Question
The Barkley Estate is a 5000-acre estate located in Sacramento, California. It is wholly owned by Victoria Barkley. There is a large mansion on the
The Barkley Estate is a 5000-acre estate located in Sacramento, California. It is wholly owned by Victoria Barkley. There is a large mansion on the estate where Victoria lives with her 4 kids. From the oldest to the youngest, they are Nick, Jarret, Heath and Audra. The property contains 500 head of cattle and numerous Orange trees which produce a profitable Orange crop. Together with the cattle and the crops, the farm is worth a 10 million dollars.
As the matriarch of the Barkley Estate, Victoria decides she needs a will. As part of the will, she leaves Nick and Heath 250 head of cattle each. She leaves the land equally to each of the kids. Victoria also has a diamond broach worth $100,000 as well as a diamond tennis bracelet worth $100,000. Victoria leaves the diamond broach to Audra. Victoria's will also provides that the Audra may have and use the diamond tennis bracelet as long as Audra is alive and upon Audra's death the tennis bracelet is to become the sole property of Jarret's daughter Jenny. Victoria bought and paid for an insurance policy providing that Jenny is the beneficiary should something happen to the bracelet.
Jarrett was responsible for the Orange crops every year. Meanwhile on a small portion of the property which was separate from the current property, there are ten acres of orange trees. The Wanderer family entered the land every year and picked the fresh oranges from the trees and sold them on the market. Every year Jarret would pick whatever oranges he could off the `ten separate acres but assumed the trees just were not capable of producing any substantive crops.
Victoria passed away. Upon her death, Audra sold the bracelet.
Please provide your legal analysis and conclusions of the following matters.
a. Jenny sued Audra for the value of the tennis bracelet. She also sued the individual whom Audra sold the tennis bracelet to as well as the insurance company seeking the $100,000 value of the bracelet. What will the outcome or outcomes be and why?
b. Heath one day noticed the Wanderers picking the oranges and followed them into the market to watch where the oranges were sold and whom they were sold to. Upon telling Jarret, the Barkley children sued the Wanderers and the buyers of the Wanderers oranges. The Wanderers claimed they did not know the land was owned by anyone and that even if it was Wanderers countersued claiming they worked the property and therefore deserved not only to sell the oranges but to own the property as well. What will the outcome of the litigation be and why?
c. Jarret and Audra sued Nick and Heath, claiming they are entitled to equal ownership in the cattle. Jarret and Audra claimed the cattle were part of the real property of the estate in the same way the orange trees were and therefore deserved equal ownership in the cattle. What will be the outcome of the litigation and why?
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