, she could dispose of it as she pleased, or it would go to her children. Without the provision under the Act of 1848, if he survived her, he would come in equally with the children. It was perfectly lawful to make such a provision. It changed, thereupon, the absolute character of the bequest, and subjected it to a contingency. The opinion of the Court upon the construction of the will was entirely correct, and the order made was in conformity to the provisions of the Acts of 1834 and 1871, requiring that legacies granted to a person for life or upon a contingency shall Dot be paid by the Executor until proper security is given.

¶3Decree affirmed, and appeal dismissed at the cost of the • appellant.

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