Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-05T14:41:54.791Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Treaty Provisions for the Inheritance of Personal Property

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2017

Virginia V. Meekison
Virginia V. Meekison*
Affiliation:
Office of the Legal Adviser, Department of State
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

The right of an alien to inherit real estate or the proceeds of its sale in any of the States of the United States is specifically provided for in a number of treaties currently in force between the United States and other countries; but the right of an alien to inherit personal property from a deceased American citizen is left for the most part to the discretion of our States. That is the rather surprising conclusion to be drawn from a study of the existing treaties of the United States in the light of the decision of the Supreme Court in Clark v. Allen.

Type
Research Article
Information
American Journal of International Law , Volume 44 , Issue 2 , April 1950 , pp. 313 - 332
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of International Law 1950

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 331 U. S. 503 (1947), this JOURNAL, Vol. 42 (1948), p. 201.

2 Arizona, California, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon; see also Connecticut, Louisiana and Texas.

3 See estate tax conventions with Canada (1944), 59 Stat. 915, the United Kingdom (1945), 60 Stat. 1391, France (1946), 63 Stat. —. See also conventions (awaiting Senate approval) signed with Ireland (1949), Sen. Exec. E, 81st Cong., 2d Sess.; Norway (1949), Sen. Exec. E, 81st Cong., 1st Sess.; and with the Union of South Africa (1947), Sen. Exec. FF, 80th Cong., 1st Sess. Various treaties afford relief from discrimination.

4 44 Stat. 2132, 2135 (1923); this JOURNAL, Supp., Vol. 20 (1926), p. 4.

5 47 Stat. 1876, 1880 (1928), supp. agreement, 47 Stat. 1899 (1931). See Department of State Bulletin, Vol. XV (1946), p. 864.

6 12 Stat. 1003, 1010, 18 Stat. (Pt. 2, Pub. Tr.) 68, 71 (1858).

7 9 Stat. 881, 886, 18 Stat. (Pt. 2, Pub. Tr.) 550, 552 (1846). It will be noted that Art. XII refers to “personal goods or real estate.

8 46 Stat. 2817, 2820 (1926).

9 44 Stat. 2379, 2380 (1925). See letters of March 26, 1948, to the 48 Governors, signed by the Legal Adviser of the Department of State, in which, with reference to attempts of Soviet consular officers and their attorneys to represent Baltic nationals in estate matters, the Department reiterated its position of non-recognition of Soviet sovereignty in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. Cong. Bee., June 1, 1948, p. 6977.

10 49 Stat. 2659, 2662 (1934).

11 31 Stat. 1939 (1899); regarding application to British Dominions, colonies, and possessions, see 31 Stat. 1941 (1900), 32 Stat. 1914, 1915 (1902) ; Canada, 42 Stat. 2147 (1921) ; supp. convention with Australia, Great Britain-, and New Zealand, amending Arts. IV and VI, 55 Stat. 1101 (1936). See also consular convention with the United Kingdom (1949), Sen. Exec. A, 81st Cong., 2d Sess.

12 Stat. 1944, 1945 (1901).

13 45 Stat. 2618, 2621 (1927).

14 44 Stat. 2441, 2444 (1925). See Department of State Bulletin, Vol. XVIII (1948), p. 382.

15 45 Stat. 2641, 2643 (1928). See note 9, supra.

16 54 Stat. 1739, 1741, 1748, 1749 (1938).

17 47 Stat. 2135, 2138, 2139 (1928, 1929).

18 48 Stat. 1507, 1511 (1931).

19 33 Stat. 2105, 2107 (1902).

20 37 Stat. 1479, 1488 (1910).

21 11 Stat. 587, 590, 591; 18 Stat. (Pt. 2, Pub. Tr.) 748, 749 (1850).

22 10 Stat. 1005, 1009; 18 Stat. (Pt. 2, Pub. Tr.) 16, 18 (1853).

23 10 Stat. 992, 996; 18 Stat. (Pt. 2, Pub. Tr.) 249, 251 (1853).

24 12 Stat. 1091, 1095, 1096; 18 Stat. (Pt. 2, Pub. Tr.) 594, 596 (1859).

25 53 Stat. 1731, 1732 (1937).

26 22 Stat. 963, 964 (1881). See Department of State Bulletin, Vol. XIII (1945), p. 1020, and id., Vol. XIV (1946), p. 728.

27 Department of State, Treaties and Other International Acts Series, No. 1871; this JOURNAL, Supp., Vol. 43 (1949), p. 27.

