Hess v. Zahn

57 Misc. 515, 107 N.Y.S. 951
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 15, 1908
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 57 Misc. 515 (Hess v. Zahn) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hess v. Zahn, 57 Misc. 515, 107 N.Y.S. 951 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1908).

Opinion

Newburger, J.

Casper Hirtler died on the 1st day of November, 1891, leaving him surviving Margaretha, his widow, and William Hirtler, Henry Hirtler and Rosa Zahn, children. He left a last will and testament and a codicil.

William Hirtler, a son, married the defendant, Marie E. Hirtler, on the 16th day of April, 1895, and died on the 15th day of March, 1904, no issue him surviving, but leaving a last will and testament by which he bequeathed and devised all his property to said Marie E. Hirtler, his widow. Henry Hirtler, a son of the deceased, married the defendant, Theresa W., on November 10, 1885, and died on the 2d day -of April, 1900, intestate, leaving him surviving Theresa W., his widow; and Gasper Hirtler, a son, who had just attained his majority; and Frank Hirtler, an infant, over the age of fourteen years. Margaretha Hirtler, the widow of Gasper Hirtler, died on February 3, 1906, leaving no issue, but leaving a last will and testament which has been probated and not contested.

'Casper Hirtler, by his will, after providing for the payment of his debts and making a number of bequests, provided in the fourth, fifth and sixth clauses of said will the following:

Fourth. All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, real and personal, of whatever kind and wherever situated (excepting my dwelling house and premises, Number One hundred and thirty-five East Ninety second Street, in the City of New York, and the furniture and other articles therein contained, and my personal effects hereinbefore devised and bequeathed to my wife during her life), I give, devise and bequeath-to my executors hereinafter named, or such of them as may qualify, and the survivors or survivor of them, in trust, To Have and to Hold the same and receive the rents, issues, profits, and income thereof, and from time to time to pay and apply the net income arising therefrom to my beloved wife, Margaretha, for and during the term of her natural life so long as she remains my widow.
“Fifth. In case my said wife shall re-marry, then it is my will and I do hereby direct, that upon such re-marriage, [518]*518my said Executors and said Trustees, their survivors or survivor, shall divide the said rest, residue and remainder of my said Estate (excepting the house and premises Humber One hundred and thirty-five East"Hinety second Street, in the Oity of Hew York, and the furniture and other articles therein contained, and my personal effects) into three equal parts, and my said Executors, their survivors or survivor shall continue to hold one of such parts in trust as aforesaid, to receive the rents, issues, profits and income thereof, and pay and apply the net income arising therefrom to my said wife for and during the rest of her natural life; and the. other two parts of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate shall thereupon he further subdivided into three equal parts, one of which three equal parts I give to my son William, or to his heirs at law should he fail to survive mé; another of said equal parts I give to my son Henry or to his heirs-at-law should he fail to survive me, and the third and remainder of said parts I give to my Executors, or such of them as may qualify, or the survivors or survivor of them, in trust, nevertheless, To Have and to Hold the same, to invest and re-invest the same as hereinafter provided, to receive the rents, issues and profits thereof, and to pay and apply the income thereof to the use of my daughter, Eosa Zahn, for and during the term of her natural life, and upon her death I give said part so held in trust for her unto her children then living; and the issue of any of her children who may have died leaving issue; the issue of any deceased child of my said daughter to take the share or portion which his, her or their parent would have been entitled to, if living.
The foregoing provisions for my said wife are made for her in lieu of dower.
" Sixth. It is my will and I do hereby direct that, upon the death of my .said wife, Margaretha, all my estate real and personal which may then remain undivided shall be divided into three equal parts, one of which equal parts I give and bequeath to my son William or to his heirs-at-law should he have died; another of said equal parts I give to my son Henry, or to his heirs-at-law should he have died, and the [519]*519third and remainder of said equal parts I give to my Executors, or such of them as may qualify, or the survivors or survivor of them, in trust, nevertheless,- To have and to Hold the same, to receive the rents, issues and profits arising therefrom and to pay and apply the income thereof to the use of my said daughter, Eosa Zahn, for and during the term of her natural life, and upon her death, I give said part so held in trust for her unto her children then living and the issue of any of her children who may have died leaving issue; the issue of any deceased child to take the share or portion which his, her or their parent would have been entitled to, if living.”

The executors ask the court to construe whether, under these provisions of the will, the interests of William and Henry were vested or contingent in view of the fact that both died before Margaretha, the widow, the life beneficiary.

There can be no question that, from a-reading of the entire will and codicil, under the sixth clause of the will, the interests of the sons were contingent and dependent upon their surviving the life beneficiary.

The rule has been laid down in the case of Warner v. Durant, 76 N. Y. 136, by Mr. Justice Folger in delivering the opinion of the court, as follows: “ This case presents the question, whether a legacy became vested in the legatee in his lifetime, though he died before the time fixed for the payment.

It is a general principle that where a gift is absolute, and the time of payment only, postponed; time, not being of the substance of the gift, but relating only to the payment, does not suspend the gift, but merely defers the payment.

“ This principle will not act in this case to vest the legacy ; for the gift was not, in the outset, to the legatee; and another rule is to be noticed. It is this: Where there is no gift but a direction to the executors or trustees to pay or divide, and to pay at a future time, the vesting in the beneficiary will not take place until that time arrives. Here the gift was at first to executors, to hold in trust for five years; and at the expiration of that period, to pay over to [520]*520the legatee. But this rule does not act in this ease; for there has been a distinction grafted upon it. It is this: Where the gift is to be severed instanter from the general estate, for the benefit of the legatee; and in the meantime, the interest thereof is to be paid to him; that is indicative of the intent of the testator that the legatee shall, at all events have the principal, and is to wait, only for the payment, until the day fixed.” -

The rule thus laid down has been followed in a long line of decisions, and is now the settled rule of this State.

The second question submitted is: Who are the respective heirs at law to take under the sixth clause of said will ?

Having determined that the interests of the sons William and Henry were contingent and not, vested, the only heirs at law under the sixth clause of the will are ¡Rosa Zahn and the children of Henry Hirtler, namely, Casper and Frank C. The claim - of Marie E.

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72 Misc. 249 (New York Supreme Court, 1911)

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Bluebook (online)
57 Misc. 515, 107 N.Y.S. 951, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hess-v-zahn-nysupct-1908.