Caudle v. Smither

427 S.W.2d 227, 1968 Ky. LEXIS 668
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedApril 26, 1968
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 427 S.W.2d 227 (Caudle v. Smither) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Caudle v. Smither, 427 S.W.2d 227, 1968 Ky. LEXIS 668 (Ky. Ct. App. 1968).

Opinions

WADDILL, Commissioner.

This is an appeal from a judgment of the Franklin Circuit Court declaring void a trust instrument signed on August 7, 1957, by Alex Smither, Sr., and his wife, Eva Mae Smither. The circuit court’s decision rested upon the finding that the trust provisions of the instrument constituted an unreasonable restraint on the alienation of certain property.

The property involved in this controversy is a 160-acre tract acquired on May 3, 1947, by Alex Smither, Sr., and his wife and George McDonald and his wife, each couple being conveyed an undivided one-half interest with survivorship. This property is located near the city of Frankfort, Kentucky, and soon after its acquisition it became valuable for both commercial and residential purposes.

To speed the development of this property Smither and his wife on August 7, 1959, conveyed their undivided one-half interest to George McDonald, as trustee. The trustee was authorized to hold, manage, lease, rent, sell and convey all or any part of the real estate. Sales could be made by the trustee in the exercise of his sole judgment and discretion. However, by the terms of the trust it was necessary that the trustee include George MdDonald’s individual interest in the property each time the trustee leased or sold any part of the Smithers’ interest in the property. Smith-er retained the right to receive the entire net proceeds of the trust during his lifetime and after Smither’s death the trustee was directed to semiannually distribute the net proceeds derived from the lease or sale of the property as follows: to Smith-er’s wife, Eva Mae; ⅛ to each of his seven named grandchildren, and ½8 to each of two named grandchildren, issue of a deceased child. In the event of the death of any of the named distributees leaving issue, the issue took the parent’s share and if without leaving issue, the others named took pro rata.

Provision was made in the instrument creating the trust for the appointment of a successor trustee. The grant in trust was in terms absolute. No termination date was fixed and the habendum stated “To Have and to Hold the above described property unto the party of the second part, his successor or successors, and assigns forever, * * No power was given the trustee to borrow money or to mortgage the trust res.

Alex Smither, Sr., died testate January 30, 1966. All the named remaindermen survived him. There has been no development of the subject property and no sale of it. However, a small portion of it has been taken for public roads and a water tank.

[229]*229There is only about $6,800 in cash in the trust. Approximately $43,000 in Federal Estate and Gift Taxes is owing and must be paid. According to the trustee at least $100,000 would be required to begin the construction of necessary roads, water, sewer and gas lines. The trustee was of the opinion that no profitable sales or leases could be made without providing those utilities. The trustee refuses to sell his interest in the subject property unless substantial sums are expended to develop it.

Only three of the named beneficiaries of the trust have the means to pay their fractional part of taxes and the costs of development. They desire to retain their interests in the trust property. The other beneficiaries want to sell their interests. Accordingly, all the named remaindermen have entered into an agreement to terminate the trust and they have sought in this action, as alternative relief, permission to do so if this court holds the trust to be valid. However, since we are upholding the circuit court’s conclusion that the trust instrument is void, obviously, we do not reach the question of whether the beneficiaries may, by agreement among them, terminate the trust.

Appellant urges that the settlor’s whole scheme was to provide for the early development of the property as a unit so that the settlor and the beneficiaries of the trust would receive the benefits of George McDonald’s skill and judgment. With regard to the terms of the trust requiring the trustee to include his individual interest in the property each time he sells part of the trust res, it is contended that this condition or restriction should not be construed as an unreasonable restraint on alienation because it applies only during McDonald’s lifetime and cannot apply to a successor trustee. It is urged that the restriction placed upon the property was a prudent and a reasonable one since it could exist no longer than McDonald’s life.

Appellees contend that the restrictive terms of the trust are not personal to McDonald and that they restrain the alienation of the property for an indefinite time. They urge that theoretically the restraint could continue forever since the trust instrument provides for the appointment of a successor trustee whose obligations and duties with respect to the management of the trust would be the same as those assigned to George McDonald. Ap-pellees claim that restrictive terms of the trust clearly demonstrate the intention of the donor to prohibit forever the lease or sale of his interest in the property unless George McDonald includes in each transaction his individual interest in the property. They point to Winn v. William, 292 Ky. 44, 165 S.W.2d 961, and cases reaching a similar result, wherein the court voided a provision of a will creating a committee to settle differences between the testator’s son and daughter and their children. In holding that the provision created an unreasonable restraint upon the alienation of the real estate the court, in pertinent part said:

“We dispose of the statement in the first paragraph that testator did not want his income-producing real estate sold ‘unless the committee hereafter thinks best.’ Perhaps the testator had in mind the arbitrators later provided for the purpose of deciding any disagreement between the children of both his children as to the division of the estate when they had died, or the limited ‘balance,’ or maybe any disagreement as to any part of his will. If it be so regarded, then the statement is an effort to restrain the alienation of the title for an indefinite time, or at least during the lifetime of testator’s children. This is regarded as an unreasonable period and repugnant to the ownership of a fee and, therefore, void. Harkness v. Lisle, 132 Ky. 767, 117 S.W. 264; Kentland Coal & Coke Company v. Keen, 168 Ky. 836, 183 S.W. 247, L.R.A.1916D, 924; Thurmond v. Thurmond, 190 Ky. 582, 228 S.W. 29; Courts v. Courts’ Guardian, 230 Ky. 141, 18 S.W.2d 957. * *

[230]*230In this jurisdiction, prior to 1960, the rule against restraints on alienation was set forth in KRS 381.220 as follows:

“The absolute power of alienation shall not be suspended by any limitation or condition whatever, for a longer period than during the continuance of a life or lives in being at the creation of the estate, and twenty-one years and ten months thereafter.”

During the 1960 term of the Kentucky General Assembly, Senate Bill 180 was enacted and it repealed KRS 381.220 and substituted the common law rule against perpetuities with certain modification.

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

Related

Melton v. Melton
221 S.W.3d 391 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2007)
Three Rivers Rock Co. v. Reed Crushed Stone Co.
530 S.W.2d 202 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1975)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
427 S.W.2d 227, 1968 Ky. LEXIS 668, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/caudle-v-smither-kyctapp-1968.