Cutler v. Winberry

179 A.D. 221, 166 N.Y.S. 627, 1917 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 7418
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJuly 31, 1917
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 179 A.D. 221 (Cutler v. Winberry) 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
Cutler v. Winberry, 179 A.D. 221, 166 N.Y.S. 627, 1917 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 7418 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1917).

Opinion

Jenks, P. J.:

This action presents a conflict of claims to certain realty heretofore owned in fee by Winberry. The plaintiff asserts title through a deed made by McCarthy, grantee of Winberry. The defendants contend that Winberry died seized of an estate of inheritance, so that the defendant Nellie Winberry has an estate of dower and the other defendants inherit as [223]*223heirs at law. The deed to McCarthy, his heirs and assigns, conveyed several pieces of real estate, including the piece in question, “ upon the trusts nevertheless, and to and for the uses, interests and purposes hereinafter limited described and declared that is to say: First,” it provided that McCarthy “ will allow the said .party of the first part to manage and control said property as he may think best for the interest of his children hereinafter named, and to collect and receive all of the rents and income from the same and apply the same to such purposes as he may desire during the term of his natural life. * * * Fourth. That he will at any time when requested so to do by said party of the first part in writing convey to William Winberry the son of said party of the first .part the farm situated in Rockland County, New York, being the property hereinbefore first above described, to have and to hold unto said William Winberry his heirs and assigns forever. Fifth. That in case of the death of said party of the first part before making the request to convey said farm to his said son William Winberry, leaving his said son him surviving, he will then convey said farm to said William Winberry, to have and to hold unto him his heirs and assigns forever.” The 9th paragraph provided for specific substitution in case of the death of any of said children of said party of the first part without leaving lawful issue, and before the conveyance to him or her of the property. The 4th paragraph is out of this discussion, for Winberry died without having made any request in writing as provided therein, intestate, and thereafter McCarthy, as trustee, by deed that referred to the said deed from Winberry to him, conveyed the premises oursuant to the 5th paragraph to the said son, William. H. Winberry.

As the deed from Winberry to McCarthy was executed in April, 1895, its force must be determined by the provisions of the Revised Statutes then in effect. (Freme v. Clement, L. R. 18 Ch. Div. 499; Murray v. Miller, 178 N. Y. 316.) It is conceded that the trust was not within the express trusts authorized by the statutes. (See Verdin v. Slocum, 71 N. Y. 345; Wainwright v. Low, 132 id. 313.) The defendants contend that.any authority in McCarthy perforce of the deed was extinguished by the death of Winberry, his grantor. [224]*224The plaintiff asserts that McCarthy’s said deed to the son was effective.

I am of opinion that the deed created a special power in trust in McCarthy to convey the remainder to William H. Winberry. The grantor created an express trust, but not for a purpose enumerated in the statute that provides for such trusts. But otherwise the trust was not bad. At the termination of the life estate, that must be regarded as in the grantor, the remainder is to be conveyed to the grantor’s son. In Belmont v. O’Brien (12 N. Y. 394, 404), the court say: “ The revision of our statutes has made great changes in our law of real property; but the absolute owner of real estate, subject to. the statutory provisions, has the entire disposition as before, and may create future estates, limit new. uses, charge the estate, &c., himself, or -by granting a power.” (See, too, Gilman v. Reddington, 24 N. Y. 15; Sweeney v. Warren, 127 id. 426.) Washburn on Real Property (6th ed. § 1671) says: “ It is no obstacle in the way of executing a power that the estate thereby to be created cannot be immediately enjoyed, or even be a vested estate at the time of the execution.” Section 58 of article 2 of title 2 of chapter 1 of part 2 of the Revised Statutes (1 R. S. 729; 4 id. ‘[8th ed.] 2438) provides: “Where an express trust shall be created, for any purpose not enumerated in the preceding sections, no estate shall vest in the trustees; but the trust, if directing or authorising the performance of any act which may be lawfully performed under a power, shall be valid as a power in trust, subject to the provisions in relation to such powurs, contained in the third article of this title.” This statute controls. (New York Dry Dock Co. v. Stillman, 30 N. Y. 174; Fellows v. Heermans, 4 Lans. 230.) The scheme of the grantor, as to the conveyance of the remainder to his son, is entirely separate and distinct. It bears no relation to the management, control or conservation of the estate during the life of the grantor. Therefore, this case does not present the feature that caused the court in Heermans v. Burt (78 N. Y. 259, 267) to hesitate over the question whether the instruments in that case created a mere agency for the management of the grantor’s estate for his own benefit “ or a power in -trust valid under the Revised Statutes and therefore irrevocable,” and [225]*225to leave that question undecided, although the opinion when read with reference to that rendered in Heermans v. Robertson (64 N. Y. 332) indicates that the court thought that a power had been created.

I am of opinion that this power was not extinguished by the death of the grantor. Referring to the said section 58 (supra), the next section, 59, reads: In every case where the trust shall be valid as a power, the lands to which the trust relates, shall remain in, or descend to the persons otherwise entitled, subject to the execution of the trust as a power.” Death of the grantor must precede descent. If such a power was terminated by such death, the lands could not descend subject to the execution of the trust as a power.” In Cooke v. Platt (98 N. Y. 35) the court, per Andrews, J., say: “ The attempt of a testator to devise his lands upon an unauthorized trust does not intercept the passing of the legal title to his heirs or ultimate devisees or beneficiaries. The statute to this extent frustrates a testator’s intention, but it preserves it so far as to enable the trustees to perform the trust through the medium of a power, as to such acts as he is authorized to perform, and for the performance of which a power could be lawfully created. (1 R. S. 728, §§ 55, 58, 59.)

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Bluebook (online)
179 A.D. 221, 166 N.Y.S. 627, 1917 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 7418, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cutler-v-winberry-nyappdiv-1917.