Amerige v. Goddard

55 N.E.2d 919, 316 Mass. 566, 1944 Mass. LEXIS 745
CourtMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
DecidedJune 27, 1944
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 55 N.E.2d 919 (Amerige v. Goddard) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Amerige v. Goddard, 55 N.E.2d 919, 316 Mass. 566, 1944 Mass. LEXIS 745 (Mass. 1944).

Opinion

Lummus, J.

The trustees under the will of Harriot M. Goddard, who died on June 9, 1910, and whose will was proved soon after, bring this petition for instructions with respect to the allocation of receipts and expenses to capital or income. The case comes here upon an appeal by the life beneficiaries from a decree of the Probate Court.

By her will the testatrix gave the residue of the estate, both realty and personalty, to trustees to hold and invest "as one entire and undivided trust fund” until the death of the last survivor of her daughter Mrs. Sprague and seven grandchildren. One half of the income was made payable "in each and every year” to Mrs. Sprague for her life, and at her death to her issue by right of representation. Mrs. Sprague has died, leaving five children, all of whom are still living. The other half of the income was made payable “in each and every year” to two other grandchildren of the testatrix, Edward S. E. Goddard and Elizabeth Goddard, in equal shares, for life. Elizabeth Goddard has died without issue, and in that event the will provided that her share of the income should become payable to Edward S. E. Goddard for his life. Accordingly, Edward S. E. Goddard is now entitled to one half of the income of the trust, and the five children of Mrs. Sprague are entitled to one tenth each.

Upon the termination of the trust, at the death of the last survivor of the present life beneficiaries, the testatrix provided that the principal of the trust property "shall go to my issue then living, such issue taking by right of representation.” That obviously is a contingent gift, and the persons who will take cannot be ascertained until the moment of the termination of the trust. Robertson v. Robertson, 313 Mass. 520, 526, 527-528. Tyler v. City Bank [568]*568Farmers Trust Co. 314 Mass. 528, 532, et seq. National Shawmut Bank v. Joy, 315 Mass. 457, 467. Barker v. Monks, 315 Mass. 620. For that reason there was appointed a “guardian ad litem or next friend” for minors, persons not ascertained, and persons not in being, who are interested in- the remainder as issue of the testatrix. He filed an answer for them, and argued for them in this court.

The controversy arises upon the following facts. At the outset the trust property consisted of (a) the dwelling house of the testatrix at 291 Marlboro Street in Boston, the equity-of redemption in which was valued at $9,500, (b) a building containing stores and offices at 168 Tremont Street in Boston, and (c) $3,'526.77 in money. A few years later the dwelling .house was sold and the proceeds were invested in securities. On January 1, 1942, the account of the trustees showed the building on Tremont Street at an appraised value of $178,500, securities of the par value of $29,000, and $529.70 in money. Until July 31, 1941, when an advantageous lease of a store in the Tremont Street building terminated, the trust had an annual net income ranging from $12,500 to $27,500, and substantial annual distributions of income were made. But no income has been distributed since January 1, 1941..

In 1941 the gross income from the building was $14,081.10, and the expenses of the building,- including local taxes for 1941, were $12,895.98, leaving a net income of $1,185.12. Of the gross income, only $1,430.28 was received after July 31. Of the expenses, $6,737.82 (including a balance of the 1941 tax not paid by the outgoing tenant, ’ amounting to $3,828) was attributable to the period after July 31. It thus appears that after July 31 the building ceased to produce enough income to pay the taxes and expenses on it, and that the deficiency was large. The local tax on the building for 1942 amounted to $9,512, and in-order to pay it the trustees sold securities of the trust. ■ The petition was filed on December 1, 1942, and the agreed facts were filed on February 15, 1943. The record does not show the later financial condition of the trust, but there- is no suggestion of possible improvement.

[569]*569The instructions contained in the decree of the Probate Court are shown in a footnote.1 In general, the decree provided that all undistributed income as well as all current income of the trust was to be used to pay taxes and expenses on the building, until it should be sold, and that any deficiency of income for that purpose was to be made good by a loan from principal to be repaid out of income. [570]*570A balance on hand of $781.71, resulting from compensation paid in 1942 by a former tenant of the building for injury done by him to the building, over and above the cost of repairs made out of the compensation paid, was ordered credited to principal. The decree declared that the trustees “have the power” to sell the building. In the event of sale the apportionment of the proceeds was to be the subject of a petition for further instructions.

In support of their appeal the Ufe beneficiaries contend that (1) the taxes and expenses of the building after July 31, 1941, over and above the income of the building, should be charged permanently against principal without repayment out of income, (2) the net income from securitiés should be distributed as income, (3) the net income received before July 31, 1941, when the building ceased to pay its way, should be distributed as income, and (4) the balance of $781.71 already described should be distributed as income.

The only provisions of the will, not hereinbefore stated, that may be thought to indicate any actual intent of the testatrix, as distinguished from an intent “presumed” from the circumstances (Harvard Trust Co. v. Duke, 304 Mass. 414, 416), with respect to the questions at issue, are the following. “It is my wish that the estate numbered one hundred and sixty-eight (168) Tremont Street be kept as a part of the trust property during the continuance of this trust; and the better to enable the trustees to retain that property entire until the termination of the trust, I authorize the trustees or trustee for the time being to pay all expenses of ordinary repairs, taxes, insurance of all kinds, brokers’ commissions, and all expenses of running and maintenance, from the income from said estate.” Then followed this paragraph: “In case of earthquake, conflagration, or other exceptional damage, rendering necessary extraordinary repairs or a practical reconstruction of the building on said estate, I authorize the trustees or trustee for the time being, at their or his discretion, to make a power of sale mortgage of said estate for such amount as such exigency may require, or as they or he may deem desirable for [571]*571such extraordinary repair or rebuilding, and for such time and on such terms as they or he may deem meet.” Full power to sell any real or personal property of the trust, at public auction or private sale, was given “to the persons . . . named by me as executors and trustees, and to each and either of them.” Different persons are now trustees.

We take up the contentions of the Ufe beneficiaries in their order.

1. Annual local taxes and other ordinary maintenance expenses of real estate are ordinarily chargeable against income. Jordan v. Jordan, 192 Mass. 337, 344. Holcombe v. Ginn, 296 Mass. 415, 416. Taylor v. Bentinck-Smith, 304 Mass. 430, 437. Compare Ogden v. Allen, 225 Mass. 595, 597.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
55 N.E.2d 919, 316 Mass. 566, 1944 Mass. LEXIS 745, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/amerige-v-goddard-mass-1944.