Clark v. Anderson

76 Ky. 111, 13 Bush 111, 1877 Ky. LEXIS 15
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedMarch 29, 1877
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 76 Ky. 111 (Clark v. Anderson) 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
Clark v. Anderson, 76 Ky. 111, 13 Bush 111, 1877 Ky. LEXIS 15 (Ky. Ct. App. 1877).

Opinion

CHIEF JUSTICE LINDSAY

delivered the opinion oe the court.

1. The fifth clause of the will of O. M. Anderson, dec’d, contains this language: “I hereby give and devise all my right, title, and interest in the Grahampton Cotton Factory and Mills, and in all of the lands, tenements, and property in and about Grahampton, belonging to the firm of W. G. & O. M. Anderson, to my partner and cousin W. Geo. Anderson in trust.” The beneficiary of the trust is the infant son of the trustee.

All the rest of the testator’s property was devised to his daughter Mary Clark.

In the construction of this will in the case of Clark & wife v. Anderson (10 Bush, 112), this court said:

“Without adjudging whether there was any debt due to the testator from the firm of W. G. & O. M. Anderson, or whether there was any balance of profits standing to his credit as a member of that firm at the time of his death, we think there is no good reason for holding that such a debt or balance, if either existed, passed under the devise of the Gra[115]*115liampton property. Upon the contrary, if there was any such debt or balance, it would seem to have passed Under the residuary devise to Mrs. Clark, and appellee should be held to account for it.”

An examination of the partnership books showed that the firm was indebted to the testator for money deposited, $2,514.92, and that sum was adjudged to Mrs. Clark. The chancellor found there was no balance of profits standing to the credit of O. M. Anderson at the time of his death, and of this Clark and wife complained.

A complete settlement of the partnership affairs develops the fact, that from the inception of the enterprises up to the death of the testator, profits amounting to $33,488.83 had been realized, but they were all invested in machinery and merchandise, except that portion made up of outstanding claims, in the shape of notes, accounts, etc. None of this property passed to Mrs. Clark as residuary devisee. It was included in the lands, tenements, and property in and about Grahampton, belonging to the firm, and was disposed of by the fifth clause of the will. It seems that no dividend had ever been declared, and no steps taken by the firm indicating an intention by the partners to withdraw from the business, for individual purposes, any portion of the profits, and hence there was no “balance of profits standing” to the credit of the testator, and nothing to pass to Mrs. Clark on this account.

The clear meaning of the testator, when he provided that the firm business should still be carried on, and the profits and interest arising from his share appropriated to the enlargement of the business, was that there should be no diminution of the sum invested in the partnership as it then stood, regardless of whether the investment might be in lands, buildings, merchandise, or uncollected debts.

2. In the defense of the action of Duncan v. Field, &c., [116]*116for the partition and distribution of the estate of John L. Martin, deceased, it seems Anderson and Clark and wife could not agree as to the exact character of the answer to be filed to Duncan’s petition. There is nothing in the record tending to show that this disagreement resulted from bad faith, or mere obstinacy on the part of the trustee. It was his duty, under the will of O. M. Anderson, to make defense, and he had the right to employ counsel, and compensate them out of the trust estate. The trustee and the cestui que trust differed as to their respective rights in the trust property, much of which was made up of the interest of the testator in the Martin estate, and issues as to their rights were raised in the suit of Duncan. We can not say that Anderson acted unreasonably in insisting on being allowed to discharge his duties as trustee, through competent counsel selected by himself; and whilst it may be unfortunate that the parties were not willing to adjourn the settlement of their differences of opinion till the suit instituted by Clark and wife for the correction of the trustee’s settlements could be prepared for trial; yet as the trustee in the employment of Bodley, & Simrall acted within the scope of his authority, and in good faith, the chancellor properly made the allowance in question.

3. It is next objected that Anderson was allowed credit for the fees paid to Bodley & Simrall and Joyce, in defending the action of Clark and wife to have his settlements surcharged and corrected. It is claimed he made defense to this action in his own wrong; and the fact that this court, on the former appeal, directed a re-statement of his accounts, on a basis different from, and in some degree more favorable to, Clark and wife, than that adopted by the chancery court, connected with the further fact that he was required to pay the costs of Clark and wife in this court, is relied on as conclusive of this question. If the appellants had obtained all the relief sought in their action, there would be much force in this assumption; [117]*117but as they compelled Anderson to defend his right to act as trustee, and to resist their claim to have the accumulations in his hands, amounting to over $100,000, paid to Mrs. Clark, while she was yet under the age of twenty-one years, and not entitled to receive them, and attacked his settlements in many particulars, in which they were unsuccessful, it would be unconscientious to require him to pay these fees out of his own means. In the material and essential questions involved in the litigation, the trustee was successful; and the costs, ordinary and extraordinary, expended in making his successful defense, would have all been taxed against the trust estate, except that the judgment of the chancellor had to be reversed by this court, for the correction of certain errors, to the prejudice of these appellants, upon some of the questions raised by them in their petition.

These errors made it necessary to prosecute the appeal, and the success of the appellants entitled them to recover their ordinary costs; but it did not take from the trustee the right to be compensated out of the trust estate for the extraordinary costs and expenses attending the defense of so much of their action as was not well founded. And when it is considered that the allowance of $4,000 covers and embraces all professional ■ services rendered in both the actions instituted in the chancery court, and in the whole trust matter in all the courts, up to and including the settlements of 1873, 1875, and 1876, it must be regarded as reasonable and proper.

4. It was error to allow the trustee credit for $150, the amount paid the commissioner for the re-statement of his accounts after the return of the cause from this court. The chancery court was then executing the mandate of this court, and this allowance was in the nature of ordinary costs, and must be paid by the party whose default or mistake rendered the services of the commissioner necessary.

5. The chancellor did not err in declining to charge the [118]*118trustee with the loss resulting from the loan to Ferguson. This investment was secured by a mortgage on real property of cash value fifty per centum greater than the sum loaned.

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Bluebook (online)
76 Ky. 111, 13 Bush 111, 1877 Ky. LEXIS 15, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/clark-v-anderson-kyctapp-1877.