In the Gardner v. Bonestell case of 1900, the U.S Supreme Court ruled on a dispute involving property rights and inheritance laws. The plaintiff, Mrs. Gardner, was seeking to recover possession of certain real estate in San Francisco from defendant Mr. Bonestell who had acquired it through his wife's inheritance from her father's will (Mrs. Gardner’s brother). The main issue revolved around whether or not Mrs.Gardner could claim any interest in this property under California law as she was not named as an heir in her father’s will due to being born out of wedlock. The court held that while illegitimate children were recognized by common law for some purposes such as support and maintenance, they did not have automatic rights to inherit their parents' estates unless specifically provided for in a validly executed will or codicil thereto; thus ruling against Mrs.Gardner's claims. This decision reinforced existing legal principles regarding legitimacy and inheritance at the time - emphasizing that parental obligations towards illegitimate children do not automatically extend into inheritance rights unless explicitly stated within testamentary documents.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Gardner v. Bonestell argued that the majority's ruling was incorrect because it failed to properly consider and apply relevant laws regarding property rights and inheritance. The dissenting justices believed that under California law, a wife had an equal right to her husband's property upon his death, even if he left a will stating otherwise. They contended that this principle should have been applied in this case where Mr. Gardner attempted to leave all his properties solely to his children from previous marriages through trust deeds executed shortly before his death, effectively disinheriting Mrs. Gardner who was still alive at the time of execution of these trusts and also at the time of Mr.Gardner’s demise . They felt that such actions were not only unfair but also illegal according to state law which clearly stated spouses' rights over each other's properties during their lifetime or after their deaths irrespective of any testamentary dispositions made by either spouse.