Geary's Estate

55 Pa. D. & C. 381, 1946 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 227
CourtPennsylvania Orphans' Court, Clinton County
DecidedJanuary 14, 1946
StatusPublished

This text of 55 Pa. D. & C. 381 (Geary's Estate) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Orphans' Court, Clinton County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Geary's Estate, 55 Pa. D. & C. 381, 1946 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 227 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1946).

Opinion

Hipple, P. J.,

This matter comes before the court on the petition of the executors under the last will and testament of B. F. Geary, deceased; Helen E. Gilson, a beneficiary and residuary legatee, [383]*383Mary Frances Wagner, granddaughter of testator, a remainder woman, and Lock Haven Trust Company, guardian of the Estates of Emily E. McCloskey and William A. McCloskey, beneficiaries and residuary legatees, praying for a declaratory judgment with respect to decedent’s will and an answer filed thereto by Louise A. Geary, widow of testator.

Various adverse claims have arisen between the parties regarding the interpretation of the will of decedent, the rights of beneficiaries, and the duties of fiduciaries and trustees named therein, whereby an actual controversy exists which brings the proceeding within the Declaratory Judgment Act of June 18, 1923, P. L. 840, sec. 4, 12 PS §834.

B. F. Geary died April 15, 1940. His last will and testament, dated November 30,1939, was probated and recorded in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, in Will Book “M”, page 342. He named Samuel L. Gilson and Louise A. Geary as executor and executrix, and The First National Bank of Lock Haven, and Samuel L. Gilson as trustees of trusts created thereunder. Letters testamentary were duly issued and the executors proceeded with the administration of the estate. Mr. Geary had previously been married to Allison W. Geary, who died July 14,1926, and Louise A. Geary, the present widow, was married on November 10, 1928, to Mr. Geary. The maiden name of Louise A. Geary was Louise M. Alber, and prior to this marriage Miss Alber and Mr. Geary entered into a prenuptial agreement dated September 22, 1928, a copy being attached to and made part of testator’s last will and testament. The prenuptial agreement sets forth that Mr. Geary had disclosed to Miss Alber the amount of his estate as accurately as could be determined, which included the value of property bequeathed to him by his former wife, Allison W. Geary, under the terms of her last will and testament probated and recorded in Clinton County, Penna., in Will Book *T”, page 440, which was of the value of ap[384]*384proximately $70,000, and both parties agreed that upon the death of Mr. Geary all of the property owned by him which became vested in him under the last will and testament of his deceased wife should, upon his death, descend to and become vested in the children of Mr. Geary, viz., Helen E. Gilson and Dora I. McCloskey; that upon the death of Mr. Geary and the payment of his debts and funeral expenses, there should be first deducted from his estate the sum of $70,000, to become the property in equal shares of Helen E. Gilson and Dora I. McCloskey, under and subject to such provisions, limitations and trusts as Mr. Geary might provide in his will, and that the remainder of the estate should then be divided equally between Louise A. Geary, Helen E. Gilson and Dora I. McCloskey, each receiving the one third part thereof, but Mr. Geary reserved the right to dispose of the interests provided in this agreement by a last will and testament, to create such trusts as he might deem advisable, provide for the payment of income to beneficiaries and for the reversion and final disposition of the principal sum.

In his will, after certain specific bequests of household goods and directing the cancellation of certain indebtedness, testator declared that he had received from the estate óf his wife, Allison W. Geary, 67 shares of the capital stock of the First National Bank of Lock Haven of the par value of $100, which were later converted into 335 shares of stock of the par value of $20; 27 shares of the capital stock of Lock Haven Trust Company, a dwelling house and residence at 317 West Main Street, Lock Haven, Pa., and a note executed by testator to the order of his deceased wife in the sum of $16,200, representing money due and owing his deceased wife by testator at the time of her death. He thereupon directed his executors to deliver to the First National Bank of Lock Haven, Pa., and Samuel L. Gilson, as trustees, the certificates representing the capital stock of the First National Bank of Lock Haven, [385]*385Pa., and Lock Haven Trust Company, and to pay to them the sum of $16,200 in cash out of the residue of his estate, together with the proceeds of the sale of his residence and dwelling house at 317 West Main Street, Lock Haven, Pa., bequeathing and devising these assets to the trustees to be invested in legal securities for trust funds, and directing that the trust should be divided into two -equal parts: (1) To pay for the use of his daughter, Helen. E. Gilson, of Erie, Pa., out of the accumulated principal and interest the sum of $300 per month upon the first day of each month from and after his decease, as long as the fund should last or .until her death, with remainder over to his granddaughter, Mary Frances Gilson, now Mary Frances Wagner, upon the death of Helen E. Gilson, if any money remained in the fund, and the other half to be held for the benefit of his two grandchildren, William A. McCloskey and Emily E. McCloskey, testator’s daughter, Dora I. McCloskey having predeceased testator, to be divided equally between them and out of the combined principal and interest therefrom trustees were directed to pay to each the sum of $50 per month from the time of testator’s death until they severally arrived at the age of 35 years, at which time the principal was to be paid to them, with remainder over in event of the death of the grandchildren before arriving at the age of 35 years, without leaving lawful issue.

In the seventh paragraph of his will, testator gave to his wife, Louise A. Geary, without charge the use and occupancy of his residence and dwelling house at 317 West Main Street, for the period of two years from the date of his death, directing that the taxes, insurance and cost of repairs thereon should be paid out of “my estate” during that period, but that if a satisfactory price could be obtained for this real estate by his executors within the period of two years, then the executors might sell the same. In such event they were directed to secure some other suitable home, satisfaz[386]*386tory to his wife, Louise A. Geary, the cost thereof to be borne by “my estate”.

Testator then directed his executors to convert the balance of his estate, viz., that portion which was not received from his wife, Allison W. Geary, into cash as soon as possible after his decease, and from the moneys so realized to pay to the First National Bank of Lock Haven and Samuel L. Gilson, trustees, $16,200, representing his indebtedness to the estate of his deceased wife.

In paragraph nine he created a trust for the benefit of his wife, Louise A. Geary, naming the First National Bank of Lock Haven, Pa., and Samuel L. Gilson as trustee, and bequeathed to these trustees the sum of $50,000, to be invested and reinvested in good and legal securities, directing the trustees to “pay the net income thereof to my beloved wife, Louise A. Geary, together with the sum of One Hundred ($100) Dollars per month, to be paid out of the principal of such trust, so long as she lives, or until said fund is entirely exhausted”.

In event of the death of Louise A. Geary before the fund was exhausted, testator directed that any amount remaining in the trust should revert to and become a portion of his estate to be divided one half each to his daughter, Helen E. Gilson, and his grandchildren, William A. McCloskey and Emily E. McCloskey, and to become a part of the trust fund created for the benefit of his daughter and grandchildren.

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Bluebook (online)
55 Pa. D. & C. 381, 1946 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 227, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gearys-estate-paorphctclinto-1946.