| Title: | Cook & Cook, Solicitors, Iowa, to J.Peel, Armagh. |
|---|---|
| ID | 680 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Cook & Cook/27 |
| Year | 1905 |
| Sender | Cook & Cook |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | solicitors |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Iowa, USA |
| Destination | Co. Armagh, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Peel, Joshua |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | business |
| Source | D889/7/1: Deposited by Messrs Joshua Peel and Son, Solicitors, Armagh. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N.Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 106266 |
| Date | 27/10/1905 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 18:06:01. |
| Word Count | 709 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | J.E. COOK ROY A. COOK COOK & COOK Attorneys-at-Law Independence, Iowa, Oct. 27, 1905. INDEPENDENCE IOWA Joshua E. Peel & Son, Armagh, Ireland. Gentlemen:- A little over three years ago you placed in our hands for adjustment three lots and a house supposed to be owned by Catherine Brannagan and Rose Hegerty. When the property was first placed in our hands we thought it was of considerable value, but after investigating the matter we found that we were mistaken. The property is situated near what is called in our town, Hell's Forty, that means that it is in the poorest part of town and that the people are not as law abiding as they are in other parts of the place. There was a family in it at the time and they had been in it for some time, but they were poor and we used our best ingenuity to get some rent out of them and failed to get a cent. They finally moved out. The property was badly run down, the window lights and doors were broken out, and when we come to have the property appraised on the petition which we sent you in July, 1902, it was only appraised at $200.00. We thought that this was too low, but we tried to sell it ever since and never have been able to get that offer until recently when we sold it for the appraised value. This suit that was brought, as you will remember from the petition that was sent you, was against unknown heirs, and in order to comply with our law, the notice, which was published in the paper, was necessarily a long one and was published for six weeks at cosiderabl [considerable?] expense, this being the only way in which a saleable title could possibly be obtained. The estate of Arthur Woods never had been fully administered upon. The Catholic Priest who lived here at the time of Mr. Woods' death, was named as executor in the Will. Unfortunately he was a man who was esteemed very highly, but who became so addicted to drink that he left no means, whatever, and left the parish here and removed to a distant part of the state. The costs in the estate were never paid and the legacies under the Will were never paid, and the matter was left in about as disconsolate a condition as can well be imagined. We have paid out for court costs in the matter $72.75; we paid out for an abstract of title to the premises $17.00; there was an uncancelled mortgage against the property for $250.00 which we had to have canceled [cancelled?] by court proceedings and which cost $35.20; we paid out for insurance on the premises $2.50; we paid out for taxes on the premises $6.76; we paid the Referee for his services $5.00; we paid for an administrator to have the estate of Arthur Woods finally closed up and our services as Attorney $25.00; This leaves $60.79 out of the $200.00. Out of this will have to come $25.00, one third of which will be sent to you for your services and the remainder will be retained for our services, and we send you receipts which we would like to have signed by Catherine Brannagan and Rose Hegerty and returned to us and on receipt of the same we will send draft for $17.89 for each of them and $8.33 for yourself. We have thought ever since we had it appraised that we never would be able to get the costs out of it but finally succeeded in doing so. We regret very much that we were not able to realize more, but we have spent s [a?] great deal of time on it and it is the very best that could be done because the property was in such a poor neighborhood [neighbourhood?] and in such a dilapidated condition. It is not necessary that we should have Catherine Brannagan's receipt as we appeared for her as her attorneys and our receipt would be accepted for her, but we would like to have Rose Hegerty's receipt and that will enable us to close the matter up entirely. We enclose you blank receipts for them to sign and after signed to be returned to us. Yours very truly, Cook & Cook Dict. JEC. successors to Cook & Leach |
