Berger v. Berger

304 N.E.2d 265, 36 Ohio Misc. 147, 65 Ohio Op. 2d 263, 1973 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 215
CourtCuyahoga County Common Pleas Court
DecidedMay 4, 1973
DocketNo. 789256
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 304 N.E.2d 265 (Berger v. Berger) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Berger v. Berger, 304 N.E.2d 265, 36 Ohio Misc. 147, 65 Ohio Op. 2d 263, 1973 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 215 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1973).

Opinion

ANdrews, Chief Referee.

This action seeks the construction of the will and codicil of Isaac B. Wulkan, who died on February 24, 1970, leaving no surviving wife or lineal descendants.

Item I of Mr. Wulkan’s will directs that his just debts and funeral expenses be paid out of his estate.

Item II (a) bequeaths $5,000 each to the testator’s “beloved nephew Dr. Earl Berger,” his “beloved nephew Julius Berger,” and, jointly, to his “beloved neice [sic.] and her husband Mildred Berger Mazarow and Joe Ma-zarow.”

[148]*148Horn II (b) and (e) each gives $10,000 in trust to Julius Berger, the first for the benefit of David Berger, son of Dr. Earl Berger; and the second for the benefit of Jeanne Berger, daughter of Dr. Earl Berger. Each trust is to fail if the beneficiary predeceases the testator.

Item II (d) was revoked by a codicil, which sets forth a number of pecuniary bequests to various relatives of the testator’s deceased wife, in the total amount of $20,005. Any reference by me in this opinion to Item II (d) is to the codicil. The total amount of the pecuniary bequests in Item II (a) through (d) is $55,005.

Immediately following Item II (d) is an unlettered paragraph directing that the bequests in paragraphs (a) through (d) are to be paid from cash only. However, if there is insufficient cash in the estate to pay them, portions of the testator’s personal property may be converted into cash, but only in a sufficient amount to pay the above bequests.

■Item II (e) devises all the testator’s real estate to Julius Berger, “my beloved nephew.” At the time of the testator’s death, he owned no real estate.

■ Item II (f) bequeaths all accounts receivable, notes, bonds, and mortgages “and all other personal property, with the exception of and excluding any cash money remaining after paying debts and special bequests (a) throught [sic.] (d) above, to my beloved nephew Julius Berger.”

Item II (g) reads:

“All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, both real and personal of every nature, and wherever situated, of which I may die seized or possessed, including, without limitation all property acquired by me or to which I may become entitled after the execution of this will, and all property herein attempted to be disposed of, the disposition 'of which by reason of lapse or other causes shall fail to take effect, I give and devise and bequeath in the following manner and fashion:”

■ ■' ■ Thei'e follow bequests to seven charitable or religious institutions, each in the form of a percentage of the residue. To-illustrate, the first-of these reads:..

[149]*149“1: Twenty percent of the residue (20%') to the Jewish Community Fund * * V’

Each bequest includes the phrase “of the ■ residue,” immediately after the designated percentage. Five of the seven contain a provision for memorializing the testator, including the establishment of a memorial fund, the erection of a memorial placque, the planting of trees in Israel, and the observance of the ’’anniversary date” of his death.

In the next and last paragraph of his will, the testator appoints as executors his “beloved nephew, Julius Berger,” and his “dear friend and attorney Lcland S. Freedman.”

A brief summary of the inventory and appraisal may be helpful to an understanding of the issues.

Household furniture and fixtures, jewelry, and automobile: $ 500.00

Bank deposits and money, including cash on hand, checking and savings accounts, and certificates of deposit: 210,208.09

The parties agree that the terms “cash” and “cash money,” used in the will, were intended to cover the certificates of deposit as well as the cash on hand and bank accounts. Accordingly, no decision is rendered on this point. Continuing the summary;

Corporate stocks: $ 28,841.00

Bonds: 76,500.00

Accounts and debts receivable: 84,928.40

The appraised value of the whole estate is $400,977.49.

Although certain specific questions are asked in the pleadings, the case boils down to two main issues:

1. What part or parts of the estate must bear the burden of paying costs and expenses of administration, federal and Ohio estate taxes, federal income taxes, Ohio income taxes (if any), and Ohio personal property taxes!

2. Who is entitled to post-death income from estate assets prior to distribution!

The charities concede that the will directs that the testator’s Yjust debts” and funeral expenses, plus the $55,005 in pecuniary bequests, be paid out of the “cash” or “cash [150]*150money,” as defined above. Tbe cash is more than sufficient to meet these obligations.

Tbe will makes no express provision for tbe payment of costs and expenses of administration or estate and other taxes, but tbe parties agree that tbe primary burden for tbe payment of such obligations falls upon tbe residuary estate. However, they disagree as to what constitutes tbe residue.

Tbe individual beneficiaries (hereinafter referred to as tbe “Bergers”) contend that Item II (g) (“All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate * * *”) is tbe residuary clause. On tbe other band, the charities claim that Item II (e), devising all of the testator’s real estate, is a residuary devise; and that tbe words in Item II (f), “and all other personal property, with tbe exception of and excluding any cash money remaining after paying debts and special bequests (a) tbrougbt [sic.] (d) above,” constitute a residuary bequest. Hence, they argue that by paragraphs (e) and (f) Julius Berger is tbe beneficiary of all tbe testator’s real and personal property excepting only tbe cash money.

Tbe charities urge us not to depend too much upon labels in classifying legacies as specific, general, demonstrative, and residuary, but first to ascertain tbe testator’s intention from tbe entire will and then attach tbe label. They quote a lengthy passage to this effect from 6 Bowe-Parker, Page on Wills (1962), Section 48.1.

On tbe other band, as pointed out in tbe Berger brief, tbe testator’s intention “must be ascertained from tbe words used in tbe will by giving to such words their usual and ordinary meaning.” Findley v. Conneaut (1945), 145 Ohio St. 480, 62 N. E. 2d 318, paragraph three of tbe syllabus.

A quotation from Gridley v. Gridley (1948), 399 Ill. 215, 77 N. E. 2d 146, at 150, is also enlightening. After conceding that in ascertaining tbe testator’s intention tbe will as a whole must be considered, the court adds:

a* * * However, tbe intention which is to be sought for is not what may by inference be presumed to have been in [151]*151the mind of the testator, hut that which is expressed by the language of the will. * *

What clearer words could be used to denote a general residuary clause than those in Item II (g) of Mr. Wulkan’s will? Definitions of a general residuary clause seem almost superfluous, but I will nevertheless quote briefly from the same textbook cited by the charities.

# * A general residuary clause disposes of the residuum of all testator’s property not otherwise disposed of, without regard to its nature * * 4 Bowe-Parker, Page on Wills (1961), Section 33.46.

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Bluebook (online)
304 N.E.2d 265, 36 Ohio Misc. 147, 65 Ohio Op. 2d 263, 1973 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 215, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/berger-v-berger-ohctcomplcuyaho-1973.