Crawford v. Dexter

178 A.D. 764, 166 N.Y.S. 376, 1917 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 7389
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJuly 13, 1917
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 178 A.D. 764 (Crawford v. Dexter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Crawford v. Dexter, 178 A.D. 764, 166 N.Y.S. 376, 1917 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 7389 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1917).

Opinion

Dowling, J.:

Henry Dexter died on July 11, 1910, leaving a last will and testament executed October 6, 1906, and eight codicils thereto, all of which were duly admitted to probate by the Surrogate’s Court of New York county. He left him surviving as sole heir at law his daughter, Clarissa Treadwell Dexter, who has been continually of unsound mind for many years and who was confined in Bloomingdale Asylum as early as 1883, remaining there until 1894, since which time for the greater part of the period she has been residing and cared for in her father’s home, and since his death in the family home. Her disease is incurable, although she has never been judicially declared incompetent nor has any committee of her person or property been appointed. Decedent’s estate at the time of his death was valued at $1,400,797.90. By his will a trust was created under the 4th paragraph thereof, which is the source of the controversy between the parties hereto and which reads as follows:

“ Fourth. I give, devise and bequeath all the rest, residue and remainder of my property and estate, real, personal and mixed, wheresoever and whatsoever, which I may own, or be in any wise entitled to at the time of my decease; unto my executors hereinafter named, or such of them as shall take upon themselves the execution of this my Will, and the survivors and survivor of them, in trust, for the following uses and purposes:
“1. To pay and discharge all transfer or succession taxes upon all the bequests and devises contained in this my Will, so that no legacy or devise specifically given therein may suffer diminution by reason of such taxes; but such taxes shall be paid out of the residue of my estate.
2. To apply the interest or income of the said rest, residue and remainder of my property and estate (after payment of such taxes), or so much thereof as may be necessary in their best judgment and discretion, but not less than Five [767]*767thousand dollars per annum, to the care, support, maintenance, benefit and use of my daughter Clarissa Treadwell Dexter, for and during her natural life, such care, support, maintenance, benefit and use to include all proper attendance, such as she is now receiving, and also such additional care, support, maintenance, benefit and use as shall thereafter become necessary or proper for her health, well being, comfort and happiness.
“3. If at any time my said daughter shall recover her mental and physical health, so as in the opinion of my executors, or those taking upon themselves the execution of my Will, or the survivors or survivor of them, to render it proper and safe to do so, then I hereby authorize them to pay over to my said daughter, the whole of the interest and income of said rest, residue and remainder of my said property and estate not theretofore disposed of by them in payment of legacies under the power and authority hereinafter given to them.
“ 4. It is my desire that my present residence Number 42 West Fifty-sixth Street in the Borough of Manhattan, City of New York, shall be maintained for my daughter’s occupancy during her life, and that she shall be surrounded with everything which shall make for her comfort and pleasure, the number in service in the home being maintained as I would have it if living and as befitting one in her station in life. Her every wish shall be respected — with regard to her pleasure and whether she shall remain at home or travel, etc.— when in the judgment of the majority of my executors it shall not seem unwise so to do.
“ 5. At the end of each year of their trusteeship, whatever funds may remain of the income of my estate, after the payment of all bills for the proper maintenance of my daughter, my executors shall have the power and it is my desire that out of the remaining income they may pay the pecuniary legacies bequeathed herein to individual legatees in whole or in part pro rata, until such legacies shall be wholly paid; and when such legacies to individuals shall have been wholly paid, my executors shall in like manner out of said remaining income pay pro rata on account of the pecuniary legacies to corporations bequeathed herein (other than gifts of the residue [768]*768of my estate) until such legacies to corporations shall be fully paid; unless in any year it should in the judgment of my executors seem unwise to do so, keeping in mind always the sufficiency of my daughter’s income. And I also authorize my executors at any time during my daughter’s lifetime if they shall deem it proper and safe to do so, to transfer to the Protestant Episcopal Mission in Mexico, the shares of the capital stock of the Woodlawn Cemetery bequeathed to them herein; but in no other respect shall my executors pay over or distribute the principal of said trust fund during the lifetime of my said daughter, than to transfer said shares of stock of the Woodlawn Cemetery as above indicated.
“6. My executors and trustees are authorized to retain the securities in which my estate shall be invested at the time of my decease and they need only change such investments when in their judgment it shall make for the better security of my daughter’s income.”

By the 5th paragraph of his will the testator provided: “After the decease of my daughter Clarissa Treadwell Dexter, I hereby direct my executors to dispose of the said rest, residue and remainder of my property and estate in manner following: * * *” Then followed directions for the payment and transfer of twenty-five shares of the capital stock of the Woodlawn Cemetery to the Protestant Episcopal Mission in Mexico, and to certain individuals pecuniary bequests aggregating $39,000, and to three corporations pecuniary bequests aggregating $1,200. Then by the 7th paragraph of his will testator directed:

Seventh. All of the trust fund constituted by the Fourth Paragraph of this my Will, that shall remain undistributed by my executors at the decease of my said daughter after payment in full, whether before or after her decease, of all the legacies directed to be paid in the Fifth Paragraph of this my Will, I hereby direct my executors, or the ones taking upon them the execution of this my Will, or the survivors or survivor of them, to distribute as follows, that is to say; my executors shall pay to the following legatees the sums of money- which I give and bequeath to them respectively, to wit:”

Then follow bequests to certain charitable organizations [769]*769which, as ultimately fixed by the 8th codicil to his will, aggregate $972,000. The 9th paragraph of his will provided: “ I hereby make, nominate and appoint my nephews by marriage, Everett L. Crawford and Henry IT. Palmer and my friend S. Clinton Sherwood, executors of this my last will and testament, and as I expect and desire that said S. Clinton Sherwood shall take the most active part in the management of my estate and the care and maintenance of my daughter under the trust herein established for her benefit, but that he shall always act with the advice and approval of the two other executors, or such of them as shall qualify, I direct that the sum of Fifteen hundred dollars per annum be paid to S. Clinton Sherwood out of the income of my estate as special compensation for such extra care and management, in addition to all commissions which he would be entitled to by law as such executor and trustee if no special compensation were given to him herein.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
178 A.D. 764, 166 N.Y.S. 376, 1917 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 7389, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crawford-v-dexter-nyappdiv-1917.