Busch v. Schuttler

216 Ill. App. 212, 1919 Ill. App. LEXIS 307
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedDecember 10, 1919
DocketGen. No. 24,675
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 216 Ill. App. 212 (Busch v. Schuttler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Busch v. Schuttler, 216 Ill. App. 212, 1919 Ill. App. LEXIS 307 (Ill. Ct. App. 1919).

Opinion

Mr. Justice O’Connor

delivered the opinion of the court.

Complainants filed their bill against defendants to remove one of three trustees appointed by the will of Anna Busch, deceased, on the ground that the trustee sought to be removed was a resident of Berlin, a citizen of the German Empire, an alien enemy and unable to act and, therefore, disqualified. A decree was entered removing the trustee and an appeal taken to this court by the other two trustees.

The record discloses that the testatrix, Anna Busch of Chicago, on the 5th day of March, 1913, made her last will and testament while she was sojourning in the City of Charlottenburg, Empire of Germany; that she departed this life on or about the 8th day of April, 1916. The will, so far as is material, after providing for the payment of the testatrix’s debts, funeral expenses, and certain specific bequests and devises, directed that the remainder of the estate be divided in six equal parts or shares. The will then provides:

“Eighth. Another of such equal parts or shares of my estate I give, devise and bequeath unto my Trustees hereinafter named, In Trust Nevertheless, for the following uses and purposes, to wit: To invest the same and keep the same invested, and pay over the net income arising therefrom to my son Otto S. Busch for and during the term of his natural life, and upon his death, either before or after my déath, I direct that •said trust estate so held for his benefit be divided as follows, viz.: One-third thereof to the wife of Otto g. Busch and two-thirds thereof to the children of Otto S. Busch equally, share and share alike, and in the event of the death of any of said children leaving issue him or her surviving, such issue is to take the share the parent would have taken if living. * * *

“Ninth. Another of such equal parts or shares of my estate I give, devise and bequeath unto my Trustees hereinafter named, In Trust Nevertheless,, for the following uses and purposes, to wit: To invest the same and keep the same invested, and pay over the net income arising therefrom to my son Franz S. Busch for and during the term of his natural life, and upon his death, either before or after my death, I direct that said trust estate so held for his benefit be divided as follows, viz.: One-third thereof to the widow of Franz g. Busch, and two-thirds thereof to the children of Franz S. Busch, equally, share and share alike, and in the event of the death of any such children leaving issue him or her surviving, such issue is to take the share the parent would have taken if living. * * *

“Tenth. It shall be competent for my Trustees hereinafter named at any time in their discretion, in order to enable either one of my sons, Otto g. Busch and Franz g. Busch, to establish themselves or to invest funds in any useful business, profession, or occupation, to advance and pay over to each of them out of the shares of my estate held in trust for them respectively, a sum or'successive sums of money, not exceeding in the aggregate twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), but such advances shall be made only if my Trustees, Walter Schuttler and Dr. Otto Lippstreu, or the survivor of them, approve of the business, profession or occupation proposed to be entered by either of my said sons, or with reference to which any investment of funds is contemplated to be made.”

The will appointed Walter Schuttler of Chicago, The Continental & Commercial Trust and Savings Bank, an Illinois corporation, appellants, and Dr. Otto Lippstreu of Berlin, Germany, and the survivor of them, the executors of and trustees under the will. The will further provided:

“Fifteenth. * * * I particularly direct that so far as a division of the labors of my said Executors and Trustees may be concerned, the- said Continental & Commercial Trust and Savings Bank shall have the principal charge of the active administration of my estate and the mechanical handling of the same, such as having custody of the funds belonging thereto, * * * and all receipts and disbursements made with reference to my estate. My other Executors and Trustees shall have charge of all other duties connected with the administration of my estate other than those hereinabove specifically delegated- to said Continental & Commercial Trust and Savings Bank, it being my intention, however, that they shall act mainly in an advisory capacity.”

The bill sought the removal of Dr. Otto Lippstreu as trustee only as to the trusts mentioned in the eighth and ninth paragraphs quoted.

The bill averred and the decree found that Dr. Otto Lippstreu at the time of the making of the will was a resident of Berlin, Germany, and a subject of the German Empire; that he continued to there reside up to the time the decree was entered; that at the time of the death of Anna Busch, the testatrix, the German Empire was in a state of war with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the French Republic ; that the war continued up to the time of the entry of the decree, and that by reason of this war none of the parties to the suit were able to communicate with Dr. Lippstren and that he had taken no part in the administration of the trusts mentioned, and had been unable to do so; that since the death of the testatrix, Dr. Lippstreu has not been within the United States; that the other two trustees, Walter Schuttler and the Continental & Commercial Trust and Savings Bank, have accepted the trust under the terms of the will and entered upon their duties; that on April 6, 1917, the Congress of the United States declared a state of war to exist between the Government of the United States and the Imperial German Government, and that condition existed up to the entry of the decree; that on or about the 6th day of October, 1917, the Congress of the United States passed an act which made it unlawful for any person within the United States to communicate with Dr. Lippstreu, and that since the declaration of war it was at all times impossible for any one interested in the trusts in question to communicate with Dr. Lippstren; that an opportunity had come to complainants, Otto S. Busch and Franz S. Busch, to establish themselves and to invest funds in a uséful business and they applied to Walter Schuttler and the Continental & Commercial Trust and Savings Bank, as trustees, for their approval of the business and the investment of the funds in accordance with the provisions of the will; that both of these trustees approved of the business and of the investment of the funds; that Schuttler had requested the bank to make' the advance out of the trust funds, but the bank has not done so for the sole reason that it doubts whether it could legally do so without the approval of Dr. Lippstreu. The decree further found that the trusteé, Continental & Commercial Trust and Savings Bank, had sufficient funds in its hands belonging to the trusts to make the advances requested. The decree removed Dr. Lippstreu as trustee and anthorized Walter Schuttler, trustee, to exercise all the ■powers given under the tenth paragraph of the mil and he and the Continental & Commercial Trust and Savings Bank were authorized to make the advances without the concurrence of Dr. Lippstreu.

It is stated that there is no desire on the part of the resident trustees to prevent the advances requested, but they feel it their duty to interpose objection in order that they may be fully protected.

Publication was made in an endeavor to serve Dr.

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Bluebook (online)
216 Ill. App. 212, 1919 Ill. App. LEXIS 307, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/busch-v-schuttler-illappct-1919.