28 Treaties and Other International Acts Series, No. 1965. The Sup. Ct. of Los Angeles Co., Calif., ruled, in the absence of treaty, that reciprocity exists with Italy. Estate of Gamberi, No. S.M.P. 1530 (Jan. 1950).

29 Sen. Exec. D, 81st Cong., 2d Sess.

30 Sen. Exec. H, 81st Cong., 2d Sess.

31 Ch. 895, California Statutes, 1941, added to the California Probate Code secs. 259, 259.1, and 259.2 which were in force at the time of the death of testatrix. See In re Giordano's Estate, 193 Pac. (2d) 771 (1948), affirming prior opinion, 191 Pac. (2d) 757 (1948); Estate of Knutzen, 191 Pac. (2d) 747 (1948) ; Estate of Bevilacqua, 191 Pac. (2d) 752 (1948); and Estate of Thramm, 183 Pac. (2d) 97 (1947).

32 Supra, note 4.

33 Crowley v. Allen, 52 P. Supp. 850 (N.D. Cal. 1943) ; Allen v. Markham, 147 I\ (2d) 136 (C.C.A. 9th, 1945) ; Markham v. Allen, 326 U. S. 490 (1946); Allen v. Markham, 156 F. (2d) 653 (C.C.A. 9th, 1946); Clark v. Allen, 331 U. S. 503 (1947), this JOUBNAL, Vol. 42 (1948), p. 201.

34 See Lenoir, ‘ ‘ The Effect of War on Bilateral Treaties, with Special Reference to Reciprocal Inheritance Treaty Provisions,” 34 Georgetown L. J. (1946) 129.

35 Missouri v. Holland, 252 TJ. S. 416, 430—435 (1920). Cf. Rose's Notes on TJ. S. Reports (1932), Supp. II, p. 935; see also Hauenstein v. Lynham, 100 U. S. 483, 488490 (1879); Fairfax's Devisee v. Hunter's Lessee, 7 Cranch 602, 627 (1812); Ware v. Hylton, 3 Dali. 199, 242 (1796).

36 U. S. v. Fox, 94 U. S. 315 (1876); U. S. v. Perkins, 163 U. S. 625 (1896).

37 Mager v. Grima, 8 How. 490 (1850).

38 50 U.S.C., App. sec. I—39, 616, 617. As to possible return of property held by the Custodian, see Public Law 671, 79th Cong., and Cong. Rec., Jan. 26, 1950, pp. 971-972.

39 See Lyeth v. Hoey, 305 U. S. 188, 193 (1938); Irving Trust Co. v. Day, 314 TJ. S. 556, 562 (1942).

40 Donaldson v. State of Indiana, 67 N.E. 1029 (1903).

41 Gibson, Aliens and the Law (1940), p. 37.

42 Borchard, The Diplomatic Protection of Citizens Abroad (1915 and 1928 ed.), p. 88.

43 Estate of Bevilacqua, 161 Pac. (2d) 589, 595 (1945).

44 Brief for the Petitioner, TJ. S. Sup. Ct., Oct. Term 1946, No. 626, p. 36.

45 Diplomatic Correspondence of the TJnited States, 1868, Pt. II, pp. 194, 196, 197; Foreign Relations of the United States, 1880, pp. 952, 953. See also Moore, Digest of International Law (1906), Vol. IV, p. 6.

46 Hackworth, Digest of International Law (1942), Vol. Ill, p. 667.

47 How. 445 (1860).

48 8 Stat. 588 (1844); 18 Stat. (Pt. 2, Pub. Tr.) 809.

49 11 Foreign Consuls in the United States MSS., Nat. Archives. See Bancroft Davis, Notes upon Treaties of the United States of America and Other Powers (1873), p. 159.

50 245 U. S. 170 (1917).

51 8 Stat. 340, 342; 18 Stat. (Pt. 2, Pub. Tr.) 167, 169 (1826); abrogated in 1856 and renewed in 1857, except for Art. V.

52 Hack worth, op. tit., Vol. Ill, pp. 670-671.

53 245 U.S. 176 (1917).

54 8 Stat. 60, 64 (1783) j revived as to certain articles by the treaty with Sweden and Norway, 8 Stat. 232 (1816), and again revived, 8 Stat. 346 (1827).

55 8 Stat. 84, 88 (1785).

56 See Hyde, International Law (2d ed., 1945), Vol. I, pp. 663-676.

57 245 U. S. 633 (1917). See also Nielsen v. Johnson, 279 U. S. 47 (1929), this JOURNAL, Vol. 23 (1929), p. 422; W. R. Vallance, ibid., p. 395.

