Crosby v. Commissioner

34 B.T.A. 433, 1936 BTA LEXIS 697
United States Board of Tax Appeals·Decided April 24, 1936·No. Docket No. 79652.·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

OPINION.

Leech:

Petitioners ask redetermination of a deficiency in income tax in the amount of $2,192.66 for the year 1932. The facts are found as formally stipulated.

Henry K. Morgan died, testate, on July 26, 1931, owning an estate valued at $961,868.62.

The executors named in his will were duly appointed by the Surrogates Court of the County of Morris, State of New Jersey, and qualified as such. Katharine Huntington Morgan, one of the executors, died on the 22d day of October 1933, and the Morristown Trust Co., of Morristown, New Jersey, is the surviving trustee of the estate of Henry K. Morgan, deceased.

Katharine H. Morgan, surviving wife of Henry K. Morgan, deceased, elected to accept the rights to the property of the decedent, as provided for in the will, in lieu of her dower and statutory rights.

The last will and testament of Henry K. Morgan, deceased, provided, so far as here material, as follows:

Second: If my wife, Katharine Huntington Morgan, should survive me, I give and bequeath to her all my books, pictures, bric-a-brac, furniture, automobiles and other goods and chattels. If she should die before me, I give and bequeath the same to my daughter, Emily Morgan Crosby.
[434]*434Third: I give Five Thousand Dollars to Arthur U. Orosby to hold in trust) for Katherine Orosby for whose benefit the income therefrom shall be used until she shall arrive at the age of twenty-five years when she shall receive the principal.
To Wyman Whittemore I give Ten Thousand Dollars on the following trusts:
Five Thousand Dollars thereof shall be held for Mary Emerson Whittemore who shall receive the benefit of the income therefrom until she reaches the age of twenty-five years.
The remaining Five Thousand Dollars thereof shall be held for Louise Adams Whittemore who shall receive the benefit of the income therefrom until she reaches the age of twenty-five years.
If any of said three beneficiaries should die before me then the legacy to the one so dying shall lapse and become part of the residue of my estate and pass as provided in my said will.
Each beneficiary surviving me shall at my death have an absolute vested interest in the amount set aside for her benefit, notwithstanding the fact that I have directed that payment of the principal shall not be made until she shall reach the age of twenty-five years.
A release from the Trustee named for each beneficiary shall be a complete acquittance to my executors.
Fourth : I make the following bequests:
(1) To my daughter Emily Morgan Orosby I give Fifty Thousand Dollars:
(2) To Katherine Huntington Brooks (known in religion as Sister Katharine Angela) I give Ten Thousand Dollars.
(3) To Mary Brooks Whittemore of Boston, Massachusetts, I give Ten Thousand Dollars:
(4) To the Rector, Wardens and Vestrymen of St. Peter’s Church of Morris-town, New, Jersey, I give the sum of Five Thousand Dollars in trust to he invested in safe securities and the interest thereon to be used for the worthy poor of the Parish:
(5) To the Morristown Memorial Hospital, I give Five Thousand Dollars:
(6) To the Evergreen Cemetery of Morristown, New Jersey, I give Five Hundred Dollars for the perpetual care of my lot ini said cemetery.
Fifth : All the residue and remainder of my entire estate, both real and personal of every description and wheresoever situated, I give, devise and bequeath to my executors said Katharine Huntington Morgan and the Morristown Trust Company of Morristown, New Jersey, in trust nevertheless for the following uses and purposes:
They shall hold my said estate as one fund and shall invest the same and keep the same invested and shall pay the sum of Eighteen Thousand Dollars a year in quarter yearly payments of Four Thousand Five Hundred Dollars each to my said wife Katharine Huntington Morgan, so long as she shall live.
All income from my said estate that may remain after the payment of said annuity of Eighteen Thousand Dollars to my said wife, shall be paid, to my daughter Emily Morgan Crosby so long as she shall live.
At the death of my said wife my said daughter shall receive the whole income from my estate so long as she shall live.
At the death of my said daughter the income to which she may have been entitled at the time of her death shall be paid to her child or to her children in equal shares if she should leave more than one.
If at the death of my said daughter, my said wife shall still be living, then at the death of my said wife the income which she had been receiving from [435]*435my said estate shall be paid to the child or children of my said daughter Emily as aboye provided.
During the minority of any child or children of my said daughter the income to which he or she shall be entitled shall be paid to his or her guardian.
At the expiration of twenty-one years from the death of my daughter the trusts established by this will and held for her benefit, shall terminate and if my said wife shall then be dead the whole of the principal of my estate shall be paid, transferred and set over to the issue of my said daughter per stirpes and not per capita.
If, however, at the expiration of twenty-one years from the death of my said daughter my said wife should still survive, then I direct my said Executors and Trustees to set aside a fund sufficient in their opinion to provide said annuity of Eighteen Thousand Dollars for my said wife during the remainder of her life.
At her death the fund so reserved shall be at once paid, transferred and set over to the surviving issue of my daughter per stirpes and not per capita.
If at any time before the arrival of the time for distribution of the fund held for the benefit of my said daughter and her issue they should all be dead and if my said wife should then survive, then in that event she shall receive the whole income from my said estate until the time of her death, when my said estate shall be distributed as below provided.
If at the time for the final distribution of my said estate under the above provisions of this will, both my wife and my daughter shall be dead and if no issue of my said daughter should then survive, then in that event I direct my surviving Executor and Trustee to pay, transfer, convey and set over my estate then remaining to said Mary Brooks Whittemore, or if she should also then be dead to her issue per stirpes and not per capita.
Sixth : I make, constitute and appoint the said Katharine Huntington Morgan and the Morristown Trust Company of Morristown, New Jersey, the Executors of this last Will and Testament, and I direct that they shall not be required to give bond or other security for the faithful performance of their duties as such Executors in this or any other State.

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Crosby v. Commissioner, 34 B.T.A. 433, 1936 BTA LEXIS 697 (bta 1936).

34 B.T.A. 433 (Crosby v. Commissioner) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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Crosby v. Commissioner
34 B.T.A. 433 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1936)