Anderson Estate

77 Pa. D. & C. 74
CourtPennsylvania Orphans' Court, Philadelphia County
DecidedAugust 13, 1951
Docketno. 3342 of 1950
StatusPublished

This text of 77 Pa. D. & C. 74 (Anderson Estate) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Orphans' Court, Philadelphia County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anderson Estate, 77 Pa. D. & C. 74 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1951).

Opinion

Bolger, J.,

Kate Anderson died March 18,1950, having first made a will, dated November 18, 1943, of which she appointed her- nephew, Charles L. Yoder, executor, to whom letters testamentary were granted March 28, 1950.

Testatrix, after directing the payment of her just debts and funeral expenses, gave Knights of Pythias Cemetery Company the sum necessary to provide for perpetual care of the cemetery lots as specified in the second item of her will; devised to her nephew, Charles L. Yoder, all of the garages owned by her situate approximately 1949 East Willard Street, and also her home, 2009 East Cambria Street, Philadelphia. She then directed her executor to sell all of her other real estate and personal property and to pay over and distribute the proceeds thereof equally among Mrs. Maggie Morgan, Mrs. Nellie Yoder, Charles L. Yoder, Mrs. Mary Ella Tierney, Mrs. Nellie Stuart, Harry Water-house, Allie Waterhouse, Mrs. Ellen Sage, Rollie Waterhouse and Mrs. Margaret Sariti, absolutely.

Testatrix did not marry, nor were any children born to or adopted by her, after the execution of the will. She was survived by neither spouse nor issue. Maggie Morgan, sister an,d one of the residuary legatees as aforesaid, predeceased testatrix and left no issue, so that her share lapsed and thus increased the shares of the remaining nine residuary legatees.

Transfer inheritance tax was paid (prior to ap-praisement) in the sum of $600, less five percent discount of $30, or $570. Additional transfer inheritance tax is due, according to an appraisement and assessment of inheritance tax made by the register on January 19,1951, with respect to which, however, a dispute arises as to the allowance of deductions for commissions to accountant at one and one-half percent on unconverted real estate which was specifically devised, [77]*77valued in the inventory and account at $6,000, or $90, and for premiums on fire insurance and public liability policies obtained by and issued to the accountant, totaling $40.82.

Credits for payment of the commissions and insurance premiums appear in the account. The account, as stated, blends the personal estate and real estate, both as to items of debit and credit, which conflicts with our present rules as amended. However, in fairness to counsel, it should be stated that the account was prepared and filed before the amendment which preserves and requires, as heretofore, the segregation of real estate from personal estate. No doubt counsel felt that, since the Fiduciaries Act of 1949 required a personal representative to include real estate in the inventory and appraisement and account therefor, our then existing rule of segregation of personalty from realty was inapplicable insofar as concerned an estate of a decedent who died on or after January 1, 1950, the effective date of the new Fiduciaries Act.

The following questions have been submitted for determination by the auditing judge, concerning the disputed items of deductions for inheritance tax purposes, as well as the rights of the specific devisee and residuary legatees:

1(a). Whether the accountant is entitled to commissions on unconverted real estate, specifically devised and not occupied by the devisee at time of death of testatrix;

(b). And, if so, whether such commissions or compensation, as allowed, should be borne by the estate generally or allocated as charges to the real estate specifically devised, and thus borne by the specific devisee.

2(a). Whether the cost for one year of public liability insurance with reference to real estate specifi[78]*78cally devised is an administration expense and chargeable to decedent’s estate generally; or

(b). An income expense allowable and chargeable simply to income from real estate and to be thus borne solely by the specific devisee.

3(a). Whether the cost for one year of fire insurance covering the real estate specifically devised is an administration expense and chargeable to decedent’s estate generally; or

(b). An income expense allowable and chargeable simply to income from real estate and to be thus borne solely by the specific devisee.

Before discussing these questions, some observations giving rise to the controversies are deemed appropriate. It seems that, as a matter of policy, and especially in the absence of any court ruling, the register in the matter of appraisement and assessment of inheritance tax is disinclined to allow any deduction for commissions on unconverted real estate specifically devised. Apparently it is considered that there has been no such change in the law relating to the descent and devolution of real estate, notwithstanding the procedural aspects of the Fiduciaries Act of April 18, 1949, P. L. 512, which brings administration of real estate fully under the control of the personal representative, except that occupied by an heir or devisee, to warrant departure or deviation from the settled law that commissions are earned by a fiduciary strictly as compensation for the time and labor expended and the responsibility incurred, and that compensation may be arrived at as a matter of convenience by way of percentage; yet, after all, it is a question not of percentage but fair and just compensation, taking into consideration the character of the services rendered and the responsibility incurred.

[79]*79It can hardly be doubted, of course, that real estate is still real estate and passes as such without any change in character. The Fiduciaries Act of April 18, 1949, P. L. 512, itself provides that the legal title passes, not to the personal representative as does personalty, but to the distributees under the intestate laws or the devisees under the will. This passing of the legal title, however, according to the Act of 1949, is expressly “subject to all the powers granted to the personal representative by this act and lawfully by the will and to all orders of the court”: Section 104. But this, in many respects, is just what the law provided under the Fiduciaries Act of June 7, 1917, P. L. 447 (e.g., a fiduciary or even a creditor could petition the court for an order of sale of real estate to pay debts), except, of course, the new act confers a statutory power of sale as to real estate generally devised “except as . . . provided by the will, if any”, but no such power as to real estate specifically devised: Section 541.

Admittedly, the legislature recognizes that there should be maintained the well-settled distinction between real property and personal property by reason of their different natures. Sections 103 and 104, as well as the respective comments thereto, clearly indicate that there has been no fundamental change in the law. In fact, the substantive law (Intestate Act of 1947) makes it clear that the heir takes the whole title as descends under the intestate laws subject to the payment of debts and charges, rather than title only to that remaining after the payment of debts. See section 1 and comments. It would seem that the personal estate is still the primary fund for payment of debts and that a personal representative cannot simply, for the sake of his own whim or desire, embark upon disposing of decedent’s real estate in total disregard of the rights and interests of the heirs or devisees (see section 545 of Fiduciaries Act of 1949), [80]*80though he might well be under a duty to,, so convert personalty without consulting distributees or legatees, for distribution thereof in cash is the ordinary rule and not the exception: See Williams’ Estate, 45 D.

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Bluebook (online)
77 Pa. D. & C. 74, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anderson-estate-paorphctphilad-1951.