Frankel v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co.

152 A.D. 58, 136 N.Y.S. 703, 1912 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8477
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJuly 11, 1912
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 152 A.D. 58 (Frankel v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Frankel v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co., 152 A.D. 58, 136 N.Y.S. 703, 1912 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8477 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1912).

Opinion

Scott, J. :

Simon Frankel, a resident of the city of Hew York, died May 11, 1911, leaving ¿ last will and testament which was [59]*59duly admitted to probate in the county of New York. He left, him surviving a widow, the plaintiff herein, and a daughter, Charlotte Frankel, who is a defendant. By the 2d clause of his will he gave to his wife absolutely all of his household effects, household furnishings, pictures, paintings, bric-a-brac “ and all other articles and. things used in the conduct of our home.” The 3d clause reads as follows: “ Third. I give, grant, devise and bequeath all the rest, residue and remainder of my property and estate, both real and personal, of every name, nature and description, and wheresoever situated, of which I may die seized, possessed of or entitled to, either in fee, reversion, remainder or otherwise, unto the trustees hereinafter named, as trustees, and in trust only, to and for the following uses, intents and purposes, to wit: My said Trustees, or the survivor of them, shall take possession of and have and hold in trust said entire residuary and trust estate, and manage, control and invest the same, and collect and receive all the interest, income and profit derived from the investment thereof, and pay the whole of the net income derived therefrom, semi-annually, to my beloved wife Hattie G-. Frankel, for and during the term of her natural life, for her own use, maintenance, support and comfort.”

Upon the death of the wife, the residue of the estate was given to the defendant, Farmers’ Loan and Trust Company, in trust for the daughter during her lifetime, at her death to go to her issue, if any, and, failing such issue to collateral relatives of the testator. The 6th clause reads as follows: “ Sixth. In the event that my daughter shall not have married during my lifetime, then notwithstanding anything herein contained to the contrary, I do authorize and empower my executors and trustees hereinafter designated to take out of and from my said estate so much thereof as my said wife shall direct, and as to such part of my said estate, the said trust shall cease, and I do give, grant, devise and bequeath such part unto .my said daughter Charlotte Frankel, absolutely and forever.”

The 7th clause of the will authorized at the option of the wife, the withdrawal from time to time from the corpus of the .trust estate of “so much thereof as she shall deem necessary beyond the income of the said trust, for the proper mainte[60]*60nance, care, support and education of my said wife and of my said daughter, provided always, .that the aggregate of .the amount so withdrawn from-my said estate shall not exceed One hundred thousand ($100,000) Dollars, and thereupon and upon the direction of my said wife, I do give, grant, devise and bequeath the said sums -and the aggregate thereof, and each of said sums unto my said wife absolutely, and as to the said sum so withdrawn (if any), the said trust shall cease and determine.”

The testator’s wife and the Farmers’ Loan and Trust Company were appointed executors of the will and trustees thereunder, and were given complete discretion as to the securities in which the estate should be invested. The 13th clause reads as follows: “ Thirteenth. In making distribution and division of my said estate it is my intention to impose the loss of premium upon investments or securities upon those who shall* ' share in the final distribution of my estate or upon the remaindermen, and not upon the beneficiary of the said trust herein set forth or the cestui que trustent, and that my trustees shall not reserve any portion of the income to make good against the wearing away of premium or the amount paid for premium, nor shall there be any amortization.”

Two questions have arisen, as to which the trustees entertain opposing views, and which the court is called upon to answer. The testator at the time of his death was the owner of three leasehold estates, to wit : (1) A lease of No. 27 Maiden Lane and 59-61 Nassau street, in the city of New York, expiring May 1, 1917; (2) a lease of No. 450 Fifth avenue, in the city of New York, expiring May 1, 1926; (3) a lease of No. 420 Fifth avenue, in. the city of New York, expiring April 1, 1920. The estimated value of these leaseholds at the time of the testator’s death was $158,706.44. The net annual income from these properties is $22,636.56, and they constitute, at present the chief source of income to the plaintiff and h.er daughter.

The first question is whether it is the duty 'of the trustees to sell these leasehold estates (the capital value of which decreases as the date of expiration draws nearer), or whether the plaintiff, and her daughter after her decease, are entitled to insist-that the leaseholds be retained as a part of the trust estate, and [61]*61that they in turn receive the net income therefrom. The contention on the part of the appellant is that it is the duty of the trustee to presently sell the leaseholds, which are securities of the character commonly known as “wasting” securities, and to invest the proceeds in permanent securities, paying to the life tenant only the net income of such substituted securities, or, if the leaseholds are to be retained as investments that only a part of the net receipts are to be regarded as “ net income,” the remainder being retained and accumulated to make good the capital at the termination of the trust.

It is no doubt a general rule that where trustees or executors find a portion of the estate invested in what are termed “wasting” securities, they should pay to the life tenant only so much of the income as represents a fair return upon the capital value, accumulating and retaining the residue for the benefit of the remaindermen. (Howe v. Earl of Dartmouth, 7 Ves. 137; Cairns v. Chaubert, 9 Paige, 160; Kinmouth v. Brigham, 5 Allen [Mass.], 270.) This rule is not rigid, however, and yields readily when it can be seen from the will itself, read in the light of the surrounding circumstances, that the testator entertained a different intention (2 Jarman Wills [6th ed.], 1245; Perry Trusts [6th ed.], § 450), for as was observed by the latter author: “ If the testator conferred upon the remaindermen only the possible chance of taking what might be left by the tenant for life unexhausted, the remainderman will receive all that was intended for him and has no right to complaint.” In the present case it is worthy of note that the only living persons named in the will as remainder-men, to wit, the testator’s brother and his wife and daughter, although joined in the action take no part in the controversy and do not contend for the position assumed by the defendant trust company.

The testator is shown to have been an astute and successful business man. He was president of and a large stockholder in two corporations concerned in the business of dealing in diamonds and precious stones, for which he had received salaries, and until the year 1907 large returns by way of dividends. Since the year 1907, and consequent, as it is believed, upon the financial disturbances of that year, these dividends have [62]*62not been realized. He was also the holder of stock in a realty company which paid in his lifetime and has paid since his death an income of about $7,000 per annum. He owned other stocks of comparatively 'little value and certain ■ unimproved and unproductive real estate, besides the leaseholds in question.

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Bluebook (online)
152 A.D. 58, 136 N.Y.S. 703, 1912 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 8477, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/frankel-v-farmers-loan-trust-co-nyappdiv-1912.