Clark v. Greenhalge - Case brief PDF

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I nc o r po r a t i o nb yr e f e r e nc e :av a l i dwi l lc a ni n c or p or a t eb yr e f e r e n c ead oc u me n tt h a t wa sno te x e c u t e dwi t hWi l l sAc tf o r ma l i t i e s ,t h e r e b yg i v i n ge ffe c tt ot h ei nt e n te x p r e s s e d i nt h ei nc o r p o r a t e dd oc u me n t , a sl o n ga s : ( 1 )t h ewi l le x p r e s s e st h ei n t e ntt oi n c o r po r a t et h ed oc u me n t ( 2 )t h ewi l ld e s c r i b e st hedo c u me ntwi t hr e a s on a bl ec e r t a i n t y ,a nd ( 3 )t h ed oc u me n tb e i n gi nc o r po r a t e dwa si nne x i s t e nc ewh e nt h ewi l lwa se x e c u t e d UPC§2 5 10 . 1 .I nt e nta ndde s c r i ber e qui r e me nt s :t hec o u r t sa p pl yar a t h e rl o wt h r e s h ol df o r t h efir s tt wor e q u i r e me n t s . I ft hewi l lma k e sr e f e r e n c et oa n o t he rd o c u me n t , a r g u a b l yt h a ti se n ou g ht oc o ns t i t u t et hei nt e n tt oi n c or p or a t ei t . I ft hewi l l s d e s c r i p t i o no ft h ed o c u me n ti sno t1 0 0% a c c u r a t e , b utt h ec o u r t i sp e r s u a d e dt ha t t h i si st hed oc u me n tt owh i c ht het e s t a t o rwa sr e f e r r i n g ,t h ec o ur twi l lfin dt h a tt h e wi l ld e s c r i be st hed oc u me ntwi t hr e a s o na b l ec e r t a i n t y . 2 .Do c ume nti ne x i s t e nc er e qui r e me nt :t h ec ou r t ss t r i c t l ya p p l yt her e q u i r e me nt t h a tt h ed o c u me n th a st oh a v eb e e ni ne x i s t e n c ea tt h et i met h ewi l lwa se x e c u t e d . Ex a c td a t i n gi sn o tn e c e s s a r ybu tt hepl a i n t i ffb e a r st hebu r d e no fp r o v i n ga p r e po n de r a n c eo ft h ee v i de n c et h a tt hedo c u me ntwa si ne x i s t e n c ewhe nt h ewi l l wa se x e c u t e d .I ft h ed o c u me n tc h a n g e so v e rt i met h eo nl yd o c u me n ta si te x i s t e da t t h et i met h ewi l lwa se x e c u t e di si n c or p o r a t e db yr e f e r e nc e( u n l e s st hewi l li s r e e x e c u t e du nd e rr e p ub l i c a t i o nb yc o d i c i l )

Na me :Cl a r kv .Gr e e nh a l g e Co u r t :Su p r e meJ ud i c i a lCo ur to fMA Da t e :1 99 1 Ci t a t i o n:4 11Ma s s . 4 1 0 Pr o c e d u r a lHi s t o r y : Fa c t s :Ne s mi t he x e c u t e dawi l li n1 9 77n a mi n gh e rc ou s i nFr e de r i cGr e e nh a l g ee x e c u t or a n dp r i n c i p l eb e n e fic i a r y . Hewo ul dg e ta l lpe r s o na lpr o p e r t ye x c e p tt h o s ei t e mswhi c h s h ede s i g n a t e db yame mor a nd u m kn o wnt oGr e e nh a l g eo ri na c c o r d a n c ewi t hh e rkn o wn wi s he s . Th e r ewa sap a i n t i n ga s s e s s e da t$1 8 00 . I n19 7 2Me mod r a f t e dwi t hal i s t ofs p e c i ficb e q u e s t so fi t e msofp r op e r t y . I n19 7 6, s h emod i fie di t . Ne i t h e rv e r s i o nr e f e r r e dt ot h ep a i nt i n g . Shek e p tan o t e bo o ki nh e rde s kwh e r es hek e p tal i s t oft heb e q u e s t sa n do n ee n t r yr e a d t h a tt h ep a i n t i n gwa st og ot oGi nn yCl a r k . He rh ome c a r enu r s e skne wa b o utt h eb oo ka n d s a wh e rwr i t ei ni t . Shea l s ot o l dt h e mt ha tt h ep a i n t i n gwa st og ot oGi n n y . Th e ywe r e n e i gh b or sa ndc l os ef r i e n d s . Sh ea l s ot o l dGi nn ys hewo ul dl e a v eh e rt h ep a i nt i n g . Gr e e nh a l g eg o t t h en o t e b oo kono rs h o r t l ya f t e rh e rd e a t h . Gr e e n ha l g ed i s t r i b ut e dt h e p r o pe r t ya sp e rt h emo s tr e c e n twi l la n dc o n s i s t e n twi t hc e r t a i np r o vi s i o n si nt h e

