Hayes v. Hayes

*574fl — Brothers James and Jerry Hayes dispute the meaning of their mother Elma Hayes’ will. James Hayes signed a favorable lease with his mother to farm the family’s land. When she died, Elma devised in her will discrete portions of the leased farmland to each of her four children. The dispute requires a ruling as to whether Elma intended to partition the lease into four separate agreements when she partitioned the farmland in her will. James contends she did, such that the lease covering his quarter share of property was extinguished when he became both the landlord and tenant, and, in turn,…