Evans v. Abney

165 S.E.2d 160, 224 Ga. 826, 1968 Ga. LEXIS 968
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
DecidedDecember 5, 1968
Docket24782
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 165 S.E.2d 160 (Evans v. Abney) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Evans v. Abney, 165 S.E.2d 160, 224 Ga. 826, 1968 Ga. LEXIS 968 (Ga. 1968).

Opinion

Mobley, Justice.

This appeal is from an order of Bibb Superior Court which held that a trust created by Senator A. 0. Bacon in his will dated March 28, 1911, providing for a park in the City of Macon, to be called Baconsfield, for the benefit of “white women, white girls, white boys and white children of the City of Macon,” had failed and the property would revert by operation of law to the heirs at law of Senator Bacon.

The litigation was commenced in May, 1963, when Charles E. Newton and others, as members of the Board of Managers of Baconsfield, brought a petition against the City of Macon, as trustee under the will of Senator Bacon, and Guyton G. Abney and others, as successor trustees under the will, holding assets for the benefit of residuary beneficiaries, asserting that the City of Macon was failing and refusing to enforce the provisions of the will with respect to the exclusive use of Baconsfield, and praying that the city be removed as a trustee. Reverend E. S. Evans and others, Negro residents of the City of Macon, on behalf of themselves and other Negroes similarly situated, filed an intervention, contending that the restriction in the trust limiting the use of the park to white women and children was illegal, and praying that the general charitable purpose of the testator be effectuated by refusing to appoint private persons as trustees. The heirs at law of Senator Bacon also intervened, praying that, if the relief sought by the original petitioners not be granted, the property revert to the heirs. The City of Macon in its answer alleged that it could not legally enforce segregation. The city later amended its answer, alleging that it had by resolution resigned as trustee under the will, and praying that its resignation be accepted by the court. The superior court accepted this resignation by the City of Macon and appointed new trustees. On appeal by the Negro intervenors from this judgment, this court affirmed the judgment of the trial court. For a full statement of the pleadings see Evans v. Newton, 220 Ga. 280 (138 SE2d 573).

[828]*828The Supreme Court of the United States granted writ of certiorari and reversed the judgment of this court, holding in part: “Under the circumstances of this case, we cannot but conclude that the public character of this park requires that it be treated as a public institution subject to the command of the Fourteenth Amendment, regardless of who now has title under state law. We may fairly assume that had the Georgia courts been of the view that even in private hands the park may not be operated for the public on a segregated basis, the resignation would not have been approved and private trustees appointed. We put the matter that way because on this record we cannot say that the transfer of title per se disentangled the park from segregation under the municipal regime that long controlled it.” Evans v. Newton, 382 U. S. 296, 302 (86 SC 486, 15 LE2d 373).

The judgment of the Supreme Court of the United States was made the judgment of this court. The opinion of this court remanding the case to the trial court was in part as follows: “When this case was before us for review, we sustained the orders of the trial court accepting the resignation of the City of Macon as trustee of Baconsfield and appointing new trustees. The Supreme Court of the United States, in the general reversal of the judgment of this court, did not, in the majority opinion, make any specific ruling on the right of the City of Macon to resign as trustee or that new trustees could not be appointed. The resignation of the City of Macon as trustee of Baconsfield because of its inability to carry out the provisions of the trust being an accomplished fact (and we know of no law that could compel it to act as trustee) and the order of the court appointing new trustees having been reversed, the trust property is without a trustee. Even if new trustees were appointed, they would be compelled to operate' and maintain the park as to Whites and Negroes on a non-discriminatory basis which would be contrary to and in violation of the specific purpose of the trust property as provided in the will of Senator Bacon. Under these circumstances, we are of the opinion that the sole purpose for which the trust was created has become impossible of accomplishment and has been terminated. (See Restatement (Second), Trusts § 335. ‘Where a trust is expressly created . . . [and] [829]*829fail[s] from any cause, a resulting trust is implied for the benefit of the grantor, or testator, or his heirs.’ Code § 108-106 (4)).” Evans v. Newton, 221 Ga. 870 (148 SE2d 329).

On remand of the case to the Superior Court of Bibb County, a motion for summary judgment was filed by Guyton G. Abney and others, as successor trustees under the will of Senator Bacon. After consideration of depositions and affidavits, the Superior Court of Bibb County entered a summary judgment decreeing as follows: The relief prayed by Reverend E. S. Evans and other Negro intervenors is denied. Under the decision of the United States Supreme Court the essential purpose of the trust creating Baconsfield in Senator Bacon’s will has become impossible of performance, and the trust has failed and is terminated. The doctrine of cy pres is not applicable to the trust creating Baconsfield. There is no general charitable purpose expressed in the will. It is clear that the testator sought to benefit a certain group of people, white women and children of Macon, and the language of the will clearly indicates that the limitation to this class of persons was an essential and indispensable part of the testator’s plan for Baconsfield. There has been no dedication of Baconfield as a park for the use of the general public. There is nothing in the record to support the contention that the Bacon heirs are estopped from claiming a reversion to them. The property has reverted by operation of law to these heirs. In view of the termination of the trust, it is not necessary that there be a trustee. The City of Macon, having no further trust duties to perform or trust assets to account for, is dismissed as a party to the case. Certain acts and doings of the de facto successor trustees are ratified and approved. Receivers are appointed. The title to the assets of the trust property is decreed to be in the heirs at law of Senator Bacon.

The Negro intervenors appealed from this judgment, enumerating as error each of the findings of the trial court, and the failure to find that Baconsfield should be operated as a public park on a non-discriminatory basis. The intervenors contend that they have been denied due process of law and equal protection of the laws under the Constitution of the United States by the rulings made, and that the judgment does not follow the mandate of the Supreme Court of the United States.

[830]*8301. The intervenors urge that the doctrine of cy pres should be applied to Senator Bacon’s will, and that the nearest effectuation of the intention of Senator Bacon would be to operate the park for the benefit of all citizens of the City of Macon. The doctrine of cy press is expressed by Code § 108-202 as follows: “When a valid charitable bequest is incapable for some reason of execution in the exact manner provided by the testator, donor, or founder, a court of equity will carry it into effect in such a way as will as nearly as possible effectuate his intention.”

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Bluebook (online)
165 S.E.2d 160, 224 Ga. 826, 1968 Ga. LEXIS 968, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/evans-v-abney-ga-1968.