Casey v. Mercantile-Safe Deposit & Trust Co.

10 Pa. D. & C.3d 548, 1978 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 59
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Luzerne County
DecidedDecember 12, 1978
Docketno. 3 of 1978
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 10 Pa. D. & C.3d 548 (Casey v. Mercantile-Safe Deposit & Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Luzerne County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Casey v. Mercantile-Safe Deposit & Trust Co., 10 Pa. D. & C.3d 548, 1978 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 59 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1978).

Opinion

BROMINSKI, P.J.,

— On January 9, 1978, plaintiff, Joseph G. Casey, Jr., filed a complaint in equity against defendant, Mercantile-Safe Deposit & Trust Company, claiming a distributive share under a certain testamentary trust.

[550]*550On February 8,1978, defendant filed preliminary objections and on February 21, 1978, an answer to preliminary objections was filed by plaintiff. However, apparently these pleadings have been abandoned by the parties, inasmuch as on April 27, 1978, defendant filed an answer to the complaint which included new matter, to which plaintiff filed a reply on May 11, 1978.

The matter presently is before the court for adjudication upon facts stipulated by counsel for the parties and filed of record and admissions contained in the pleadings. No testimony was presented.

FINDINGS OF FACTS

The following facts appear as admissions by the parties in the pleadings:

1. Plaintiff, Joseph G. Casey, Jr., resides in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

2. Defendant, Mercantile-Safe Deposit & Trust Company, is a banking institution with a principal place of business at 2 Hopkins Plaza, P.O. Box 2257, Baltimore, Maryland, but also doing business at other locations and in other states including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

3. Defendant is surviving trustee under the will and codicils of James Clark for Helen Clark Casey as per probate records in the Office of the Register of Wills for Allegheny County, Maryland, in Wills Liber Qlll, folio 115.

4. Defendant, as surviving trustee, administered a trust under the will of James Clark, hereinafter called the “Clark Trust,” for the benefit of Helen Clark Casey until her death on November 3, 1977, at which time the Clark trust terminated.

[551]*5515. The value of the Clark trust as of November 3, 1977, was $793,665.59.

6. Plaintiff has demanded that distribution be made to him but defendant has refused to distribute any moneys.

The following facts are contained in the aforementioned stipulation of counsel:

7. The deed of trust executed by plaintiff with defendant dated February 26, 1957, hereinafter called the “Casey Trust,” and attached to the said stipulation is a true and exact copy of the trust.

8. The trust agreement between plaintiff and United Penn Bank of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, dated January 30, 1978, and attached to plaintiffs reply to new matter is a true and exact copy of that trust.

9. The last will and testament of James Clark dated June 28, 1922, and the annexed codicils attached to the aforesaid stipulation represent the complete last will and testament of James Clark.

10. Under the will of James Clark, the residuary share of plaintiff, to which he would be entitled (if at all), is one-fourth thereof.

11. Plaintiff was bom on May 24, 1923.

12. Plaintiff is unmarried, having been divorced in San Francisco in 1971.

13. Plaintiffs mother, Helen Clark Casey, had the following children: Helen Casey Moore, Patricia Casey Cusick, Margaret Casey O’Donoghue, Ann Elizabeth Casey, and Joseph G. Casey, Jr.

14. Plaintiffs aforesaid mother, one of the Ufe tenants under the will of James Clark, died on November 3, 1977.

15. The aforementioned James Clark died testate in Allegheny County, Maryland, on December 29, 1932.

[552]*55216. On March 30, 1976, plaintiff notified defendant that the Casey Trust was terminated, can-celled and revoked, whereupon defendant, on advice of counsel, advised plaintiff that the trust was irrevocable.

STATEMENT OF THE ISSUES

The principal issue before the court is whether plaintiff may revoke the Casey Trust and compel distribution to him of the proceeds thereof.

DISCUSSION

The basis of plaintiff’s action lies within the confines of the last will and testament of his late grandfather, James Clark, whereunder the Clark Trust was created by virtue of the following pertinent language appearing therein in Item Second, sub-paragraph (b):

“(b) Upon the death of my said wife my Trustees shall divide the remainder of the corpus of said rest and residue into four equal parts and shall continue to hold in trust said four equal parts for the benefit of my said four children, Mary Catharine Roman, Maurice J. Clark, M. Angela Brown and Helen Virginia Casey, and their respective descendants, to wit; one of said four equal parts for the benefit of each of my said four children respectively and his or her descendants, as follows:

“The entire net income from each of said four equal parts my Trustees shall from time to time distribute and pay over to one of my said four children respectively during his or her fife. Upon the death of such child of mine leaving issue or descendants living at the time of his or her death my Trustees shall continue to hold in trust such equal [553]*553one-fourth part of my trust estate until all the surviving children of such deceased child of mine shall have either died or reached the age of twenty-one years, my Trustees meanwhile to pay over and distribute per stirpes and not per capita among the living children and descendants of such deceased child, or to apply to the support or education of such children or descendants, the income which would have been payable to such deceased child. As soon as all the surviving children of such deceased child of mine shall have either died or reached the age of twenty-one years, the trust as to such equal one-fourth part of my trust estate shall cease and the entire corpus of such equal one-fourth part shall forthwith be paid over and distributed per stirpes and not per capita absolutely, free of any trusts, among the then living children and descendants of such deceased child. Upon the death of such child of mine without leaving issue or descendants living at the time of his or her death or upon the death of such child of mine leaving issue and the subsequent death of all the children and descendants of such deceased child of mine before or at the time hereinbefore fixed for the termination of the trust as to such equal one-fourth part of my trust estate, then such equal one-fourth part (1) shall continue to be held in trust for the benefit of my other three children aforesaid and the respective descendants of such other three children upon the same terms as is hereinbefore provided with respect to the original shares of such other three children in my trust estate, or (2) if the trust with respect to the share of any one or more of such other three children shall already have terminated as hereinbefore provided, then one-third of such equal one-fourth part shall be distributed per stirpes and not per capita among [554]*554the then living descendants of each such other child with respect to whose share the trust shall have so terminated.”

On February 26, 1957, while his mother, Helen Clark Casey, one of the life tenants under the Clark Trust, was living, plaintiff executed the Casey Trust agreement with defendant, utilizing his distributive share of the Clark Trust as the corpus.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State ex rel. Working v. Costa
216 S.W.3d 758 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 2006)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
10 Pa. D. & C.3d 548, 1978 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 59, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/casey-v-mercantile-safe-deposit-trust-co-pactcomplluzern-1978.