Farrell v. Third Nat. Bank in Nashville

101 S.W.2d 158, 20 Tenn. App. 540, 1936 Tenn. App. LEXIS 45
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedOctober 10, 1936
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 101 S.W.2d 158 (Farrell v. Third Nat. Bank in Nashville) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Farrell v. Third Nat. Bank in Nashville, 101 S.W.2d 158, 20 Tenn. App. 540, 1936 Tenn. App. LEXIS 45 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1936).

Opinions

*542 CROWNOYER, J.

The original bill in this cause was filed by Ritchey Cheek Farrell ag'ainst the Third National Bank of Nashville, trustee under a deed of trust executed by her, and the beneficiaries of the trust — her husband, children, grandchildren, her brothers and their children and grandchildren — seeking to have canceled and declared void and of no effect the said trust instrument and to have the trustee deliver and pay to her all of said trust property free from the terms of the trust.

On April 24, 1922, Joel 0. Cheek, Sr., established a trust for the benefit of his daughter, Mrs. Ritchey Cheek Farrell, and his eight sons and the descendants of his'said children, with the American Trust Company of Nashville as trustee.

Among the assets of said trust were a number of shares of stock of the Cheek-Neal Coffee Company.

In 1928 the value of the trust property was approximately $22,000,-000.

The trust instrument provided that the stock should be voted under instructions of a committee of his sons; that the trust might be revoked at any time by the unanimous vote of six of his sons (designating them); and that the stock might be sold for investment in the stock of other corporations or in other property.

In 3928 the stock of the Cheek-Neal Coffee Company was sold, with the consent of the said six sons, to the Postum Company, Inc., and stock of the Postum Company, Inc., and cash were placed in the hands of the trustee in lieu thereof.

On September 26, 1928, the six sons of Joel O. Cheek, Sr., who were given power under the trust instrument to revoke it, signed an agreement terminating the same, which was delivered to the American Trust Company.

On November 8, 1928, the trust funds were distributed in accordance with the trust deed, except as to two of the sons for whom a different trust had been created.

On December 6, 1928, Mrs. Farrell and her said six brothers each executed a written trust agreement, each delivering almost one million dollars of money and securities.

These seven trusts are substantially the same in terms and provisions and cover property substantially the same in value. Some of them appointed the National City Bank of New York as trustee, and others appointed the American Trust Company of Nashville, Tennessee, as trustee. These instruments contained no power of revocation.

By the trust instrument which Mrs. Farrell executed, she assigned to the National City Bank of New York, as trustee, cash and securities amounting to almost one million dollars for certain uses and purposes. These provided for the payment of the net income of the trust fund to the settlor during her life. If, upon her death, any of the settlor’s *543 children or the issue of any deceased child should be then living, the trust was to continue until the death of the last survivor of them and for a period of twenty years thereafter, with certain provisions for the payment of income to such children and issue and for payment of the principal of the trust fund. If upon the death of the settlor no child or the issue of any deceased child of his should be then living, or in case of the death of all of the settlor’s children and the issue of all of the settlor’s children during the continuance of the trust, the trust should in either of said events continue until the death of the last survivor of the settlor’s said brothers, and until such termination, and except as therein provided, the net income from the trust fund should be paid over equally to the settlor’s brothers, and the issue of any deceased brother from time to time surviving, said issue to take the part their deceased parent would have taken if living, in equal shares per stirpes. Upon the termination of the trust, the trustee was to convey, transfer, and pay over the principal thereof to the issue of the settlor’s brothers then living, in equal shares per stirpes; or, if no issue of the settlor’s brothers was then living, to such persons as would then constitute the heirs at law of the settlor’s father, Joel 0. Cheek, Sr., if he had then died intestate owning real estate in Tennessee.

It was further provided that if upon the settlor’s death her present or any future husband of hers was then living there should be paid to him out of the net income from the trust fund the sum of $1,000 per month so long as he should live and not marry.

It was also provided that $12,000 per year, in monthly installments, should be paid to the settlor’s father, if he should be living on September 1, 1933.

In each of the trust instruments executed by Mrs. Farrell’s said six brothers similar provisions were made in favor of their sister, Mrs. Ritchey Cheek Farrell, and her issue, and also similar provisions were made for the payment of $12,000 per year in monthly installments to Joel O. Cheek, Sr., and for the payment of $1,000 per month to their respective wives, so long as they should live and not marry.

In each trust instrument it is specifically provided:

“A. This instrument is executed by the Settlor in consideration of the Settlor’s brothers (in the Frank L. Cheek trust ‘and sister’), James H. Cheek, Leon T. Cheek, Robert S. Cheek, John H. Cheek, Newman Cheek and Frank L. Cheek, executing a substantially similar trust. The right is therefore expressly reserved to revoke.and make void the trust on two weeks’ written notice delivered to the Trustee, provided, however, that such right shall terminate and this trust shall forthwith become irrevocable upon delivery to the Trustee of an instrument, signed by the Settlor, the Settlor’s said brothers (in the Frank L. Cheek trust ‘and sister’) stating that satisfactory trusts have been made by each.”

*544 On December 27, 1928, Mrs. Farrell delivered to tbe American Trust’Company of Nashville, which was at-that time the trustee under the trust instruments executed by John H. Cheek, Newman Cheek, and Robert S. Cheek, a letter which was as follows:

“We, the undersigned, Robert S. Cheek, Leon T. Cheek, Frank L. Cheek, James H. Cheek, John IT. Cheek, Newman Cheek and Ritchey Cheek Farrell, hereby certify that we have all made trusts substantially similar, and that those made by Leon T. Cheek, James H. Cheek, Frank L. Cheek, and Ritchey Cheek Farrell have been made to the National City Bank of New York, as trustee, and that those made by Robert S. Cheek, John EL Cheek, and Newman Cheek have been made to the American Trust Company, of Nashville, Tennessee, as trustee, and that said trusts made by all of the undersigned are entirely satisfactory to each of us.

“Accordingly, the right to revoke the trusts held respectively by both the National City Bank of New York and the American Trust Company, of .Nashville, Tennessee, is hereby expressly waived, and as of the date of this letter, all rights to revoke said trusts so made by the undersigned, shall be null and void.

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Bluebook (online)
101 S.W.2d 158, 20 Tenn. App. 540, 1936 Tenn. App. LEXIS 45, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/farrell-v-third-nat-bank-in-nashville-tennctapp-1936.