Balch Estate

21 Pa. D. & C.2d 97, 1960 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 260
CourtPennsylvania Orphans' Court, Philadelphia County
DecidedMay 13, 1960
Docketno. 2662 of July, 1927
StatusPublished

This text of 21 Pa. D. & C.2d 97 (Balch 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
Balch Estate, 21 Pa. D. & C.2d 97, 1960 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 260 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1960).

Opinion

Klein, P. J.,

Emily Swift Balch died on January 6, 1917, leaving a will and codicil by which, inter alia, she devised and bequeathed her residuary estate to her executors in trust to pay the net income therefrom in equal, shares to her two sons, Edwin Swift Balch and Thomas Willing Balch, for the terms of their natural lives, upon the terms of a spend[99]*99thrift trust, with further provisions to become operative upon the death of either of her sons leaving descendants him surviving, not necessary to recite, and in default of descendants surviving either son to hold his one-half part of- the estate- for the benefit of her surviving son, or of his descendants,- if he should be deceased, léaving descendants surviving him. Testatrix then provided as follows:

“(4) And in case of the death of my sons without leaving descendants them surviving, then upon the death of my surviving son, In Further Trust to employ and devote the whole of my-said residuary estate to the establishment, -endowment and maintenance of a library in the State of Pennsylvania, the plans and details of the same to be left to the discretion of my surviving Trustee the Trust Company, subject however to the right of my two sons (or the survivor of them) by writing lodged with the remaining Trustee the Trust Company to arrange and formulate the details for the establishment and administration of the said Library in their lifetime, to take effect after their death, and further also subject to the right of my two sons or the survivor of them should it appear to them or the survivor that the establishment of such Library is for any reason unnecessary or undesirable then' by like writing lodged as aforesaid to suggest and direct in lieu thereof the establishment and maintaining of some other institution, either charitable or educational and either independent or forming part of some like existing institution and to arrange and formulate the details thereof, including, if they see fit, the nomination of Managers, which suggestion and direction I desire my surviving Trustee to adopt and follow.” •

A copy of the will and codicil is annexed hereto;

The fund presently accounted for was awarded to the present accountant by adjudication of Van Dusen, J., dated October 24, 1927, and the occasion of the [100]*100filing of the present account is stated to be the realization, by accumulation of income, of a fund of approximately $2,000,000.

Testatrix’ sons Edwin Swift Balch and Thomas Willing Balch, died, respectively, on March 15, 1927, and June 7, 1927, without leaving descendants surviving them, so that the trust under the will of testatrix, as quoted above, for the establishment, endowment and maintenance of a library in the State of Pennsylvania became operative. Prior to their deaths, on January 16, 1922, the said Edwin Swift Balch and Thomas Willing Balch executed an instrument addressed to the Philadelphia Trust Company, now Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company, purporting to be their “Direction as to the sort of institution we desire the Philadelphia Trust Company to found in case circumstances should require you to do so”, by the provisions of which it was provided, inter alia, as follows:

“We desire you to found and establish an institution in eastern Pennsylvania, in such place as you may select, between the Susquehanna' River and the Delaware River, but not less than twenty (20) miles from the present City Hall, Philadelphia.

“This institution shall be called the ‘BALCH INSTITUTE’ and this name shall always be retained for it.

“The ‘Balch Institute’ shall be kept entirely separate from all other institutes, libraries, museums, art galleries, colleges, universities, or other charitable or educational organizations.

“The ‘Balch Institute’ shall never be conducted in the interest of any religious sect, church denomination, political party, or special school of thought or philosophy.

“In order to carry out this foundation, we desire:

“I. That you, the Philadelphia Trust Company shall cause the ‘Balch Institute’ to be incorporated under the laws of the State of Pennsylvania, and that you' shall [101]*101nominate and appoint the members of the first Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall consist of not more than fifteen (15) Directors, who shall all be men, including a President, a first and a second Vice President, a Recording Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary, a Treasurer, and nine (9) other members, who shall thereafter perpetuate themselves, except that three (3) of them shall always be appointed by the Philadelphia Trust Company.

“II. That in case our mother’s (Emily Swift Balch) estate becomes available for the purpose, you continue to hold, invest and reinvest the principal and other property of her estate in such securities or property as you may think desirable, without restriction to what are known as legal securities, and that you have full power of sale of all or any real estate in said estate, at such prices and upon such terms as you shall deem fit, and without obligation on the part of the purchaser to see to the application of the purchase money: and that you accumulate and add thereto all the net income of the estate until a fund of not less than Two million (2,000,000) Dollars shall be realized; and that thereafter you accumulate and add to this fund annually in perpetuity one-half (%) of the net income to the fund: the remaining half (%) of the net income to be disposed of for the benefit of the Balch Institute as will be explained further on.

“III. That, in case one or both of our estates become available for the purpose, you apply them under the terms of our respective Wills, to the establishment and upkeep of the Balch Institute.

“IV. The' remaining one-half of the net income of the estate of Emily Swift Balch and the portions of the net income of the estates' of Edwin Swift Balch and Thomas Willing Balch set apart for the benefit of the Balch Institute shall be applied and used as follows:

[102]*102“ (a) To be held and accumulated for such time as in the discretion of the Board may be sufficient to produce a fund requisite for the purpose of purchasing a good sized piece of land allowing for increase of buildings in future years. ■

“(b) To be held and accumulated for such time as in the discretion of the Board of Directors may be sufficient to produce a fund requisite for the erection of a unit or units of the buildings contemplated under the general architectural scheme .which may have been adopted by the Board for the institution. .

“(c) After this, the remaining net income, in such proportions and to such extent as to the Board may seem fit, is to be applied: First, to the accumulation of a fund sufficient for the erection of any further building or buildings contemplated: Second, for the maintenance, equipment and upkeep of the first unit and succeeding units; Third, for the salaries and wages of all officers and employees; Fourth, for the purchase and care of books and for the purchase and care of works of art of all kinds; Fifth, Towards the payment of the expenses of subsidary . things, such as meetings, lectures, etc., given under the direction and auspices of the Institute.”

After further directions as to the management and administration of the fund and the acceptance of gifts or additions thereto, which it does not appear necessary to recite in this adjudication, the instructions continued:

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Bluebook (online)
21 Pa. D. & C.2d 97, 1960 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 260, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/balch-estate-paorphctphilad-1960.