Estate of Ingram v. Ingalls

510 P.2d 597, 212 Kan. 218, 1973 Kan. LEXIS 512
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedMay 22, 1973
Docket46,728
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 510 P.2d 597 (Estate of Ingram v. Ingalls) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Estate of Ingram v. Ingalls, 510 P.2d 597, 212 Kan. 218, 1973 Kan. LEXIS 512 (kan 1973).

Opinions

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Harman, C.:

This is a proceeding originating in probate court to determine ownership of 2400 shares of mutual fund stock purchased by Pearl Ingram. The principal question is whether the stock became an asset of her estate at her death, which issue turns upon the effect to be given a declaration of trust executed by Pearl in her lifetime.

The contest is between the administratrix of the estate of a predeceased son of Pearl Ingram and Pearl’s daughter, who is now Frances Ingalls, formerly Frances Gamer, named as a residuary legatee in Pearl’s will. Trial in district comb upon certification from probate court resulted in judgment for the administratrix and the daughter Frances has appealed.

There was no factual difference raised by the evidence. Events pertinent commenced September 2, 1959, at which time Pearl Ingram executed an instrument denominated “Declaration of Trust-Revocable” in which her daughter Frances Gamer was named as beneficiary. This document was on a standard form used by a brokerage firm, Waddell & Reed, Inc., Kansas City, Mo., to establish a trust account in mutual fund stock handled by them. On January 20, 1960, Pearl executed another such instrument identical in nature except it named her son Harold W. Ingram as beneficiary. This latter document was in pertinent part as follows:

“DECLARATION OF TRUST-REVOCABLE”
“I, the undersigned, having purchased or declared my intention to purchase shares of capital stock of UNITED FUNDS, INC. (the Company), and having directed that the certificate for said stock be issued in my name as trustee for Harold W. Ingram as beneficiary, whose address is X [Illegible]_
(Street) (City)
(Zone) (State)
under this Declaration of Trust, do hereby declare that the terms and conditions upon which I shall hold said stock in trust and any additional shares of stock issued to me by way of a stock dividend or dividends upon such original shares shall be as follows:
“(1) During my lifetime all cash dividends are to be paid to me individually for my own personal account and use; provided, however, that any additional shares of stock issued to me by way of a stock dividend or dividends upon such original shares shall become a part of and be subject to this trust.
[220]*220“(2) Upon my death the title to any stock subject hereto and the right to any subsequent payments or distributions shall be vested in the Successor Trustee, if any, otherwise in the beneficiary. The record date for the payment of dividends, rather than the date of declaration of the dividend, shall, with reference to my death, determine whether any particular dividend shall be payable to my estate.
“(3) During my lifetime I reserve the right, as trustee, to vote, sell, redeem, exchange or otherwise deal in or with die stock subject hereto, but upon any sale or redemption of said stock or any part thereof, the trust hereby declared shall terminate as to the stock sold or redeemed, and I shall be entitled to retain the proceeds of sale or redemption for my own personal account and use.
“(4) [Provides for appointment of Successor Trustee]
“(5) I reserve the right at any time to change the beneficiary or revoke this trust, but it is understood that no change of beneficiary and no revocation of this trust except by death of the beneficiary, shall be effective as to the Company for any purpose unless written notice thereof in such form as the company shall prescribe is delivered to the Company at Kansas City, Missouri. The decease of the beneficiary before my death shall operate as a revocation of this trust and in such event, the beneficiary shall be divested of all interest in the shares held hereunder, and the appointment of the Successor Trustee shall be revoked.
“(6) In the event this trust shall be revoked or otherwise terminated, said stock and all rights and privileges thereunder shall belong to and be exercised by me in my individual capacity.
“Dated January 20, , 1960 X Pearl Ingram_
“Sign in exactly the same manner as on the application.
“To be executed in duplicate, one copy to be retained by the Purchaser and the other to be retained in the files of the Company.”

Over a period of time Mrs. Ingram made a total of thirty purchases of United Income Fund stock. These purchases were made as a result of periodic calls upon her at her home in Rethel, Kansas, by a salesman for Waddell and Reed. She would sign a printed purchase order form designating the number of shares she wished to buy and indicating in whose name the shares should be issued. In every instance the particular purchase order directed that the shares be issued in the name of “Pearl Ingram, Trustee for [either Harold W. Ingram or Frances Garner]” and stock certificates evidencing the purchases were so issued. Fifteen purchases were made for Harold and fifteen for Frances in this manner (thirteen for each being made on the same day), with a corresponding number of shares purchased for each so that eventually a total of 2400 shares were issued for each.

The first two purchases of stock wherein Frances was named beneficiary occurred February 24, 1959, and September 4, 1959, and the first two with Harold as beneficiary occurred February 24, [221]*2211959, and January 20, 1960. The last two purchases were each made January 7, 1965. The first Waddell and Reed salesman who called on Pearl and established the account was deceased at the time of trial. The second salesman started calling on and selling stock to Pearl in 1960 or 1961. He was aware that trust declarations by Pearl had been in effect and he was never notified of any revocation.

On August 15, 1963, Pearl made her will. In this will she mentioned a third child, a daughter Helen, but left to her only one dollar saying that she had theretofore given real estate to her. She bequeathed a described tract of real estate to her daughter Frances and an adjacent tract to her son Harold. The will contained no other bequests or legacies and no other directions concerning disposition of property except a residuary clause which named Frances and Harold to take the remainder, share and share alike.

On January 21, 1965, upon the petition of the daughter Helen incompetency proceedings were commenced against Pearl, then seventy-nine years of age. On February 11, 1965, Pearl was adjudged incompetent and a guardian (later called conservator), the Commercial National Bank of Kansas City, Kansas, was appointed for her estate. In Pearl’s safety deposit box at this bank the 4800 shares of United Income Fund stock were found, 2400 in Pearl’s name as trustee for Frances and 2400 in Pearl’s name as trustee for Harold. The safety deposit box did not disclose the existence of the trust declarations nor did it contain any evidence that Pearl during her competency had ever attempted to revoke the trust declarations. An officer of the bank made inquiry of Waddell and Reed respecting trust declarations by Pearl but was advised none could be found. The conservator’s inventory showed the 4800 shares of stock held by her as trustee.

The next event of significance was the death of Harold W. Ingram, which occurred February 9, 1969.

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Estate of Ingram v. Ingalls
510 P.2d 597 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1973)

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Bluebook (online)
510 P.2d 597, 212 Kan. 218, 1973 Kan. LEXIS 512, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estate-of-ingram-v-ingalls-kan-1973.