Est. of Clisby, 78 P. 964 (Cal. 1904). · Go Syfert
Est. of Clisby, 78 P. 964 (Cal. 1904). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
47 citation events across 6 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: Farrell v. Moore (calctapp, 1956-07-11)
Treatment trajectory · 1902 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
1902 1964 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 7 distinct citers. How cited ↗
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Farrell v. Moore
Cal. Ct. App. · 1956 · confidence medium
(Estate of Dumas, 34 Cal.2d 406 [ 210 P.2d 697 ]; Estate of Finkler, 3 Cal.2d 584, 600 [ 46 P.2d 149 ]; Estate of Clisby, 145 Cal. 407, 409 [ 78 P. 964 , 104 Am.St.Rep. 58 ].) Pages one and two of this will contain at the bottom these words: “continued on page 2” and ‘ ‘continued on page 3.” The second and third pages are numbered appropriately.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Treaster v. Hamlin
Cal. Ct. App. · 1956 · confidence medium
(Estate of Francis, 191 Cal. 600, 601 [ 217 P. 746 ] ; Estate of Clisby, 145 Cal. 407, 409 [ 78 P. 964 , 104 Am.St.Rep. 58 ]; Estate of Taylor, 126 Cal. 97, 100 [ 58 P. 454 ]; Estate of Bauer, 51 Cal.App.2d 636, 638 [ 124 P.2d 630 ]; Estate of Swendsen, 43 Cal.App.2d 551, 555 [ 111 P.2d 408 ]; see Atkinson on Wills, §§ 139, 143; 16 Cal.L.Rev. 154, 155.) Thus several writings, connected by sequence of thought (Estate of Swendsen, supra; Estate of Johnston, 64 Cal.App. 197 [ 221 P. 382 ]), folded together (Estate of Merryfield, 167 Cal. 729 [ 141 P. 259 ]), or physically forming one document (…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Estate of Moody
Cal. Ct. App. · 1953 · confidence medium
(Estate of Clisby, 145 Cal. 407, 409 [ 78 P. 964 , 104 Am.St.Rep. 58 ].) 15 Signed but undated clauses added to a dated holograph have been admitted to probate as a part of the will on the theory that it is not essential that the entire will be written on the same date.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Estate of Morrison
Cal. Ct. App. · 1950 · confidence medium
(Estate of Francis, 191 Cal. 600, 601 [ 217 P. 746 ]; Estate of Clisby, 145 Cal. 407, 409 [ 78 P. 964 , 104 Am.St.Rep. 58 ]; Estate of Taylor, 126 Cal. 97, 100 [ 58 P. 454 ]; Estate of Bauer, 51 Cal.App.2d 636, 638 [ 124 P.2d 630 ]; Estate of Swendsen, 43 Cal.App.2d 551, 555 [ 111 P.2d 408 ]; see, Atkinson on Wills, 139, 143; 16 Cal.L.Rev. 154, 155.) Thus several writings, connected by sequence of thought (Estate of Swendsen, supra; Estate of Johnston, 64 Cal.App. 197 [ 221 P. 382 ]), folded together (Estate of Merryfield, 167 Cal. 729 [ 141 P. 259 ]), or physically forming one document (Estat…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Rogers v. Security Trust & Savings Bank
Cal. Ct. App. · 1950 · confidence medium
(Estate of Francis, 191 Cal. 600, 601 [ 217 P. 746 ] ; Estate of Clisby, 145 Cal. 407, 409 [ 78 P. 964 , 104 Am.St.Rep. 58 ] ; Estate of Taylor, 126 Cal. 97, 100 [ 58 P. 454 ] ; Estate of Bauer, 51 Cal.App.2d 636, 638 [ 124 P.2d 630 ] ; Estate of Swendsen, 43 Cal.App.2d 551, 555 [ 111 P.2d 408 ] ; see, Atkinson on Wills, §§ 139, 143; 16 Cal.L.Rev. 154, 155.) Thus several writings, connected by sequence of thought (Estate of Swendsen, supra; Estate of Johnston, 64 Cal.App. 197 [ 221 P. 382 ]), folded together (Estate of Merryfield, 167 Cal. 729 [ 141 P. 259 ]), or physically forming one docum…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Estate of Wunderle
Cal. · 1947 · confidence medium
(Estate of Francis, 191 Cal. 600, 601 [ 217 P. 746 ] ; Estate of Clisby, 145 Cal. 407, 409 [ 78 P. 964 , 104 Am.St.Rep. 58 ] ; Estate of Taylor, 126 Cal. 97, 100 [ 58 P. 454 ] ; Estate of Bauer, 51 Cal.App.2d 636, 638 [ 124 P.2d 630 ] ; Estate of Swendsen, 43 Cal.App.2d 551, 555 [ 111 P.2d 408 ]; see, Atkinson on Wills, §§ 139, 143; 16 Cal.L.Rev. 154, 155.) Thus several writings, connected by sequence of thought (Estate of Swendsen, supra; Estate of Johnston, 64 Cal.App. 197 [ 221 P. 382 ]), folded together (Estate of Merryfield, 167 Cal. 729 [ 141 P. 259 ]), or physically forming one docume…
cited Cited "see" Kanable v. Birch
Nev. · 1970 · signal: see · confidence high
See particularly In re Clisby’s Estate, 78 P. 964 (Cal. 1904), a case closely in point with the issue here. 6.
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
In the Matter of the Estate of SETH W. CLISBY, Deceased; MRS. ANNE CLISBY, Appellant,
v.
MRS. ETHEL CLISBY Et Al., Respondents
S.F. No. 3929..
California Supreme Court.
Nov 19, 1904.
78 P. 964
1904 Cal. LEXIS 601
Van Ness & Redman, for Appellant., Edwin L. Forster, and Robert R. Moody, for Respondents.
Smith.
Cited by 21 opinions  |  Published
SMITH, C.

