De Guebriant v. Commissioner

14 T.C. 611, 1950 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 223
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedApril 18, 1950
DocketDocket No. 17081
StatusPublished
Cited by40 cases

This text of 14 T.C. 611 (De Guebriant v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
De Guebriant v. Commissioner, 14 T.C. 611, 1950 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 223 (tax 1950).

Opinions

OPINION.

Hill, Judge:

Issue 1.- — -The first question we have to determine in this proceeding is whether one-half of the trust funds deposited in the name of the trustees of the La Grange trust at the United States Trust Co. constituted money on deposit “by or for” decedent within the meaning of section 863 (b) of the Internal Revenue Code1 at the time of her death. Respondent concedes that all the other requirements of this section of the code are met. While he admits that decedent was entitled to receive one-half of the assets of the La Grange trust after the death of La Grange, he claims that Irene de Guebriant had no right to the specific assets of the trust, such as the bank deposits, until a final accounting, release of the trustees, and conveyance of the trust assets to the remaindermen had taken place. Since no final settlement and distribution of the La Grange trust had been made at the time decedent died, respondent contends that trust funds deposited in the bank were not on deposit “by or for” her within the meaning of section 863 (b). Petitioner asserts that, since the trust had terminated and decedent was entitled to one-half of the trust assets as a remainderman, one-half of the funds deposited at the bank were a deposit “by or for” decedent within the statutory language. We agree with petitioner’s contention.

If it could be said that, upon the death of La Grange, automatically by force of New York law decedent owned one-half of the trust assets as one of the two remaindermen, then there would be little doubt that the funds in the trustee’s account at the United States Trust Co. were deposited “by or for” Irene de Guebriant. See Estate of Anna Floto de Eissengarthen, 10 T. C. 1277. But it is still debatable under New York law whether, in the period between termination of a trust and the distribution of the assets, legal title to the trust funds vests automatically in the remaindermen where, as here, the corpus was composed entirely of personalty. See Matter of Thomas, 254 N. Y. 292; 172 N. E. 513; Russell v. Bowers, 27 Fed. Supp. 13; and In re Fiske's Estate, 88 N. Y. S. (2d) 452.

Assuming that decedent did not have legal title to a portion of the trust funds, we are yet convinced that one-half of the trustees’ account at the United States Trust Co. was on deposit “by or for” decedent at the time of her death within the meaning of section 863 (b) as we interpreted the above quoted words in Estate of Karl Weiss, 6 T. C. 227. We held in that case that the deposit need not be in the decedent’s name, nor need it be made directly by the decedent, nor is a direct contractual relationship between decedent and the bank necessary in order for the deposit to come within the meaning of section 863 (b). This interpretation of the statute rebuts the conclusions drawn by respondent based on the absence of such facts in the present case. Futhermore, we stated in the Weiss case, p. 228, that “a usual meaning of ‘for’ when thus coupled with ‘by’ is ‘for the use and benefit' of’ or ‘upon behalf of’.”

We have concluded from the circumstances existing at the time of Irene de Guebriant’s death that one-half of the trust funds in the trustees’ account at the United States Trust Co. were for her use and benefit. War conditions prevented a final accounting between the trustees and decedent and a distribution of one-half of the deposited funds to her. This circumstance alone held up the settlement of the trust following the death of La Grange. Furthermore, an accounting of their activities was prepared by the trustees in readiness for the day when they could obtain a license to transact business with Irene de Guebriant and so wind up the trust. During the two-year period between the termination of the trust and the death of decedent, Carroll and Claflin were mere liquidating trustees, collecting income on the trust assets and filing tax returns showing the distribution thereof to decedent and Marc de La Bossiere-Thenne. Their fiduciary duties to conserve the trust assets during this period were for the sole benefit of these new beneficiaries, the remaindermen, rather than for the life tenant. The trustees were accountable to Irene de Guebriant for both the principal of the trust and all income accumulating after the expiry date of the trust. See Trust of Bingham, v. Commissioner, 325 U. S. 365, 373. Decedent had a direct enforceable claim against the trustees for an accounting and conveyance of one-half of the bank deposit, as respondent admits. The fact that trustees’ commissions might slightly reduce the total amount eventually transferred to Irene de Guebriant does not detract from her unconditional right to a portion of these funds.

Furthermore, while it is certainly true that during the period between termination of the trust and distribution of the trust assets the trustees had duties and necessary powers to wind up the trust estate, it is not at all clear that the sale of certain securities in the trust and investment of the proceeds therefrom in United States obligations were not outside these powers. Certainly it is a general rule that trustees have no power to invest subsequent to termination of a trust. Scott on Trusts, vol. 3, sec. 344, p. 1890. Such actions by the trustees bespeak an agency, which decedent later ratified as a principal by delivering to the trustees a power of attorney with regard to her property interests in the trust.

Respondent argues that the facts of the present case bring it within the rationale of City Bank Farmers Trust Co. v. Pedrick, 168 Fed. (2d) 618. We can find no such similarity in the circumstances of the two cases that would justify this contention. In the City Bank Farmers Trust Co. case, the funds deposited in a bank were held by the trustees of a trust which was still active and, to terminate the trust by revocation and cause a distribution of the trust assets, it was necessary for the settlor to gain the consent of the trustee, whereas’ in the instant case at the time of decedent’s death the trust had long been terminated and she was unconditionally entitled to one-half of the trust funds on deposit.

Respondent also asserts that our decision in Estate of Elizabeth Hawxhurst Davey, 10 T. C. 515, supports his contention. It is true that in the Davey case further steps had been taken toward a final distribution of the trust estate than in the instant case, namely, there had been a final accounting and release of the trustee. But, as in ouisscase, there had been no transfer of the trust funds to the account of the claimant, for such funds were still held on deposit by the bank in a general account designated “Personal Trust Funds” at the time of the claimant’s death. We feel that the decisive fact in both cases is that the trust had terminated and the decedent had an unconditional right to the trust funds held on deposit. We conclude here, as we said in, the Da/oey case, that the funds to which decedent had a direct, enforceable claim “were held ‘for’ her ultimate use and benefit.” Therefore, we hold that the $31,559.06 representing one-half of the bank deposit is not includible in the gross estate of decedent by reason of section 863 (b).

Issue 2. — The next question for our determination is the value of 511% shares of Phelps Estate, Inc., which formed a part of Irene de Guebriant’s gross estate.

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Bluebook (online)
14 T.C. 611, 1950 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 223, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/de-guebriant-v-commissioner-tax-1950.