n o t e b oo k . Bu ther e f us e dt og i v eGi nn i et h ep a i nt i n gb e c a u s eh ewa n t e dt ok e pi th i ms e l f , a l o n gwi t ha l loft heo t he rt h i n g sl i s t e di nt hen o t e bo o kwh i c hwe r el e f tt oh i m. Pr o b a t ej u d g ef o u ndt ha tNe s mi t hwa n t e dGi n n i et oh a v ei t . No t e bo o kwa s“ kn o wnwi s he s ” . Hef o u ndt ha tt h en o t e bo o kwa si nc o r p o r a t e db y r e f e r e n c es i nc ei twa si ne xi s t e nc ea tt het i meoft hemo s tr e c e n tc o di c i l . I s s u e :d i dt h ep r o ba t ej u d g ec or r e c t l yc o n c l u d et ha ts p e c i fic ,wr i t t e nb e q u e s t so fp e r s o n a l p r o pe r t yc on t a i n e di nan o t e bo o kma i nt a i n e db yt h et e s t a t r i xwe r ei n c o r po r a t e db y r e f e r e n c ei nt oh e rwi l l ? Ho l d i n g :Affir me d . I twa si n c o r po r a t e db yr e f e r e nc e . Re a s o n i n g :Ap r o pe r l ye x e c u t e dwi l lma yi n c or p or a t eb yr e f e r e n c ea n yd o c u me n torp a p e r n o ts oe x e c u t e da n dwi t ne s s e dwh e t h e ri twa sr e f e r r e dt oi nt h ef or mo fal i s to rme moi fi t wa si ne xi s t e nc ea tt het i meoft hee x e c u t i o noft h ewi l la n di tc a nb ei d e nt i fie da st h e p a pe rr e f e r e n c e di nt hewi l l . Pa r t i e sa g r e et h a tt h eme mowa si ne xi s t e n c ea so ft heda t eoft hee x e c u t i o ns oi twa s i n c or p or a t e db yr e f e r e n c e . Th en o t e b oo k–i n t e nt i o no ft e s t a t o rp r e v a i l s . La n g u a g ei nt h ewi l la n dt h er a t i fic a t i o nb y c o di c i l , a ndc i r c u ms t a n c e sa tt het i meofe x e c u t i o ni n d i c a t et h a ts h ei n t e nd e dt or e t a i nt h e r i g h tt oa l t e ra nda me n db e q u e s t swi t h ou tha vi n gt of o r ma l l ya me n dt h ewi l l . I na r t i c l efif t hs h es a i ds h ewo u l de x pr e s sh e rwi s h e si name mo r a n d um. Th es t a t e me n t s i nt h eno t e bo o kr e fle c tn e s mi t h ’ se x e r c i s eo fhe rpo we rt oc h a n g ed i s t r i bu t i on s . I tdo e s n ’ t ma t t e rt h a tt h en o t e b oo ki sno tt i t l e dme mo r a n d um.I ti sob v i ou s l yi nt e n de dt og u i de Gr e e nh a l g ei nd i s t r i b ut i o n s . J u s tb e c a u s ei ts a y sme mo r a n du mdo e s n ’ tme a ns h ei sl i mi t e d t ot ha tf or ma t . Th en o t e b oo kwa si ne xi s t e nc ewh e ns h ee x e c u t e dt h ec o d i c i l s . Th e n o t e b oo kwa sa l s okn o wnt ohi m. Th ec o u r t h e l dt h a tt h el a n g u a g eo ft h ewi l lwa sbr o a de no u g ht oi n c l u d eb o t ht heme mo a n dt hen o t e bo o k, a n dt h a tt h ewi l ld e s c r i b e dt h en o t e bo o kwi t hr e a s o na b l ec e r t a i n t y . Di s s e n t : Co n c u r r e nc e : De fin i t i o n s : No t e s : * s h ema d et hee n t r ya f t e rt h ewi l lwa se x e c u t e d ,h o we v e ri nt h ec od i c i li ts a i dh ewr o t eh i s i n t e nta n dc ou r ta p p l i e st h ed oc t r i n eo fr e p u bl i c a t i onb yc o di c i lr e p u bl i s h e st hewi l la n d n o wt h eno t e bo o ki si ne xi s t e n c ea tt h et i meo ft h ee x e c u t i o no ft h ewi l la n dt hewi l l s p e a kso ft h eda t eoft hec o d i c i l

I nt h eHa l lc a s e( t o po fp. 3 1 6) —c o ur ts a i di ta p pe a r sc o n s t r u c t i v e l ybe f o r et hes i g na t u r e p a g e , r e me mb e ru n d e r3 2 . 1a n yma t e r i a la f t e rt h et e s t a t o r ss i g na t u r ei si g no r e d, h e r et he c o ur ti su s i n gal e g a lfic t i o nt oi n c l ud ei ta spa r toft hewi l l...