United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Olmsted v. Olmsted, 216 U.S. 386 (1910)

Olmsted v. Olmsted

No. 102

Argued January 25, 1910

Decided February 21, 1910

216 U.S. 386

Syllabus

The law of a state in which land is situated controls and governs its descent, alienation, and transfer, and neither a decree of a court or a statute of another state can have any efficacy as to title of real estate beyond the jurisdiction of that state.

The full faith and credit clause of the federal Constitution does not require the courts of a state to give effect to a statute legitimatizing children born before wedlock after marriage of their parents so as to affect interests which, under the law of the state where the property is located, had been so vested that it cannot be affected by subsequent legislation, and so held that the courts of New York are not required to give effect to a statute of Michigan so as to vest in children of the testator legitimatized by such statute property, the title to which had already vested in his other legitimate children.

190 N.Y. 458 affirmed.

The facts are stated in the opinion.

Page 216 U. S. 390