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2 Redf. 139

Gazlay v. Cornwell

New York Surrogate's Court

Decided September 15, 1874

New York Surrogate's Court · decided 1874-09-15

This was an application to determine who are the legal heirs and next of kin of Lydia Cornwell late of Cortland, deceased, intestate. She died in December, 1872, leaving sisters, but no husband, parent or child. Her husband, Elihu Cornwell, by a former wife, had one daughter, Mrs. Gazley, who died in 1859, leaving a husband, Dr. Gazlay, and three children, who now claim the estate, of Mrs. Lydia Cornwell.

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently March 1918

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1874-09-15

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The Surrogate.

¶1The only question I am now called upon to decide is, whether these children, or Lydia’s *140brothers and sister are entitled to her estate. Elihu died before his wife or daughters.

¶2The statute of distributions (3 R. S. 183, § 82,) provides as follows: “Where the deceased shall have died intestate, the surplus of his personal estate remaining, after the payment of debts, shall be distributed to thewidoio, children or next of Mn of the deceased, in manner following Then follow thirteen provisions or limitations as to such distribution. It will be seen that all these provisions are subject to the one above stated. The persons receiving the estate under any of them must be either the “ widow, children or next of Mn of the deceased

¶3These Gazlay children are in no way related to the deceased. Her blood does not run in their veins. It is claimed that they take as representatives of Ann Janette. Were this a question over property left by Ann Janette there would be force in the suggestion ; but Ann Janette never acquired any of the property of her mother. She died before the intestate, and in my view of this question it is to be decided as though she had never lived. These children are not asking this property on the ground that it was the property of Ann Janette, but that they are her legal representative and entitled to all the property that would have been hers had she outlived her mother. This however, in my view of the case, does not arise, because they are asking for the property of one to whom they are in no way related, and relationship is the ground on which the law of distribution is based. Where that exists, then half bloods take the same as whole bloods. Where there is no relationship between the deceased and the claimants that rule does not apply.

¶4If I amright in this view, this property belongs to the brothers and sisters of the intestate, and not to the Gazlay children. An order to that effect will be entered.

¶5Ordered accordingly.

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