Adams v. Berger

18 N.Y.S. 33, 27 Abb. N. Cas. 429
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 15, 1891
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 18 N.Y.S. 33 (Adams v. Berger) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Adams v. Berger, 18 N.Y.S. 33, 27 Abb. N. Cas. 429 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1891).

Opinion

Daniels, J.

The action is brought by the plaintiffs to secure the construction of the will of Fanny Adams, deceased. The will was executed on or about the 17th of November, 1887, and the testatrix died on or about the 29th of December, 1889. The will was proved before the surrogate, and letters testamentary issued to the plaintiffs as executors named therein. By this will the testatrix intended to dispose of all her estate, both real and personal. She devised and gave the undivided two-thirds part of her real and personal property to her two sons, George W. and William H. Adams, the plaintiffs in the action. The other undivided third she gave and devised to the same persons in trust to collect the income, and pay over the same to her daughter, Frances A. Berger, during her natural life. These directions contained in the will are free from all ambiguity and uncertainty, and dispose of ¡the estate to the extent already mentioned in favor of her three children. And it is not as to her directions concerning them that any controversy has ■ arisen between them. The testatrix did add by a subsequent paragraph of ■the will that none of her estate should be sold, or divided, or partitioned until ■the full end of 10 years after her own decease. But, as the bequests and devises in favor of her two sons and of her daughter were clear and absolute in their terms, and beyond question vested the title to two undivided thirds of her property in her sons, this subsequent direction given by her was so far repugnant to the estate previously created by these directions; and, being repugnant to that estate, it was inoperative and void. . Craig v. Wells, 11 N. Y. 315, 322; Hill v. Priestly, 52 N. Y. 635; Oxley v. Lane, 35 N. Y. 340, 346, 347. And, as no power of sale was given to the trustees, their estate, during the existence of the trust, was inalienable. And this clause could have no application to that unless the trust terminated within 10 years; and if it did, then this direction or restraint would be equally repugnant to the estate afterwards provided for by the language contained in the will.

The more important controversy relates to the disposition of this undivided third in remainder bequeathed and devised in trust for the life of this beneficiary. That has been resisted as unlawful on the ground of a failure to observe the directions of the statute forbidding the suspension of the power of alienation for more than two lives in being when the will took effect in the disposition of the property of the testatrix. By the direction contained in it, after the decease of her daughter, the testatrix gave, devised, and bequeathed this undivided third to the children of her daughter who should survive her, provided these children attain the age of 21 years. At the time of the decease of the testatrix there were three of these surviving children, .and all under the age of 21 years; and, as the devise and bequest in favor of the children included all who should survive the daughter of the testatrix, it [35]*35comprehended a class of persons liable to be increased by the birth of subsequent children before the decease of the daughter of the testatrix. There was no separate gift of the property to either one of the children, but it was given to them in common, without distinguishing in any manner between them; and under this gift the property was designed to be vested in all the children who should survive their mother, the daughter of the testatrix, and attain the age of 21 years. 1 Jarm. Wills, (5th Ed.) 264-270; Manier v. Phelps, 15 Abb. N. C. 123, 127. And, as these children may all be under the age of 21 years at the time of the decease of their mother, the beneficiary in the trust, and two or more or all of them may die before either shall attain the age of 21 years, it is insisted that these directions contemplate an unlawful suspension of.the power of alienation and of absolute ownership in the property. By the terms of the will the title in the remainder, subject to the trust-estate, vested in the children now living at the decease of the testatrix, subject, of course, to include such other or further children as might be born and survive the beneficiary. Roome v. Phillips, 24 N. Y. 463. And there was a possibility, accordingly, that the lives of all the children would terminate prior to the attainment of the majority of either, and in which event the testatrix made a further contingent disposition of this one-third of her estate. But it does not follow from this possibility that the power conferred by the statute for the limitation of future estates in land has been transcended. Yo trust was created in the property after the decease of the daughter of the testatrix, but a direct devise and bequest of it was made in that instance in favor of her children; and, while it is true that the statutes relating to future estates in lands forbid the suspension of the power of alienation for a longer period than during the continuance of not more than two lives in being at the creation of the estate, this prohibition has been made subject to a very important exception, which is equally applicable to this case, and that is that a contingent remainder may be created on a prior remainder, to take effect in the event that the persons to whom the first remainder is limited shall die under the age of 21 years, or upon any other contingency by which the estate of such persons may be determined before they attain their full age. 2 Rev. St. (6th Ed.) pp. 1101,1102, §§ 15,16. And the devise of this real estate appears to be protected by this exception, for under the broad language of the section containing it there can be no objection to the devise because of the fact that some of the persons intended to be benefited by the creation of the first remainder were not in being at the decease of the testatrix. The preceding section prescribing this limitation is wholly qualified by the section succeeding it, and permits persons to be included within the provision contained in the will, who may be born after the decease of the testatrix, but prior to the decease of her daughter, the beneficiary under the will. And this was generally considered to be permitted by the decision made in Harrison v. Harrison, 36 N. Y. 543, and it, of course, has not been affected by the dictum relied upon, which is contained in Roe v. Vingut, 117 N. Y. 204, 213, 22 N. E. Rep. 933.

But, under the effect which is required to be given to the will, all the children of Frances A. Berger living at the time of her decease will be seised of this undivided third of the real estate of the testatrix. But by the condition afterwards imposed, if either or any of these children should become deceased before attaining the age of 21 years, their interest in the land would necessarily cease; ana, as the devise is made in favor of a class, the survivors, upon attaining the age of 21 years, will become possessed of the absolute title to the land; and that, these sections of the statute has provided for and permitted. And the dependence of the estate upon these minorities distinguishes this case from Ward v. Ward, 105 N. Y. 68, 11 N. E. Rep. 373. The power of alienation over the land, therefore, was no further suspended by the will than during the life-estate of the daughter of the testatrix who is to be bene[36]*36fited.by the trust, and during the minority of one or more or of all her. children living at the time of her de'cease. This suspension of the power of alienation in no event could continue beyond the life of the beneficiary in the trust and the minority of her children.

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Bluebook (online)
18 N.Y.S. 33, 27 Abb. N. Cas. 429, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/adams-v-berger-nysupct-1891.