Anderson v. Anderson

103 A. 789, 41 R.I. 307, 1918 R.I. LEXIS 40
CourtSupreme Court of Rhode Island
DecidedJune 6, 1918
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 103 A. 789 (Anderson v. Anderson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anderson v. Anderson, 103 A. 789, 41 R.I. 307, 1918 R.I. LEXIS 40 (R.I. 1918).

Opinion

Vincent, J.

This is a suit in equity to enforce two trusts. It is brought by the beneficiary against the defendant as executor of Rosalie R. Ford, the settlor, and as trustee under the trusts. It comes before this court on bill, answer, replication, and a statement of facts which, by stipulation, is to be used in lieu of evidence.

*308 The complainant was a cousin of Rosalie R. Ford. An intimate friendship had long existed between them at the time when the trusts in question were created and such relations continued thereafter for a period of some thirteen years until the death of Rosalie R. Ford in October, 1916.

E. Ellery Anderson, the father of the respondent, was a lawyer in the city of New York, the attorney for Mrs. Ford, and the person later selected by her to hold certain bonds and stocks placed in his hands in trust for the complainant.

The following taken from the agreed statement of. facts furnishes a sufficient history of the case.

On June 24, 1900, Rosalie R. Ford wrote to E. Ellery Anderson, “ ... Also please invest as you think-best the sum of 5000 dollars for the benefit of my cousin, Estelle Anderson, she to draw the interest and have possession of that sum, only after my death . . .”

On February 26, 1901, E. Ellery Anderson wrote Rosalie R. Ford, “Answering your letter of January 24th, I write to say that I have put aside in an envelope with a suitable endorsement showing that the securities are intended as a gift to Stella, the following securities: 2 Missouri, Kansas & Texas Bonds for $1,000 each, Nos. 6817, 6818; 2 Morris & Essex Bonds for $1,000 each, Nos. 3098 and 3099; 1 Metropolitan Elevated Bond for $1,000, No. 1216. Please, in your answer to this letter say that you affirm and approve this arrangement, or' else modify the same, if you think proper to do so.”

On March. 12, 1901, Rosalie R. Ford wrote to E. Ellery Anderson, answering his said letter of the 26th of February, 1901, “ . . . I am quite satisfied with the arrangement which you have made for Stella. One question: in case of her possible (not possible) death before me, does the money revert to her heirs, or back to me and mine? . . .”

On April 19, 1901, E. Ellery Anderson wrote Rosalie R. Ford, “ ... On looking at your letter of March 12th, I find you ask me the question whether the securities set aside for Stella in the event of her death before you would *309 come back to you or go to her heirs. As I understand your instructions these securities have been handed to me in trust for Stella with directions to deliver them to her in the event of your death before her, and to return them to your own securities in the event of her death before you. . . .”

The securities referred to in said letter of February 26, 1901, were duly set aside by E. Ellery Anderson and placed by him in an envelope - upon which he then caused to be made the following endorsements: “This envelope contains : 2 Morris & Essex First Mtge Bonds, each for sum of $1,000; Nos. 3098, and 3099; 2 Missouri, Kansas & Texas Ry. Co. 1st Mtge bonds, each for sum of $1,000; Nos. 6817, and 6818; 1 Metropolitan Elevated 1st Mtge Bond for sum of $1,000, No. 1216. These bonds have been delivered to me by Rosalie R. Ford with instructions to hold them as the property of and to be delivered to Miss Estelle Anderson, in accordance with instructions heretofore given to me by Mrs. Ford. Also extract from letter of E. Ellery Anderson to Mrs. Thomas Ford, dated Feb. 26, 1901. Also letter from Mrs. Thomas Ford to E. Ellery Anderson, dated March 12th, 1901.”

The complainant, Estelle Anderson, was not notified of the creation of the aforesaid trust until after the decease of Rosalie R. Ford.

On August 11, 1902, E. Ellery Anderson, during an interview with Rosalie R. Ford in Europe, at her request wrote out the following letter addressed to himself, which was thereupon signed by Rosalie R. Ford and delivered to him: “For the purpose of carrying into effect the provision I have desired to make for my cousin Stella Anderson I hereby request you to set aside sixty shares of Steel Preferred stock and pay over the income as received therefrom to Stella— If she should die before me this provision is to cease and the said sixty shares are to be returned to me — If Stella should survive me then you are- to deliver the said sixty shares of stock to her.”

*310 At or about the date of said letter (August 11, 1902), Rosalie R. Ford told Estelle Anderson of the creation and provisions of said trust; and E. Ellery Anderson also told Estelle Anderson of the trust and stated that she would receive the income during the life of Rosalie R. Ford and that upon the death of Rosalie R. Ford she would receive the principal if she survived. The sixty shares of preferred stock of the United States Steel Corporation referred to( in said letter of August 11,1902 were, at the date of said letter, included in a certificate for one hundred shares owned by Rosalie R. Ford, standing in the name of E. Ellery Anderson. and held by him for her benefit. E. Ellery Anderson, shortly after the date of said letter (August 11, 1902), returned to New York with said letter and thereupon caused said certificate for one hundred shares to be split and a new certificate for sixty shares to be issued in his name. This certificate, together with said letter, he placed in an envelope upon which he caused to be endorsed the following: -“Stella Anderson 60 shares of United States Steel Corporation Preferred Stock Cert. No. C 25451 P. V. $6000. Also letter from Mrs. Rosalie R. Ford dated August 11th 1902 Presenting Miss Stella Anderson with the above stock.” Said envelope, containing said certificate and letter, was then placed by E. Ellery Anderson in a vault in Jersey City where it remained with its contents until after his death.

On January 13, 1903, E. Ellery Anderson,- after his return to New York as aforesaid, wrote to Estelle Anderson as follows: “ ... these 60 shares of Steel preferred which Rose (Rosalie R. Ford) instructed me to hold for your benefit, subject however to the event of your death* before Rose, has declared its usual dividends at the rate of 7% per annum, and these dividends have been carried to your credit as usual in the statement. When I saw you in Lausanne you explained to me that you could not conveniently' get through with less than $2100 per annum if you were to retain your apartment in Paris. As the present arrangement carries your income to that figure, I hope it will enable you *311 to meet all youx expenses without trouble.” Thereafter during the life of Rosalie R. Ford the dividends declared upon this stock, amounting to $420 a year, were paid regularly to Estelle Anderson.

On February 22, 1904, E. Ellery Anderson died. Upon his death his son and the executor of his will, the defendant, P. Chauncey Anderson, received the said two envelopes and their contents. He thereupon caused to be transferred into his own name the sixty shares of stock, placed the new certificate therefor and the said letter of August 11, 1902, in the same envelope, retained possession of both envelopes and their contents, and continued to pay the income from the sixty shares of stock to Estelle Anderson.

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103 A. 789, 41 R.I. 307, 1918 R.I. LEXIS 40, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anderson-v-anderson-ri-1918.