58 In re Stixrud's Estate, 109 Pac. 343 (1910).

59 In re Peterson's Estate, 151 N.W. 66 (1915), aff'd as Duus v. Brown, 245 TJ. S. 176.

60 Brown v. Peterson, 170 N.W. 444, 445 (1919).

61 Olsson v. Savage, 240 Pac. 586, 587 (1925).

62 In re Moynihan's Estate, 151 N.W. 504 (1915) ; 154. N.W. 904 (1915).

63 Brown v. Daly's Estate, 154 N.W. 602, 603 (1915).

64 Trott v. State, 171 N.W. 827, 830 (1919).

65 Jost v. Jost, 1 Mackey (12 D.C.) 487, 494 (1882).

66 Hauenstein v. Lynham (supra, note 35), at p. 486.

67 Moore, op. tit., Vol. IY, p. 6.

68 Brown v. Daly's Estate, supra, note 63.

69 20 Stat. 725, 732 (1878). See Department of State Bulletin, Vol. XVIII (1948), p. 248.

70 Rocca v. Thompson, 223 TJ. S. 317 (1931).

71 Prevost v. Grenaux, 19 How. 1 (1856). Distinguishable, as the estate vested before the treaty entered into force. See also De Geofroy v. Riggs, 133 IT. S. 258 (1890).

72 In re Romans' Estate, 218 Pac. 421, 423 (1923).

73 62 Stat., Pt. 3,—. Treaties and Other International Acts Series, No. 1803.

74 Superior Ct. of San Francisco Co., Calif., Oct. 20, 1949.

75 57 Atl. (2d) 148 (1948), this JOURNAL, Vol. 42 (1948), p. 499.

76 See Indian Independence (International Arrangements) Order, 1947; and the United Kingdom-Ceylon External Affairs Agreement of Nov. 11, 1947.

77 8 Stat. 398; 18 Stat. (Pt. 2, Pub. Tr.) 21.

78 9 Stat. 944; 18 Stat. (Pt. 2, Pub. Tr.) 24.

79 Hauenstein v. Lynham, supra, note 35; De Geofroy v. Eiggs, supra, note 71; UQW. S. v. Auguisola, 1 Wall. 352 (1863); TJ. S. v. Payne, 264 TJ. S. 446 (1924). See Hall, International Law (8th ed., 1924), pp. 393-394.

80 Shanks v. Dupont, 3 Pet. 242, 247 (1830).

81 Hyde, op. eit., Vol. II, pp. 1478-1485.

82 See U. S. v. Payne, supra, note 79; Sullivan v. Kidd, 254 TJ. S. 433 (1921).

83 See Wharton, Digest of International Law (2d ed., 1887), Vol. II, pp. 36-37; Lauterpacht, “Some Observations on Preparatory Work in the Interpretation of Treaties,” 48 Harvard Law Eeview (1935) 549; of. Factor v. Laubenheimer, 290 TJ. S. 276 (1933), this JOURNAL, Vol. 28 (1934), p. 149; Terrace v. Thompson, 263 TJ. S. 197 (1923), this JOURNAL, Vol. 18 (1924), p. 346.

84 Chryssikos v. De Marco, 107 Atl. 358, 360 (1919).

85 Iwazo Yamashita v. Clark, 75 F. Supp. 51, 55 (1948). See In xe Blak's Estate, 150 Pac. (2d) 567 (1944), with respect to blocked accounts.

86 Estate of Peters, Superior Ct. of Los Angeles Co., Calif., No. 233316, June 8, 1948. In Estate of Beihs, wherein the decedent's death occurred after Allied occupation of Germany, the Superior Court of Los Angeles Co., Calif., No. 263185, on Nov. 16, 1949, again ruled in favor of reciprocity.

87 Estate of Bertha Schluttig, Superior Ct. of Los Angeles Co., Calif., No. 242226, June 22, 1948 (both German and Austrian heirs) ; Estate of Hess, 18 L.W. 2362. See also Estate of Wemme, No. 56--621, Circuit Ct. of Oregon, Multnomah Co., May 24, 1949.

88 In re Reiner's Estate, 44 N.Y.S. (2d) 282 (1943); In re Woelfinger's Estate, 76 N.Y.S. (2d) 544 (1948).

89 Greene v. Frank, 58 N.E. (2d) 465 (1944); In re Carrington's Estate, 81 N.Y.S. (2d) 77 (1948). See In re Archdeacon's Estate, 37 Atl. (2d) 34 (1944).

90 61 Stat. 1218 (1946); Statute of the International Court of Justice, 59 Stat. 1031 (1945).