Edwards' Estate

56 Pa. D. & C. 682, 1946 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 27
CourtPennsylvania Orphans' Court, Delaware County
DecidedApril 15, 1946
Docketno. 619 of 1945
StatusPublished

This text of 56 Pa. D. & C. 682 (Edwards' Estate) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Orphans' Court, Delaware County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Edwards' Estate, 56 Pa. D. & C. 682, 1946 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 27 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1946).

Opinion

van Roden, P. J.,

Decedent, J. R. Lincoln Edwards, also known as Lincoln. Edwards, died December 30, 1944, leaving a will dated September 25, 1944, and an undated codicil thereto, both in his own handwriting. Two sons-in-law of testator, [683]*683the executors named in the will, duly qualified, and are the accountants in this proceeding.

Testator was survived by his two daughters: Dorothy E. Walton and Gertrude E. Riley. His wife, Ida W. Edwards (also known as Ida May Edwards), predeceased him on January 14,1944.

The executors have filed their first account, which is presently before the court for audit.

The transfer inheritance tax of $300, being at the rate of 10 percent upon two pecuniary legacies total-ling $3,000, was paid by the executors as stated in their petition for distribution.

Helen C. Kelley, one of the two pecuniary legatees under testator’s will, filed an exception to the executors’ account and to their petition for distribution in the above estate, stating that “the collateral inheritance tax of 10 percent assessable on her inheritance is charged to same instead of being charged to the residuary estate”.

The court is informed that testator was actively' engaged in the tea and coffee business at 115 South Front Street, Philadelphia, Pa., for more than 20 years prior to his retirement from business, as of August 31, 1942; during a long period thereof the exceptant, Miss Helen C. Kelley, was his secretary at said place of business; and testator and his wife had employed Cora S. Davis, the other pecuniary legatee, as a maid and housekeeper at their residence for many years prior to their respective deaths.

By his holographic will, testator provided, inter alia, as follows:

“Second I do will and bequeath to Cora S. Davis the sum of One thousand Dollar outright at my death

“Third I do will and bequeath to Helen C. Kelley the sum of Two thousand Dollars outright at my death

[684]*684“Fourth I do will and bequeath to my daughter Dorothy E. Walton one fifth of balance of my estate

“Fifth I do will and bequeath to my daughter Gertrude E. Riley four fifths of balance of my Estate.”

All of the parties in interest are living and of full age; and decedent did not marry after the execution of his will, and there were no children born to or adopted by him thereafter.

The question to be decided is: Did testator intend that the transfer inheritance tax on the pecuniary bequests should be paid out of the residuary estate?

Counsel for the exceptant bases his contention that such was the intention of testator upon the use of the word “outright” in paragraph 3 of the will (which word was used also in paragraph 2, relating to the legacy to Cora S. Davis). He cites no references or decisions directly in point to support this position; and the cases cited in his briefs do not go very far by way of sustaining his position. In Brown’s Estate, 208 Pa. 161, the Court held it. to be apparent from the wording of the will that testator intended the tax to be charged against the income before distribution to the legatees. In Anderson’s Estate, 312 Pa. 180, there was a specific direction to pay the inheritance tax out of the residuary estate, and the court would not adopt the suggested interpretation that testator meant only taxes “due by me”. Likewise, in Horn Estate, 351 Pa. 131, express provisions were contained in the will to pay the inheritance tax out of the residuary estate. Comment will be made later upon Rettew’s Estate, 142 Pa. Superior Ct. 335.

Consideration has been given to the argument of counsel for exceptant that the court would not be justified in construing testator’s will by eliminating or disregarding the word “outright”, and that the rule of construction presumes that testator “intended to mean something” by the inclusion of that word in [685]*685his will, that, as stated in Horn’s Estate supra, the preferable construction is that every word is operative.

The question involved is, therefore, narrowed down to a determination of the significance of the word “outright” as used in the second and third paragraphs of the will.

Counsel for the executors argues that the payment by each pecuniary legatee of the inheritance tax assessed upon her legacy would be: (1) Be-in compliance with the statutory provisions relating thereto; (2) would be in accordance with the application of the pertinent principles of law, and (.3) it would carry out the intention of testator as ascertained from the proper construction of his will and codicil.

It appears that in accordance with the requirements of section 16 of the Transfer Inheritance Tax Act of June 20,1919, P. L. 521, 72 PS §2352, as amended by the Act of July 12, 1923, P. L. 1078, sec. 4, the executors paid the 10 percent tax on both of the pecuniary legacies bequeathed by testator’s will.

Unless the presence of the word “outright” contained in the provisions for the two pecuniary legacies alters the situation as contended by exceptant, it is the further duty of the executors under the provisions of said statute and of section 48.1 of the Fiduciaries Act of June 7, 1917, P. L. 447, as added by section 1 of the Act of July 2, 1937, P. L. 2762, 20 PS §844, to deduct the amount of said tax before making distribution to either of said legatees. See McLure Appeal, 347 Pa. 481 at 485 (1943), Horn Estate, 351 Pa. 131 at 135 (1945). See also Tailman’s Estate, 10 D. & C. 89 (1928), where Lamorelle, P. J., stated, inter alia, at page 91:

“Section 16 of the Act of June 20, 1919, P. L. 521, provides that the executor or administrator or other trustee paying any legacy or share in the distribution [686]*686of any estate of a resident decedent subject to the said tax shall deduct therefrom the tax.”

Counsel for the executors in their brief have referred to a number of decisions of this and other jurisdictions which have a relevant bearing upon the general question as to whether the above pecuniary legatees or the two residuary legatees should assume the payment of the transfer inheritance taxes of $300 which were paid by the executors in this estate, and we will proceed to consider them.

Brown’s Estate, 12 Dist. R. 123 (1903), where Judge Penrose of the Orphans’ Court of Philadelphia County, in dismissing the exceptions to the adjudication (which was affirmed by the Supreme Court in 208 Pa. 161), stated in his opinion, inter alia:

“While collateral inheritance tax or succession tax is, technically, a charge, not upon the estate of the decedent, but upon the right of the legatee or dis-tributee to receive the bounty thus coming to him, the latter may, of course, be relieved of the burden by the provisions of the will. No particular form of words is required for this purpose, and the question is always one of intention, to be gathered from the will in its entirety, construed in the light of the circumstances surrounding the testator at the time of its execution. The authorities on the subject are referred to in Bispham’s Estate, 24 W. N. C. 79, where it was held that the tax was payable from the general estate where the gift was of the annual ‘net’ sum of $1200, for life.”

Holbrook’s Estate, 3 Pa. C. C. 265 (1887). Judge Penrose said at page 270:

“The only remaining question is with regard to the collateral inheritance tax upon the annuity. The phraseology of the gift is peculiar.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
56 Pa. D. & C. 682, 1946 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 27, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edwards-estate-paorphctdelawa-1946.