Hills v. Flynn

161 A.D. 127, 146 N.Y.S. 508, 1914 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5342
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedMarch 6, 1914
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 161 A.D. 127 (Hills v. Flynn) 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
Hills v. Flynn, 161 A.D. 127, 146 N.Y.S. 508, 1914 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5342 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1914).

Opinion

Clarke, J.:

On August 23, 1894, George E. Sill of Hartford, Conn., loaned $3,385.45 to Hubert K. Wood and received from him the following instrument:

“Hartford, Conn., August 23rd, 1894.

“ On demand after date I promise to pay to George Eliot Sill or order the sum of Three thousand three hundred and eighty-five A/V dollars, with interest at the rate of "six per centum per annum from date.

“ To secure the payment of the above amount and any accumulated interest I hereby assign and set over to the said George Eliot Sill all my right, title and interest in and to a certain trust created by the will of my late grandfather George Wood of Hew York City; which trust is now held by Frederick Wood of Morristown, H. J., as trustee for the benefit of Julia Wood of Morristown, H. J., and my proportion of which trust is payable to me or my order at the death of the said Julia Wood. Provided that any balance remaining after the payment of the above amount and any accumulated interest shall be paid over to me.

“HUBERT K. WOOD.”

The will of George Wood, admitted to probate by the Surrogate’s Court of Hew York county Hovember 10, 1862, created a trust of certain real property for the benefit of Julia Wood [129]*129for life. The United States Trust Company was appointed substituted trustee of said trust by a decree of the Surrogate’s Court, January 23, 1896. Said trust on September 3, 1909, was represented by a fund upwards of $30,000, held by said company as substituted trustee for the benefit of Julia Wood and remaindermen and the said Hubert K. Wood is one of said remainder-men. Julia Wood died April 5, 1913, and the said trust became then distributable. The share of H. K. Wood in said fund amounted to $5,153.51. Prior to June 7, 1901, George Eliot Sill died intestate. George G. Sill was duly appointed administrator and on said date as administrator recovered a judgment in the Superior Court of Hartford county, Conn., against Hubert K. Wood upon the aforesaid note, which judgment was duly docketed and was for the amount of $5,605.73 damages and $26.45 costs. Thereafter George G. Sill died and Harry M. Burke of Hartford was duly appointed administrator de bonis non of the estate of George Eliot Sill. Upon the death of George G. Sill, the sole beneficiaries of the estate of George Shot Sill were and still are William E. Sill and Helen Sill Wood, a sister, who are now the sole surviving next of kin of the said George Eliot Sill and George G. Sill.

On September 3, 1909, said Hubert K. Wood executed and delivered an instrument to Charles B. Barkley by which he granted, bargained and conveyed all his right, title and interest in and to the said trust fund to the full extent of $4,000, together with interest at the rate of six per cent thereon, from the date of the death of said Julia Wood, and appointed the party of the second part his true and lawful attorney for his own benefit, to make demand, sue for and collect said amount. In said instrument he expressly subordinated his assignment to the estate of George E. Sill to this assignment to Barkley. Prior to the said transfer to Barkley, the said Burke, as administrator, with the consent of the hens at law and next of kin of said George Eliot Sill, released, to the extent of $4,000 and interest, the said assignment made' by Hubert K. Wood to George Eliot Sill, and so informed the United States Trust Company.

On February 14, 1913, the Nestor Manufacturing Company, [130]*130a New York corporation, duly recovered judgment against Hubert IÍ. Wood in the Municipal Court, borough of Manhattan, and a transcript was duly docketed in the office of the county clerk for $431.63. Thereafter an execution was duly issued and returned wholly unsatisfied. On April 9, 1913, an order in supplementary proceedings was made thereon. Wood appeared and was examined. On May 14, 1913, an order was made and duly served upon the trust company to appear as a third party for examination in supplementary proceedings upon said judgment, and in said order there was a provision. enjoining the trust company from disposing of any property belonging to said Wood then in its possession.

On October 16, 1913, the defendant Flynn was duly appointed receiver in supplementary proceedings and the order was duly filed and Flynn duly qualified. On October 8, 1913, the plaintiff Hills was duly appointed administrator in the place of Burke in the Probate Court of Hartford.

The injunction contained in the order of May fourteenth was modified by a stipulation executed by Nestor Manufacturing Company, Wood, Flynn as receiver, and the trust company, and an indenture executed by said parties and Hills, Barkley and William E. Sill and Helen Sill Wood. Pursuant to said instruments.the trust company holds the sum of $650 of the share of Wood in said trust fund, subject to the adjustment of the claims thereto of his creditors, Nestor Manufacturing Company and the estate of George Eliot Sill, deceased, his assignee.

Pursuant to said instruments the trust company has paid out the balance of Woods’ share, $4,603.51, to Barkley and Hills as administrator. No action was ever brought in the New York courts upon the said judgment recorded in the State of Connecticut, and the said assignment from Wood to Sill was never filed in the office of the clerk of the county of New York.

Notice of the assignment from Wood to Sill was given to the trust company prior to the assignment to Barkley. The said Wood was a resident of Connecticut until the first half of the month of September, 1907, and since has been and is now a resident of New York. No part of the said judgment and note [131]*131has been paid. Said assignment from Wood to Sill was in good faith, for valuable consideration. In Connecticut there is no limitation, by statute or otherwise, setting the time during which an action upon a judgment recovered in that State, or any other State, shall be brought.

This agreed statement of facts is without prejudice to the running of the Statute of Limitations, if the same has run against the said assignment from Wood to Sill or the indebtedness secured thereby.

Plaintiff demands judgment decreeing that the defendant United States Trust Company pay to him as administrator de bonis non of George Eliot Sill, deceased, the said sum of $550 on account of said assignment.

Defendant Flynn prays for judgment decreeing that the company pay said sum to him as receiver in supplementary proceedings upon the judgment recovered by ¡Néstor Manufacturing Company against Wood.

The defendant trust company prays for judgment decreeing to whom it shall pay out the said sum.

The plaintiff-claims that the note and assignment as security constitute a pledge; that it is a chose in action and that the pledgee may retain or sell the pledge, though the debt to secure which the pledge was given is outlawed.

The question involved is what interpretation shall be given to the instrument Exhibit “A.” It was an unsealed promissory note, dated August 23, 1894, containing an assignment of so much of Wood’s vested remainder in a trust estate limited on the life of Julia Wood, the cestui que trust, as would pay the amount thereof. As against the note itself the Statute of Limitations has run, but judgment was obtained on the note in Connecticut before the running of the statute. The entry of judgment does not affect the assignment.

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Bluebook (online)
161 A.D. 127, 146 N.Y.S. 508, 1914 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5342, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hills-v-flynn-nyappdiv-1914.