This is an appeal from an order refusing to revoke the probate of a will. The appellant is Mrs. Anne[*408] Clisby, the mother of deceased and contestant of the will ; the respondents, Mrs. Ethel Clisby, widow of deceased and sole beneficiary under the will, and Hulme, administrator with the will annexed. The will is holographic, and is in the words and figures following:—

“Property of S. W. Clisby, October 1, 1902.
Deposit Union Trust Company........
“ Cal. Safe Dep. Co............... r‘"flQi60’
J. K. Meyers Acct. Truck & Team........"000,00
J. D. Gove Note........................'-SQOiOO
Louis Volmer Acct. Buggy..............-. "*""40j00
C. H. Lehmers, Acct. I. 0. U. tag..........'•'"00.00
Con Roman, Acct. I. O. U. tag........... 00.00
L. A. Blasingame.......................'"""44.40
James Lawrence Acct. Note (?)........ .."tt20.00
$23,852.63
Merchants’ Exchange .................. 500.00
Buggy ................................300.00
Cash in Business ...................... r.......
“At my death all the above property and any other property that may be found to belong to me is to go to my wife and to her alone, and I omit intentionally all other members of my family.
S. W. Clisby.”

The only facts alleged in the appellant’s petition as grounds for revoking the probate are in effect that one of the numbers appearing in the document was altered, all of the numbers then erased, and the last paragraph written, on a day subsequent to the writing of the first part of the will; but all of this, it is alleged, was done by Clisby himself. A demurrer to the petition was interposed, and sustained, without leave to amend; and thereupon the judgment or order appealed from was entered.

Upon the facts stated—which are confessed by the demurrer—it is claimed by the appellant: 1. That on the face of the document it appears not to have been dated; and 2. That the concluding paragraph was written on a subsequent day.

[*409] In support of the former proposition it is urged, “that the words and figures ‘October 1, 1902,’ were not intended by the testator to express the date of the instrument, but merely the date upon which he was the owner of the specified property.” But this contention is untenable. There is indeed a certain ambiguity in the instrument. For, grammatically, the date used may be regarded either as the date of the memorandum or as the date of the will. But the difference is immaterial. For, on the former construction, the memorandum being part of the will, its date would be the date of the will also. Nor do we doubt the right of the testator to adopt as the date of his will the date previously written by him.

Nor is the case affected by the fact alleged, that the concluding part of the will was not written on the day the will was commenced. It is a very common thing for men to commence a letter or other document on one day and to finish it on the next or some subequent day; and in such case the date, whether written at the beginning—as is usually the case—or at the end—as is sometimes done—is, according to the common and received usage of language, the proper date of the writing; and this is equally true of legal documents, though these do not take effect until completed and delivered. We do not doubt, therefore, that the ease comes within the meaning and intention of the enactments concerning holographic wills (Civ. Code, secs. 1276, 1277; Code Civ. Proc., sec. 1309); which, it is provided, are to be construed according to “the approved usage of the language.” (Civ. Code, sec. 13; Estate of Fay, ante, p. 82.)

In the argument on this point, it is assumed by the appellant’s counsel that it appears from the allegations of the petition that the memorandum of property was written by the testator on the date given with “no thought of making a will”; and, in effect, that the intention of using it as part of a will was an afterthought. But this—assuming it to be material—is not alleged. All that is alleged is simply that the writing of the concluding part of the will was on a day subsequent to its commencement. Nor is there anything in the petition to indicate that the document probated as a will Was not in intention “one continuous instrument.” (Estate of Taylor, 126 Cal. 98, 99.) Whether, were it otherwise, the[*410] fact would be material is another question, which, as in the case cited, we leave undetermined.

Respondent’s counsel are also in error in supposing that “it did not appear in the Skerrett case (67 Cal. 585), that the letter annexed to the deed was written at a date other than the date when the deed was made.” The contrary appared from the records before the court. The deed was dated ‘‘April 26, 1881,’’ and was acknowledged April 27th, aAd the letter, as appears from its recitals, was written subsequently.

We advise that the judgment appealed from be affirmed.

Gray, C., and Chipman, C., concurred.

For the reasons given in the foregoing opinion the judgment appealed from is affirmed.

Angellotti, J., Shaw, J.

Van Dyke, J., concurred in the judgment.

Hearing in Bank denied.