In the case of White v. Schloerb, 1899, the US Supreme Court ruled on a dispute involving property rights and inheritance laws. The plaintiff, White, was an heir to a deceased man's estate who had left his property to his wife during her lifetime with instructions that it should be divided among his heirs upon her death. However, before she died, the widow sold some of this land to Schloerb without informing or obtaining consent from any other potential heirs. After her death, White sued for possession of these lands arguing that they were part of their rightful inheritance as per the will. The court held in favor of Schloerb stating that under Maryland law (where this case originated), once a life tenant (the widow) dies after selling off portions of an estate without protest or legal action from remaindermen (White and other possible heirs), those sales become valid and irreversible even if they weren't initially authorized by all parties involved in the original will. Thusly affirming lower courts' decisions which also favored defendant.

In the dissenting opinion for White v. Schloerb, the justice disagreed with the majority's decision to uphold a lower court ruling that allowed a creditor to seize property from an insolvent debtor who had previously transferred it in trust for his wife and children. The dissent argued that this violated longstanding principles of equity and fairness, as well as specific provisions of bankruptcy law designed to protect innocent third parties from being penalized for a debtor's insolvency. It was also pointed out that there were no allegations or evidence suggesting any fraudulent intent on part of the debtor when he made these transfers; therefore, they should be respected rather than voided by judicial fiat. Furthermore, it was contended that allowing creditors such broad powers would discourage debtors from making legitimate efforts to provide for their families' future security and could potentially lead to abuses against vulnerable individuals who rely on trusts or similar arrangements for their financial stability.