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93 Mass. 139

Plimpton v. Fuller

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided October 15, 1865

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1865-10-15

Bill in equity in the nature of a bill of interpleader, by the executors of the will of Francis W. Fuller, setting forth a copy of the testator’s will, which contained the following devise: “ I give, bequeath and aevise to my father, Warren Fuller, and to my mother, Eliza B. Fuller their heirs and assigns, all the right, title and interest which I own in the homestead now occupied by my said father, Warren Fuller, excepting that my aunts, Eliza Fuller and Hannah Fuller, are…

Relies on Seaver v. Lewis

Decided 1865-10-15

Gray, J.

¶1The general rule of law, in the absence of any expressed intent, is that debts contracted by the testator, although secured by mortgage, are to be pair out of his personal property t<? the exoneration of his real estate. Seaver v. Lewis, 14 Mass. 83. Hewes v. Dehon, 3 Gray, 205. In this case, the expressed intent accords with the general rule. The gift of the personal property *141to the widow is in terms postponed to the payment of all debts, legacies and charges against the estate. In the devise of the homestead to the father, the use of the words restricting it to the testator’s right, title and interest is accounted for by the outstanding right of dower in his mother, if not by a life estate in his aunts. The direction to sell other real estate has no tendency to charge this. The manifest intention of the testator was to devise to his father the homestead which had once been his, subject only to his wife’s right of dower, and to the possession for life of the testator’s maiden aunts. The personal property is therefore to be applied to the discharge of the mortgage.

¶2Decree accordingly.

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