Dougherty v. Thompson

27 Misc. 738, 59 N.Y.S. 608
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJune 15, 1899
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 27 Misc. 738 (Dougherty v. Thompson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dougherty v. Thompson, 27 Misc. 738, 59 N.Y.S. 608 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1899).

Opinion

Bookstaver, J.

These two. separate actions are brought by trustees for the construction of the separate trusts created in clauses third and ninth of the: will of William D. Thompson, deceased.

The third clause is as follows:

Third. One other of said shares, amounting at par to one hundred thousand dollars, I give and bequeath unto my executors herein named, or such of them as shall qualify and act as executors of this my will, the survivors and ■ survivor of them and their successors and assigns, upon the trusts and to the intents and uses following — that is to say, to collect and receive the interest and dividends thereon falling due after my decease, and out of the net income, to apply to the use of my nephew, William D. Thompson, Junior, of Baltimore, in the state of Maryland, the annual sum of seven hundred dollars, to be reckoned from the time of my death and payable. half-yearly during his life; and the whole residue of such net income to apply to the use of Josephine, the wife of the said William D. Thompson, Junior, and their children, by paying the same to her for the support of herself and children during their minority; and as each child -attains the age of twenty-one, he or she shall be entitled to receive one equal share of such surplus of income above seven hundred dollars per annum, the same being divided into as many equal shares as there shall.be children of the said William D. Thompson, Junior, and Josephine, his wife; and one more share for the said Josephine, which she shall be entitled to [740]*740receive for her own use during her life, after all the said, children shall have attained the age- of twenty-one. ' .

“In" case of the death of the said William D. Thompson, . during the life of said wife, the portion of income hereinbefore set apart for him is to be' added to the. other shares in equal proportion.

“In case the said Josephine shall at any time marry'another husband, the right to a share of said income shall thenceforth cease. In Which event, or in the event of her death during the .lifetime of said William D. Thompson, Junior, the share of. incomes hereinbefore set apart for her shall be added- to the shares of the said children in equal proportion.

“ Upon the death of the longest liver of them, the said William' D. Thompson, Junior, and Josephine, his wife, this trust shall cease, -and the trustees shall forthwith transfer and pay over the whole of the trust property and the proceeds and increase thereof to the children of the said William D. Thompson, Junior, and Josephine, his wife, and if any of said children shall have died .leaving issue,-such issue shall, receive their'parents’.share.

"“In case the said-William D. Thompson, Junior, shall" attempt ' to obtain, use, ór in any manner control, any part of the income herein or elsewhere in my'will bequeathed to the- use of his Wife ■and children, or shall take proceedings before any court or .tribunal, with the intent of contesting of impeaching the validity . of-this will, then and in either of such cases I do hereby revoke the above bequest or trust in his favor, and I direct that the amount of income hereinbefore' set apart for "him be added in ■ equal proportion to the shares .of incoine set apart for his wife and children, and for his children alone, from the time when his wife’s interest, therein shall cease.

“ In like "manner I expect the.said Josephine,- his wife, to do all in her power towards carrying the provisions o’f this clause of my . will into effect in good faith; and if she shall voluntarily violate or evade the same, or permit the same to be violated or evaded, it is my will .that thenceforth her interest in the Said income shall cease, and her share thereof be added to the shares of the children in equal proportion.” "

The-ninth clause is as follows:

“ Uinth. The foregoing bequests being first fully provided for, and-not otherwise, I give to my nephew John B. Thompson, for his life, my building and lot ETo. 139' Broadway, in, the. city of [741]*741Hew York; and upon his death, I give and devise the same to my said executors, the survivors and survivor of them, their successors and assigns, upon trust, to receive the income thereof, during the life of John 0. Thompson, son of the said John B. Thompson, and apply the same as follows: One-quarter to the use of the said John 0. Thompson and one-quarter to the use of his mother, the wife of the said John B. Thompson; and- if she shall die or remarry within said term, then from that time to apply-the entire half of said income to the use of the said John ,0. Thompson and the other half to apply during the whole of said term to the use of all the other grandnieces and grand-nephews of mine in equal shares, the issue of any deceased taking their parents’-share; and upon the death of the said John 0. Thompson, to sell and convey, the said property in fee, and to distribute the ■ proceeds among all my grand-nieces and grand-nephews in equal ' shares, the issue of any deceased grand-nephew or. grand-niece taking their parents’ share.”

The testator died on the 27th day of June, 1874. At that time, William D. Thompson, Jr., and Josephine, his wife, had three children, the defendants, Marie Louise Horris, Maria O’Donnell, and Stephen J. Thompson,' now deceased; and no more were ever born to them. ,

The controversy Concerns the interest of Stephen J., who died in April, 1897, in the two trust funds. His mother Josephine and the defendant John 0. Thompson survived him, and are still living. Therefore, the two trusts under clauses third and ninth, above quoted, still continue.

The contest is a triangular one amongst the various defendants, the three positions taken being as follows:

First. Josephine L. Thompson claims income and • principal under a will of Stephen Jay Thompson made July 2, 1892, by which he devised and bequeathed all his property to her. She contends that Stephen Jay Thompson ,_took vested estates at William D.' Thompson’s (the .testator’s) death, which he could transfer by his will and that income and principal became transferred to her thereby.

“ Second, The cobeneficiaries of Stephen Jay Thompson in the two trusts claim that the income as well as the trust estate in each belong to such of them as are his survivors; claiming that in each- trust the testator formed a class of beneficiaries; that ‘ the children of William D. Thompson, Jr., and wife ’ were such in [742]*742the'trust in the third clausemf the will; and the testator’s ‘ grandnephews and nieces ’ were- such in the ninth clause, and that the income which has accrued on the dead beneficiary’s share since- his ' death, and which shall accrue hereafter, in each trust, belongs to - them as his survivors. ,

' Third. The defendant John" 0. Thompson, as trustee, and 'also he and Jennie M. Thompson, as-executors of John B. Thompson-(and who were also the residuary devisees and legatees .under ■ William D. Thompson’s will), claim: •'

“ (á) That the interests of Stephen Jay Thompson, ifi the trust - estates were' contingent, arid did not and could not vest until- the ■"time of: their distribution, and that he having died childless before that time, his interest in the trust estates lapsed and passed into the residuary estate of the testator; that, not being, vested,. .. Stephén Jay Thompson.' could not -transfer them by will.

“ (b) That there is no devise or bequest for the benefit of a class,

“ (c).

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Rasquin v. Hamersley
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4 Coffey 357 (California Superior Court, San Francisco County, 1899)

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Bluebook (online)
27 Misc. 738, 59 N.Y.S. 608, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dougherty-v-thompson-nysupct-1899.