Erdheim v. Mabee

113 N.E.2d 433, 305 N.Y. 307
CourtNew York Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 28, 1953
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 113 N.E.2d 433 (Erdheim v. Mabee) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Erdheim v. Mabee, 113 N.E.2d 433, 305 N.Y. 307 (N.Y. 1953).

Opinions

Conway, J.

In December, 1950, a firm of attorneys, both members of which are New York residents, recovered a judgment in Supreme Court, Bronx County, against Elizabeth K. [312]*312Mabee. The judgment was for professional services rendered to Mrs. Mabee who appears to have been a resident here at the time of the action since it is so stated in respondent’s brief and there is no claim by appellant trust company that she was not or that she has since changed her residence. Execution has been returned unsatisfied and no part of the judgment has been paid.

On August 31,1951, the plaintiff-judgment-creditor instituted this garnishment proceeding pursuant to section 684 of the Civil Practice Act to reach income payable to the judgment debtor from a trust created by the will of Thomas J. Ryan, deceased. The decedent died a resident of the District of Columbia in December, 1927. He bequeathed his residuary estate in trust to pay one half of the net income thereof to his sister Anne Belle Ryan (now deceased) during her life, and one half of such net income to the judgment debtor herein, Elizabeth K. Mabee (named in the will as Elizabeth O’Connor McCarthy). After the death of the respective beneficiaries, the net income of the trust is payable in perpetuity to St. Clara College of Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, a religious educational institution.

On January 13, 1928, the trust company obtained temporary letters of administration from the Surrogate’s Court, New York County. The executive officer of St. Clara College, Ellen Coughlin, consented to the appointment.

Thereafter, in February, 1928, the will was admitted to probate in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia holding Probate Court. The trust company and Ellen Coughlin, executive officer of St. Clara College, qualified and were appointed as executors.

On July 20, 1928, the trust company alone was granted ancillary letters testamentary from the Surrogate’s Court, New York County.

On December 23, 1929, the final account of the executors was passed upon and approved by the District of Columbia court. That account “ shows distribution of the estate according to law and to the will, one-half unto M. Genevieve Ryan and one-half to the testamentary trustees under the will for the benefit of Anne Belle Ryan and Elizabeth O’Connor McCarthy for life.”

The property comprising the trust fund is now on deposit at .the head office of the trust company in New York City,

[313]*313In October, 1931, the trust company, and Ellen Coughlin, as cotrustee, brought a proceeding in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia (as it was then named) for the settlement of their first- account as trustees and for a construction of the will. On December 3, 1931, a decree was entered settling the account and construing the will with reference to their investment powers. The decree also contained the following provision: That jurisdiction of this cause be and it is hereby retained for such further orders and instructions regarding the administration of the trust estate as may be deemed necessary.” (Italics supplied.)

Under date of November 17, 1952, counsel for the plaintiff wrote to the Clerk of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia inquiring as to whether the records of his court:

1. * * * indicate that the Farmers Loan & Trust Company of New York (now known as City Bank Farmers Trust Company) and Ellen Coughlin, Executive Officer of St. Clara College, both designated as Trustees under decedent’s will, consented to act as Trustees in connection with the above estate, and whether or not they qualified as Trustees and in so consenting and qualifying, did they constitute and appoint the Clerk of your Court as their lawful attorney to accept service in regard to subject estate?
2. * * 5 indicate that Katherine Murphy, the present Executive Officer of St. Clara College (succeeding Ellen Coughlin on or about 29 July, 1949), has consented to act as •Trustee in the above estate and whether or not she qualified as Trustee, and in so consenting and qualifying did she constitute and appoint the Clerk of your Court as her lawful attorney to accept service in regard to subject estate?
“3. 8 * * indicate a resignation of said Ellen Coughlin as a Trustee of subject estate on or after 29 July, 1949 when she ceased being Executive Officer of St. Clara College? ”

The clerk answered stating that: 1 ‘ The last action in the case was a decree instructing Trustees entered December 3, 1931 ” (quoted above in part), and that: “ No consents of trustees to serve have been filed in the cause, and the Court not having appointed "he trustees no power of attorney designating the [314]*314Clerk of this Court as a process agent for trustees has been filed.”

The application for the order of garnishment involved on the present appeal was made by the plaintiff-judgment-creditor by affidavit and order to show cause returnable at Special Term in September, 1951. The order was directed to the trust company and the executive officer of St. Clara College as trustees. It, and the affidavit upon which it was granted, was served personally within the State upon the trust company and, as conceded by the trust officer of the trust company, upon the executive officer of St. Clara College outside the State, by registered mail, in accordance with the terms of the order to show cause.

The motion was granted and the Appellate Division affirmed but granted leave to appeal certifying five questions of law to us.

The major issue to be determined is whether the courts of the State of New York have jurisdiction to garnishee the income or profits due or to become due from trust funds admittedly located here.

The trust company contends that the situs of this trust is in the District of Columbia and that exclusive jurisdiction to garnishee the income of a trust is vested in the courts of the State of the situs of the trust whether or not there are trust funds there.

The situs of a trust is “ determined by an interpretation of the words by which the trust is created. No rule of law can be laid down for the purpose of interpretation. * * * [A] 11 indications are considered, such as the intention of the parties, the place of business or domicil of the trustee, the location of the trust res, and other similar matters.” (2 Beale on Conflict of Laws, p. 1024.) “ In the case of a testamentary trust, the seat of the trust is usually the domicil of the testator, where the will takes effect, unless a contrary intention appears, as by naming a foreign trust company as trustee.” (id.) (Italics supplied.) In section 298 of the Be statement of Conflict of Laws it is said: A testamentary trust of movables is administered by the trustee according to the law of the state of the testator’s domicil at the time of his death unless the will [315]*315shows an intention that the trust should be administered in another state.” Comment c of that section reads: “If the testator appoints as trustee a trust company of another state, presumptively his intention is that the trust should be administered in the latter state; the trust will, therefore, be administered according to the law of the latter state.” (Italics supplied.)

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Bluebook (online)
113 N.E.2d 433, 305 N.Y. 307, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/erdheim-v-mabee-ny-1953.